More detailed mass transit plan (South Bend, Kokomo: subdivisions, to live, shopping center)

[ischyros]

Originally Posted by ColdAilment

Michigan City is probably a farther drive for you, but wouldn't a South Shore departure from there be better suited? I hear the South Shore in South Bend only has 2 departures per day I believe. One in the late morning and one in the evening.

I think the area could see some benefit if there was a better train line connecting to Chicago. Also, a rail line that connects Chicago to all of its major metro neighbors, Detroit, Indy, Milwaukee, possibly Minneapolis.

Is there a major passenger line that currently runs through Indy?

It was 10+ years ago the last time I used the South Shore honestly. You could very well be right.

Amtrak has a line that runs daily between Indianapolis and Chicago, but it's a 5 hour trip. That's why state leaders had to fight to keep it last year. Nobody wants to pay way too much to spend 5 hours on a train when they could drive there in 3. Plus I don't think the train is setup very well to do a round trip day in Chicago by train from Indianapolis.

[W & C]

Originally Posted by ischyros

Maybe, though I grew up near South Bend and never had access to mass transit. But I've loved using it wherever I go! In Atlanta, I loved using the MARTA trains. In Minneapolis, I made a point to right the light rail line from the Mall of America to downtown. In Washington, DC a couple years ago, all we did was ride the subway everywhere and I LOVED it! I so wish I could do that here.

I am the same way. I use buses and light rail in Seattle frequently. Sounds silly but I really want to move to NYC just so I could ride their subway every day

[urbanologist]

Originally Posted by ischyros

Maybe, though I grew up near South Bend and never had access to mass transit. But I've loved using it wherever I go! In Atlanta, I loved using the MARTA trains. In Minneapolis, I made a point to right the light rail line from the Mall of America to downtown. In Washington, DC a couple years ago, all we did was ride the subway everywhere and I LOVED it! I so wish I could do that here.

I'm not generalizing the entire population of the state but you do have the ones who haven't been users of trains in other cities. When I attended a few of the MPO mass transit meetings that Mike Peoni held about 10 years ago I got the impression from some of the folks in the room were dead set against light rail while making their arguments at the podium admitting of never using a mass transit train. As a person who has lived in other cities and used mass transit I thought I was in the minority out numbered by a good number of residents preferring their car. I thought to myself what's the point of even going to any of these meetings. However, that was then and may the mindset has changed since then. I also lived in Atlanta. I use to love being to take the train from the Arts Center to the Lenox Square mall then back on down to Five Points downtown when I was a kid. The MARTA buses were much more reliable than IndyGo (IndySlow). Washington Metro was great system too. I'm not saying we build an extensive rail system like these bigger cities but at least give some of the residents an alternative way to get around town. So far it's working for Charlotte and Salt Lake.

[urbanologist]

Originally Posted by W & C

I am the same way. I use buses and light rail in Seattle frequently. Sounds silly but I really want to move to NYC just so I could ride their subway every day

I wished Seattle expanded the Monorail when it was proposed. I absolutely love monorails.

[W & C]

Originally Posted by urbanologist

I wished Seattle expanded the Monorail when it was proposed. I absolutely love monorails.

Yep, I moved here right after the proposal got shut down.

But, since, we've added the light rail line between downtown and airport which is being expanded in 2016 and later in 2020 and 2024 to go to Northern and Eastern suburbs. Also, we've added a streetcar line that connects the up and coming South Lake Union neighborhood that now houses the new Amazon.com headquarters to downtown and another streetcar line that's scheduled to open this summer that will connect my neighborhood (First Hill) to Chinatown.

And more rapid bus service as well. Still, a lot of people here feel that all this is still inadequate as there's a tendency to measure up to San Francisco and other bigger cities that are years ahead of us on public transport.

Not sure if I'll even stay here long enough to see all this exciting expansion. I'm really only half joking when I say I want to bolt for NYC and ride the MTA every day

[urbanologist]

Originally Posted by W & C

Yep, I moved here right after the proposal got shut down.

