Is homelessness a big problem in Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood?

[NowSoFlorida]

Originally Posted by Momma_bear

He cannot move here if he does not have a car. It just isn't realistic to live in Broward county without a car.

If you live in the center of town where a supermarket and other things are close you can get by without a car. Also pretty much all year long is bicycle weather here and buses have a way for you to mount your bike on the front of it. There are a lot of bus lines, but they may not go where you want and the train system in not good at best. Living here 4.5 years and I don't know where any train stations are or how to get there.

[Fiona13]

Originally Posted by NowSoFlorida

If you live in the center of town where a supermarket and other things are close you can get by without a car. Also pretty much all year long is bicycle weather here and buses have a way for you to mount your bike on the front of it. There are a lot of bus lines, but they may not go where you want and the train system in not good at best. Living here 4.5 years and I don't know where any train stations are or how to get there.

But he doesn't have a job yet. I would think it would very difficult to look for a job without a car. You'd be restricted to those businesses within walking/biking distance or accessible by bus. Also, if you are new to the area, you might not want to be waiting around for buses after dark until you know which neighborhoods are safe to do this.

I checked out the train system when I first got here and the closest station to get a train is far enough that I would have to drive there, and then it only takes me partway to work, so I would have to get a bus from there. I thought it might be an option to save money but seems totally impractical in my situation.

[cfbs2691]

My boss's husband tried to use the bus system here.
It's just no reliable.
Not to mention standing in the pouring rain/lightening in the summer, waiting for a bus.
There were days he'd get to the bus stop and there'd be a handwritten note on the bus stop sign indicating that the driver had called in sick, so there wouldn't be any service.

When you look on employment websites down here, many of them specify they'll only hire people with a reliable car.

[Fiona13]

True, and my employer has offices in Miami-Dade, Broward and WPB so I occasionally have to travel to a different office for meetings, etc. I really only know one person who lives here without a car but he can walk to work and his gf's house and she has a car. It really is a must here.