car vs train...mobile therapist (Chester, Jenkintown: homes, transfer, schools)

[lou_slugger]

I am considering position as a mobile (in home)therapist position. The position will require travel to Philly and surrounding areas...Montgomery, Bucks, Chester counties. I have a car but am wondering if it would be easier to utilize train or other public transportation. I will be doing my own scheduling and can allow for travel time...just wondering which would be easier considering parking (1-2 hrs), traffic (travel mostly during after school hours &early on Sat.), and most likely some travel to local schools during school hours. I am hoping to live in the Elkins Park area. Oh and an occasional trip to court. Thanks for the assistance.

[maf763]

In Philly proper, you can probably get away with public transit most of the time but in the outlying suburbs you'll need a car. Things are too spread out to make effective use of time otherwise.

[FindingZen]

Living in Elkins Park, you'll be close to the Jenkintown-Wyncote train station, through which up to four routes happen to pass through on the way to and from Center City. So for those assignments that take you downtown, that would help.

For the suburban trips, it is likely that your car will be more convenient. Like many mass transit systems, SEPTA runs on a hub-and-spoke system. Cross-county rail service is limited and probably not convenient for your purposes.

For that matter, not all Philly schools would be convenient to train or subway stops, so the driving vs. transit decision may end up being a case-by-case basis.

[JasmineFlower]

Depending on where in Elkins Park you plan on living, you could just use the Elkins Park train station, its slightly cheaper if taking the train into the city.

But, I agree with Tone, a good deal of Philly schools, and very few suburban schools are convenient to train stops. They are much more accessible by bus, and in Elkins Park, unless its off the couple of lines you could catch easily there, its much easier to use a car. All the transfers you would have to use to get around from Elkins Park would be time consuming, something you do IMO only if a car isn't an option.

[jersey224]

I would personally want a car since you don't know the areas you will be going into (if they are safe, etc.)....If you did want to take a train into the city I would look into some type of CarShare...Once you are aware of the homes you will be traveling to, if you are comfortable then I would do public transportation.