Duluth a good place to live car-free? (Oslo, Marietta: home, work)

[buzzkirk]

Able to use bike paths/roads via bicycle and public transportation to get around in Duluth? I have a car but want to use it as little as possible. Snow/cold not a problem, I'm well-equipped for winter via hardtail mountain bike rigged for heavy commuting or walking to public transport. And I enjoy a 4-season climate, more cold than hot, with nearby recreation to include road cycling, off-road cycling and cross-country skiing. Areas/neighborhoods to live in Duluth that would make this possible? If not Duluth, any other suggestions? Thanks.

[yellowsnow]

Your profile doesn't say where you live. I wholeheartedly suggest anyone wanting to move to Duluth needs to spend some time there. In the winter. 95% of the people on this planet don't understand the kind of cold there or how long it lasts. I can't imaging living there car free. Just the idea of waiting for public transportation or trying to ride a bike is enough to make me run for the border!

Lots of times it's so cold they flat tell you skin will freeze in X minutes. Your hands won't be able to hold onto the handlebars.

[buzzkirk]

No worries, I like it that way. Besides, if there's public transport somebody must use it. Oh, and I am from Oslo.

[yellowsnow]

Well, if you're from Oslo you should know cold.

It's still not a good place to be car free. Even most of the university students have cars. It's a smallish city and it has the public transportation of a small city. I believe you are used to a lot more options in Oslo.

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by yellowsnow

Well, if you're from Oslo you should know cold.

It's still not a good place to be car free. Even most of the university students have cars. It's a smallish city and it has the public transportation of a small city. I believe you are used to a lot more options in Oslo.

Actually, Duluth has a very good public transport system for a city of its size. My son went to college there and lived off campus and walked or used the bus. Few of his friends had cars there and they got around fine. (At UMD, there are lots of "commuter" students who live at home with mom & dad. These are the kids most likely to have cars. My son and most of his friends were not townies.)

[Delaneyland]

Public transportation is fairly reliable in Duluth, as long as you are close to the bus stop. Personally, I'd rather see folks on the taxpayer funded money losing buses in Duluth than riding a bike on the street. Keep in mind, us folks that drive trucks cannot always see bikes, especially when they run stop signs and ignore rules of the road that they are governed by law to do.

[tvdxer]

According to Weatherbase:

Oslo, Norway January average temperature: -3 C
Duluth, Minnesota January average temperature: -13 C

In other words, January in Oslo is as January to Duluth as January in northern Italy is as to January in Oslo.

I can imagine being mostly car-free if you live near the bottom of the hill, close to downtown....probably between 10th and 25th Ave E and under 1st - 2nd St (the residential areas in East Duluth are on a very steep gradient) or so. The main problem is that many of the businesses have migrated up to the very bike / pedestrian-unfriendly mall area.

Public transit isn't that bad, though probably nothing compared to Oslo. After all, we're talking about an AMERICAN city of just 85,000 or so.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by tvdxer

According to Weatherbase:

Oslo, Norway January average temperature: -3 C
Duluth, Minnesota January average temperature: -13 C

This is also interesting:

Oslo, Norway January Average Hi: 0C Lo: -6C
Oslo, Norway July Average Hi: 21C Lo: 12C
Highest recorded Temp: 35C
Lowest Recorded Temp: -26C

Duluth, Minnesota January Average Hi: -8C Lo: -18C
Duluth, Minnesota July Average Hi: 24C Lo: 12C
Highest recorded Temp: 36C
Lowest Recorded Temp: -39C

So Duluth is warmer in the summer and considerably colder in the winter.

Just for grins:

Marietta, Georgia January Average Hi: 21C Lo: 10C
Marietta, Georgia July Average Hi: 31C Lo: 21C
Highest recorded Temp: 40C
Lowest Recorded Temp: -20C

I miss winter. :-(

[buzzkirk]

Thank you all for info. I would be in Duluth teaching for year and do not want car if I can not have to. Some said here it is similar to Oslo weather but not as big and transport is not the same. Those at the university would help out though. Thanks you.

[MidniteBreeze]

The Duluth city bus (DTA--Duluth Transit Authority) is actually pretty good for a small city, especially considering the challenges the drivers have to deal with (steep hills, snow, etc.) This was a while back, but I believe they won an award for most "on time" service in the country one year.

You do have to remember, of course, that a "good" public transport system in the U.S. is not the same as a good public transport system in Europe. As I'm sure you know, we're still very much a car culture here. If your home and work are on the bus line though, you can probably get by. Just remember buses don't run late at night and they have limited schedules on Sundays and holidays.

You'll find plenty of places for recreational biking (and x-country skiing), but riding for transportation, especially in winter, can be a challenge. Duluth has some steep hills that get icy in the winter. This year there hasn't been much snow, but when there is, steep snowbanks (limited visibility and simply less room on the road) can make sharing the road with autos downright dangerous. Choose your routes wisely.

Do you know where you'd be teaching? If so, we might be able to offer some suggestions for neighborhoods.

I think you'll adjust to the weather fine though, and since Minnesota is home to a lot of Scandinavian immigrants and their decendants, you'll probably fit right in. Good luck!