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^^I don't even know about that. True, the urban form is fantastic, but San Francisco is famous for its hills. Guess it depends on your perspective, but I can see how those steep hills can be an impediment for those in poor shape (and even those in great shape in certain situations). A walk from Midtown to Lower Manhattan, or Center City to University City seems that it would be far more pleasant in good weather conditions than a commensurate tourist walk in San Francisco.
It seems like SF would be virtually impossible to manage for someone with a mobility disability.
San Francisco is easily one of the best cities for waking, but I honestly don’t find their transit to be that great at all.
^ True. Muni is pretty awful and slow as hell above ground imo and the bus system is no better then other walkable cities i.e. Philly, Boston, DC, Chicago etc.. they all have frequent bus lines that go down major roads at all hours of the day.
Which major US city is the easiest to get by without a car excluding NYC?
Chicago, Philly, Boston would definitely be my top, followed by DC and San Francisco kind of equal in my eyes. Was really surprised how much public transit and coverage the Bay Area has when I was out there, especially rail... L.A can't even compete on a heavy rail note though it has pretty good Light rail coverage.
Philadelphia has managed to preserve and enhance a good hierarchy of bus/streetcar/subway/regional rail that is functional even on weekends and to the airport. SEPTA's looping regional lines through downtown end to end seemed weird to me at first but is actually an excellent way of integrating the legacy systems and getting more use out of equipment rather than stacking it up wasting center city real estate. The bike/ped system is reaching the point where it's a viable active transportation network.
Chicago still hasn't managed to integrate its regional rail in the same way, nor does it have enough weekend or airport service. Metra really should grow beyond the suits-from-the-suburbs-to-downtown-and-back model, though the considerable amount of actual freight that needs the track space could hinder the transition other cities have made.
Boston has weird gaps in its T lines, trips between central destinations sometimes take two transfers. I'm sure the appetite for another zillion-dollar boondoggle Big Dig II connecting North and South Stations isn't there.
DC seems good on bike/ped (relative flatness and more moderate climate helps) and buses. Metro needs to grow up as do the heavy-rail systems, recovering needed space in Union Station from the mall-y stuff that just doesn't need to be there anymore would be a good start.
^^I don't even know about that. True, the urban form is fantastic, but San Francisco is famous for its hills. Guess it depends on your perspective, but I can see how those steep hills can be an impediment for those in poor shape (and even those in great shape in certain situations). A walk from Midtown to Lower Manhattan, or Center City to University City seems that it would be far more pleasant in good weather conditions than a commensurate tourist walk in San Francisco.
I love the Hills. It made walking through SF a lot of fun for me. I am young and in shape though, so that probably helps. I can see how it can be annoying for a lot of people.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NW4me
Compared to what? I'm sure it's not as good as NY, but for a western city, it's exceptional. I've lived in SF car-free for 25 years.
Compared to a handful of the other poll options, like: Chicago, DC, Boston, Philly. I’m not even talking about NY. I think you’re right about it being best in the West though.
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