Within 2 mile walk (Houston, Dallas, Plano: homes, transfer, neighborhoods)

[UnfairPark]

Originally Posted by f4shionablecha0s

It's because people don't want to bother. They pay lip service but won't make the choices necessary. The typical DFW resident chooses where to live based purely on cheap square footage and then bemoans having to drive everywhere. There is not a single metro area in the country, including NYC, where you can pick any random suburb to live and then comfortably go without a car.

I want to live without a car. I actively sought out employment downtown, got an apartment downtown, and now live car free. I got a call from a recruiter a few months ago about a job in Frisco. I declined. This lifestyle is a commitment but I am happier, healthier, and doing my part to reduce climate change. I'll never go back.

Good for you. As urban areas here lack space and good public schools and not everyone can stay in urban areas , we should improve our suburbs, instead of accepting current conditions as destiny. It seems many are getting upset to defend our choices, instead of thinking about alternatives with open minds.

[Threestep2]

Originally Posted by UnfairPark

Is that a consensus that we have to stay completely car dependent and there is no way around it? Are there some ways to incorporate walking in our daily or weekly routines? Is it because most people don’t have things nearby or they just don’t want to bother?

Wouldn’t you want to jog to the nearest cafe to meet a friend on a nice Sunday or take kids to ice cream shop after dinner on a spring evening. Where is all our time gone? Don’t give silly examples of broken foot to ER and dozens of grocery bags to carry example as no one is recommending ditching your cars completely.

It is great that you enjoy your walkable sweaty lifestyle. Try this with two parents with full time jobs, kids in school, elderly parents to care for, a house and garden to maintain and aspiring to have some sort of social life.

After dinner and homework generally comes bath and bedtime.

Please stay downwind when jogging to a cafe to meet with someone.

[Sunbather]

We had a more walkable and bike-friendly lifestyle living in the M streets for over 3 years. I rarely touched my car the entire time we lived there unless I had to haul something (moving guitar gear around) or I had to drive somewhere for work that wasn't train-accessible, like a construction site (normally walked to Mockingbird and took the train every day to the office). People said I wouldnt be able to do it because of weather, but I never found it to be a big issue personally. Sweaty? I guess that depends on the person. If I'm hopping on my bike to cruise a mile to a restaurant, I'm not going to get sweaty unless I am overdressed, doing it in peak afternoon sun, on a street with no trees. But the other 99% of the year? Not an issue.

However, since we moved to the white rock area this year after purchasing our house, we are not quite as walkable. Limiting car usage was still a priority for us, but we had to be more flexible in Dallas when trying to buy since not everywhere is set up to be pedestrian friendly. That being said, it was a high priority and we still ended up with a great setup:

We are < 1 mile (in most cases 0.5 mile or even 0.25 mile or less), from grocery, hospital, pharmacies, local coffee shop, multiple restaurants, library, white rock lake trail...it's not a bad compromise for a setup. I walk or bike to these as needed more often than drive (well, the hospital we have yet to go to and im not complaining).

We are however 2.5 miles from a train station, which means I am not walking there anymore and instead have to park and ride.

[UnfairPark]

Originally Posted by Threestep2

It is great that you enjoy your walkable sweaty lifestyle. Try this with two parents with full time jobs, kids in school, elderly parents to care for, a house and garden to maintain and aspiring to have some sort of social life.

After dinner and homework generally comes bath and bedtime.

Please stay downwind when jogging to a cafe to meet with someone.

It’s not about everyone using every thing all the time, just having good things to make it a better society. My sons are grown but it doesn’t mean I start voting to defund public schools. You are not in position to enjoy walking or jogging to unwind but others are.

I salute sandwich generation, have been there where you are, your tough time too shall pass. People in your shoes are unsung heroes, doing a lot for a lot of people but not getting even enough appreciation as someone who adopts a stray dog. If we have more parental leave, better child and senior care and supportive communities, everybody’s burden can get lighter.

[UnfairPark]

Originally Posted by Sunbather

We had a more walkable and bike-friendly lifestyle living in the M streets for over 3 years. I rarely touched my car the entire time we lived there unless I had to haul something (moving guitar gear around) or I had to drive somewhere for work that wasn't train-accessible, like a construction site (normally walked to Mockingbird and took the train every day to the office). People said I wouldnt be able to do it because of weather, but I never found it to be a big issue personally. Sweaty? I guess that depends on the person. If I'm hopping on my bike to cruise a mile to a restaurant, I'm not going to get sweaty unless I am overdressed, doing it in peak afternoon sun, on a street with no trees. But the other 99% of the year? Not an issue.

