Possible to Live Car-Free Anywhere Other than Minneapolis & St. Paul? (Edina: neighborhood, buy)

[jennifat]

Anoka is very walkable and much, MUCH more walkable than some of the other suburbs mentioned (Apple Valley? Seriously?).

My sister lives downtown and has almost everything she needs (including a small organic grocery store) within a three-block radius. Otherwise, she's got Nothstar Rail Transit to downtown Minneapolis or she can simply ride the bus to anywhere she needs to go in and around the North Metro.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

I think drivers just don't expect people to be there and they literally just don't see them. I don't know what they can do about that (other than some extreme road improvements that aren't going to happen): some serious crackdowns and tickets, maybe? Over by the Target there's a very well marked pedestrian crossing -- I can't remember, but there may even be a blinking light -- and people DO walk there, but I've seen many cars blow right by even when someone is trying to cross. It's a shame, since the general area could be really convenient for those who want a suburban car-free life. The library, hospital, Southdale, the Galleria, grocery stores, pharmacies, lots of bus routes; it's also close to the Y, Edinburgh, and Centennial Lakes (skating in winter, boats in the summer among them). And there's all those new apartments coming in and filling in some of vast parking lots, and the city has pumped lots of money into the area, including on pedestrian upgrades. But until they can figure out how to make it safer to cross France (or 66th) then the area's not going to reach its full potential.

This theory would seem to be supported by the fact that Edina drivers stop for the crosswalk on 50th west of France almost without fail.

[rebeklady]

Yes seriously. Have you even been to apple valley there are side walks galore and the library, dmv, la fitness, post office, cub, target and anything and everything are all right in the same area. Along with the bus station and medical facilities.

[rebeklady]

I didn't appreciate Jennfat's rude comment but glancing on all her previous posts she sounds rude all the time. Done posting on forums.

[Rhody2Mn]

I think many people don't realize that there are plenty of suburban "walkable" areas, even in second and third tier suburbs. The trick is to know where to look. And yes, I would consider the downtown part of Apple Valley as very walkable and bikeable. The Main Street/Arbor Lakes area of Maple Grove is as well along with cities such as Excelsior, Wayzata, Stillwater, Anoka, Hopkins, and Edina (particularly the 50th and France area) to name just a few.

I actually enjoy biking and walking in the aforementioned places more than the city because they're often much less crowded. It is easy to walk or bike to stores, restaurants, and even transit hubs such as those in Apple Valley or Maple Grove.

[Libby01]

There are a number of things that need to fall into place in order to live car-free. It's not only the walkable neighborhood and commuter buses. Regular mass transportation (beyond regular commuting hours) and access to car ride-sharing are pretty crucial to filling in the gaps. These are elements that are only in areas that have many people already living car-free.

For those that think that there are many areas in suburban you could live car-free, does anyone actually know anyone who does it? Perhaps there are other car share programs in those areas, but the HourCar and Car2Go seem to only be concentrated in 2 core cities. I just checked their website and they are non-existent outside of the core. This surprised me a bit, as car-sharing is really popular in my neighborhood and where I work, so I just assumed it had spread beyond St Paul/ Mpls. At this point there just doesn't seem to be the demand in the suburbs. Perhaps that will change in the future, as millennials are increasing the demand for car-free living.

[northsub]

Originally Posted by jennifat

Anoka is very walkable and much, MUCH more walkable than some of the other suburbs mentioned (Apple Valley? Seriously?).

My sister lives downtown and has almost everything she needs (including a small organic grocery store) within a three-block radius. Otherwise, she's got Nothstar Rail Transit to downtown Minneapolis or she can simply ride the bus to anywhere she needs to go in and around the North Metro.

What kinds of places in the northern metro are you thinking? To me it seems that you would have to have a very limited definition of "North Metro" for that to be true.

I do think one advantage to downtown Anoka without a car would be proximity to Riverdale in Coon Rapids. That would really fill in shopping gaps and be accessible by bus or a long walk.

[northsub]

Originally Posted by Libby01

There are a number of things that need to fall into place in order to live car-free. It's not only the walkable neighborhood and commuter buses. Regular mass transportation (beyond regular commuting hours) and access to car ride-sharing are pretty crucial to filling in the gaps. These are elements that are only in areas that have many people already living car-free.

For those that think that there are many areas in suburban you could live car-free, does anyone actually know anyone who does it? Perhaps there are other car share programs in those areas, but the HourCar and Car2Go seem to only be concentrated in 2 core cities. I just checked their website and they are non-existent outside of the core. This surprised me a bit, as car-sharing is really popular in my neighborhood and where I work, so I just assumed it had spread beyond St Paul/ Mpls. At this point there just doesn't seem to be the demand in the suburbs. Perhaps that will change in the future, as millennials are increasing the demand for car-free living.

I know lots of people who don't do things because someone else in their family has the car. I do also know some people who don't have cars in the suburbs, but that is generally people who can't afford a car.

I would bet there would be some demand to use a car-sharing program for a couple to go from 2 cars to 1. I'm thinking more if one half of the couple doesn't need a car for commuting (van/car pool, transit, works from home). On the other hand, I'm guessing the costs of maintaining a car are less in the suburbs which would hurt car sharing programs. I'm thinking of costs like parking (including the hassle of finding a space, moving during snow days) and insurance.

[uptown_urbanist]

I suspect car share programs will eventually move to the 'burbs, and will be, as northsub suggests, especially useful to those trying to go from two cars to one (I suspect that's already a large portion of the market in the city, too; I certainly know people who fit that category).

We lived in both city and suburbs of San Francisco, and we had car-share options in both locations.

I would think that a location along Excelsior in SLP would be an obvious location for a car-share hub, eventually. Or possibly even in one of the developments around Southdale or Southtown.

Car2Go is still pretty new in this market; it will be interesting to see if it expands its boundaries more. I have noted that when visiting people in less transit-friendly neighborhoods of Minneapolis (Armatage and Kenny, specifically, which have regular bus service only every half hour, or hour on Sundays) I see a lot of car2Gos around. I think neighborhoods like this are prime examples where families or couples could often fairly easily get by with just one car (it is more difficult there to get by without any, although possible with enough patience), but having some car-share options makes it much more practical -- and where people do seem (well, based on purely anecdotal evidence) seem to be using it.

[QuietBlue]

Originally Posted by rebeklady

Yes seriously. Have you even been to apple valley there are side walks galore and the library, dmv, la fitness, post office, cub, target and anything and everything are all right in the same area. Along with the bus station and medical facilities.

This is true, but it does somewhat depend on what you mean by "in the same area". It's about a mile walk from the bus station to the library, for example (having made this walk myself numerous times). In good conditions, that's not bad, but not everyone might be willing or able to walk that far, especially in bad weather conditions.