But, since, we've added the light rail line between downtown and airport which is being expanded in 2016 and later in 2020 and 2024 to go to Northern and Eastern suburbs. Also, we've added a streetcar line that connects the up and coming South Lake Union neighborhood that now houses the new Amazon.com headquarters to downtown and another streetcar line that's scheduled to open this summer that will connect my neighborhood (First Hill) to Chinatown.

And more rapid bus service as well. Still, a lot of people here feel that all this is still inadequate as there's a tendency to measure up to San Francisco and other bigger cities that are years ahead of us on public transport.

Not sure if I'll even stay here long enough to see all this exciting expansion. I'm really only half joking when I say I want to bolt for NYC and ride the MTA every day

I wonder how Seattle's system compares with it's neighbor to the south Portland when it comes to rail options. As for NYC, I think I could live there for a year or two but that's about it. My time in Asia was bad enough for me while being pact in like a sardine. There will come a time when I'll need space for more elbow room.

[W & C]

Originally Posted by urbanologist

I wonder how Seattle's system compares with it's neighbor to the south Portland when it comes to rail options. As for NYC, I think I could live there for a year or two but that's about it. My time in Asia was bad enough for me while being pact in like a sardine. There will come a time when I'll need space for more elbow room.

Portland's quite a bit better than us in that regard. Their MAX light rail system is way way bigger than ours. Also, that and a streetcar line are free inside of downtown, if I'm not mistaken. It's actually pretty cool how such a small city has such extensive public transportation.

You know, I spent a week in Brooklyn last June and was surprised how suburban NYC can be. Where I stayed was super urban - Prospect Park neighborhood off of Flatbush, just a few blocks from the Prospect Park subway station where a Q train will take you right into the heart of Manhattan in about 20 minutes. But, as soon you crossed Flatbush to the north from where I stayed you'd see a pretty standard suburban upper-middle class enclave complete with single-family homes, lawns and yuppies walking their dogs. There are plenty of those in Brooklyn and Queens. And Staten Island is one big suburb. Elbow room aplenty

[ColdAilment]

Originally Posted by W & C

Portland's quite a bit better than us in that regard. Their MAX light rail system is way way bigger than ours. Also, that and a streetcar line are free inside of downtown, if I'm not mistaken. It's actually pretty cool how such a small city has such extensive public transportation.

You know, I spent a week in Brooklyn last June and was surprised how suburban NYC can be. Where I stayed was super urban - Prospect Park neighborhood off of Flatbush, just a few blocks from the Prospect Park subway station where a Q train will take you right into the heart of Manhattan in about 20 minutes. But, as soon you crossed Flatbush to the north from where I stayed you'd see a pretty standard suburban upper-middle class enclave complete with single-family homes, lawns and yuppies walking their dogs. There are plenty of those in Brooklyn and Queens. And Staten Island is one big suburb. Elbow room aplenty

That is interesting. I wasn't aware that subdivisions or suburbs like that existed in NYC. I suppose it's not that hard to imagine, but there's only one thing most of us think of one we hear NYC. I bet those are some really expensive suburban homes though.

[W & C]

Originally Posted by ColdAilment

That is interesting. I wasn't aware that subdivisions or suburbs like that existed in NYC. I suppose it's not that hard to imagine, but there's only one thing most of us think of one we hear NYC. I bet those are some really expensive suburban homes though.

I checked on Trula and the median price of a home in Staten Island is $365K. Doesn't seem bad to me now, probably because Seattle is expensive but I paid more than $200 K less for my condo in Carmel just over a decade ago.

Staten Island is a trip. One of the five boroughs of New York City, looks just like any other American suburb, although probably a bit more dense than most. Rest assured, almost no movies or tv shows are ever set there.

[ischyros]

Originally Posted by W & C

I checked on Trula and the median price of a home in Staten Island is $365K. Doesn't seem bad to me now, probably because Seattle is expensive but I paid more than $200 K less for my condo in Carmel just over a decade ago.

Staten Island is a trip. One of the five boroughs of New York City, looks just like any other American suburb, although probably a bit more dense than most. Rest assured, almost no movies or tv shows are ever set there.

The TV show Grounded for Life was set on Staten Island. Not sure how accurate it was to life there, though. lol