However, since we moved to the white rock area this year after purchasing our house, we are not quite as walkable. Limiting car usage was still a priority for us, but we had to be more flexible in Dallas when trying to buy since not everywhere is set up to be pedestrian friendly. That being said, it was a high priority and we still ended up with a great setup:

We are < 1 mile (in most cases 0.5 mile or even 0.25 mile or less), from grocery, hospital, pharmacies, local coffee shop, multiple restaurants, library, white rock lake trail...it's not a bad compromise for a setup. I walk or bike to these as needed more often than drive (well, the hospital we have yet to go to and im not complaining).

We are however 2.5 miles from a train station, which means I am not walking there anymore and instead have to park and ride.

It’s about trying to find best situation for yourself and supporting what makes things better for all, you try to do that so that’s positive. If we support good opportunities in our town or country, everyone benefits at one time or other, this “what benefits me right now right here “ mindset is what helps politicians make policies that doesn’t benefit anyone in long term.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by UnfairPark

Is that a consensus that we have to stay completely car dependent and there is no way around it? Are there some ways to incorporate walking in our daily or weekly routines? Is it because most people don’t have things nearby or they just don’t want to bother?

Wouldn’t you want to jog to the nearest cafe to meet a friend on a nice Sunday or take kids to ice cream shop after dinner on a spring evening. Where is all our time gone? Don’t give silly examples of broken foot to ER and dozens of grocery bags to carry example as no one is recommending ditching your cars completely.

The best workable compromise would that people plan their driving better. Drive to the store and buy groceries 1x per week rather and 2, 3 or 4x per week. Make that Lowe's run, swimming pool store buy and gas-up on the way to the store etc.

*I'm really interested in this angle.........a buddy is a dissertation advisor to Ph.D candidate. Part of this guy's thesis is about, "non-conscious" inefficiencies and relate costs. Some of his research involved mapping the non-commute driving habits of 125 people in great detail and another several hundred in less detail.

The takeaways vis a vis this discussion is that most people make no legit effort to economize on non-commute mileage.

[Sunbather]

Originally Posted by EDS_

The best workable compromise would that people plan their driving better. Drive to the store and buy groceries 1x per week rather and 2, 3 or 4x per week. Make that Lowe's run, swimming pool store buy and gas-up on the way to the store etc.

*I'm really interested in this angle.........a buddy is a dissertation advisor to Ph.D candidate. Part of this guy's thesis is about, "non-conscious" inefficiencies and relate costs. Some of his research involved mapping the non-commute driving habits of 125 people in great detail and another several hundred in less detail.

The takeaways vis a vis this discussion is that most people make no legit effort to economize on non-commute mileage.

Yes, this is also very important.

[UnfairPark]

Originally Posted by EDS_

The best workable compromise would that people plan their driving better. Drive to the store and buy groceries 1x per week rather and 2, 3 or 4x per week. Make that Lowe's run, swimming pool store buy and gas-up on the way to the store etc.

*I'm really interested in this angle.........a buddy is a dissertation advisor to Ph.D candidate. Part of this guy's thesis is about, "non-conscious" inefficiencies and relate costs. Some of his research involved mapping the non-commute driving habits of 125 people in great detail and another several hundred in less detail.

The takeaways vis a vis this discussion is that most people make no legit effort to economize on non-commute mileage.

Absolutely. That too but making some effort to make DFW Walker/jogger/biker/health/neighbor friendly should still be our goal. We don’t need to accept defeat without even trying.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by UnfairPark

Absolutely. That too but making some effort to make DFW Walker/jogger/biker/health/neighbor friendly should still be our goal. We don’t need to accept defeat without even trying.

The city of Dallas just spent millions on a trail near our house. Very few people use it. The city also spent around $5,000,000 for a pedestrian bridge over Harry Hines at Walnut Hill that sees by one estimate 2 - 5 pedestrians per day. There's another over 635..........I've driven under than thing hundreds of times and have seen people on it a time or two. That's already a defeat in my mind.

_________________________

I've been a member of The Central Park Conservancy for many years. The park has 50 bridges and they are the sights of untold crime and malefactory.

_________________________

I'm not anti-walking or anti-biking. It's just that purpose built bikeways and walkways are ghastly expensive relative to use and pedestrian bridges are outside any rational value proposition except rarely.

[UnfairPark]

We are getting a pedestrian crossing and a deck park connecting Shops @Legacy & Legacy West. I hope it gets more use, looks like it would as people working and living on both sides would benefit.