Public Transit (Houston, Dallas, Atlanta: apartments, neighborhoods, living in)

[215GUY]

My wife may take a job at the medical center we never been to Houston.If she take the job how is the public transit?

[Oildog]

Fair to medium. The metro rail goes to med center except it really doesnt pass through too many residential areas at present.

[westres1]

one little train that runs from Reliant thru med center to Downtown.

[jfre81]

Ask this question again in three or four years and you might get a different answer.

You can do it though. There are several residential areas that are a short bus ride to the rail, like where I live. If I worked in at TMC I would take METRO every day. I can't stand driving around there.

There are options that vary depending on what you want to pay. If 215 -> Philly then you'll find our public transportation is behind a good 20 years or so.

[Scientist Mom]

Not awful.

In the city, the bus lines from some neighborhoods go thorough the medical center. In the suburbs, a handful of commuter buses go to the med center (mostly service during normal commuting hours). Other buses (from neighborhoods and park-n-rides) go downtown and then you can catch the rail to the med center.

I commuted by bus regularly from apartments near the astrodome or in Montrose to the med center for about 2 years and then from Clear Lake to the Med Center for about 4 years.

Whether or not it is doable depends on the hours you work and where you live.

[215GUY]

Originally Posted by jfre81

Ask this question again in three or four years and you might get a different answer.

You can do it though. There are several residential areas that are a short bus ride to the rail, like where I live. If I worked in at TMC I would take METRO every day. I can't stand driving around there.

There are options that vary depending on what you want to pay. If 215 -> Philly then you'll find our public transportation is behind a good 20 years or so.

Yeah im from Philly, my wife is from Chicago.People keep telling me how spread out Houston is can someone explain this to me?And is the traffic worse then Philly, or Chicago?

[DrLizardo]

Originally Posted by 215GUY

Yeah im from Philly, my wife is from Chicago.People keep telling me how spread out Houston is can someone explain this to me?

You could fit about 4 1/2 Philadelphias inside Houston's city limits, but the population density is less than half that of Philadelphia.

[jfre81]

The inner loop of Houston (inside 610) is nearly the size of Philadelphia and for the most part makes up Houston's urban core, but it's not nearly the same level of urban as Philly or Chicago. Outside the loop it's basically it's just a lot of suburban areas annexed over the years. Don't let it bother you too much, because just about everything you'd need on a day to day basis will be near wherever you live. Anyone who is driving across town every day is doing it out of choice, pretty much, even if they tell you they "have" to do it. They don't, they just choose to live far from work for whatever reason. That's fine, but a long commute is the tradeoff.

[215GUY]

Thanks, how is the traffic?

[Malvie]

Originally Posted by 215GUY

Thanks, how is the traffic?

It's the 4th largest city in the country, what do you think? Yes, it's heavy.

But it's not nearly what I experienced living in NYC and driving the Jersey Pike to Philly. Not nearly as bad as Chicago. Easier than LA (I lived there too). About the same as Dallas, Atlanta, St. Louis.