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I am 21 and am looking to attend school in my home state for a Computer Networking certificate. I have been doing research on a select number of cities in this country that seem to have a decent public transportation system or are easy to get around sans the automobile. I have been looking at Pittsburgh as a potential city to move to (after finding a job relevant to what I am attending school for, of course). In short, is Pittsburgh a city where one can get around without a vehicle being required? All I've known is that disgusting suburban sprawl here in the South.
I went to college here without a car. I lived in bridgeville on the bus line and castle shannon on the trolley line or t for short. The t was very convenient but limited in scope but you can live very comfortably on the t without a car. I lived on a bus line that didn't use a busway at the time, It was very limited and slow. I would recommend living on the t as close as you can to town or on one of the busways.
Interesting, thank you for your reply. I've heard Pittsburgh is a pretty easy place to go car-free.
Life is way too short to not have a car. I don't care if I could take the subway to heaven, I'd still want a car and I'd drive it before getting on the subway. Pittsburgh is a great city - and SW PA is great. You'll need that car to explore it, its not an option. You are living in a modern society that can give you immense luxury - stop pretending you're doing something good by not having a car. You're hurting yourself and the economy at the same time.
Life is way too short to not have a car. I don't care if I could take the subway to heaven, I'd still want a car and I'd drive it before getting on the subway. Pittsburgh is a great city - and SW PA is great. You'll need that car to explore it, its not an option. You are living in a modern society that can give you immense luxury - stop pretending you're doing something good by not having a car. You're hurting yourself and the economy at the same time.
I suppose car payments, living a sedentary lifestyle, being ripped off by insurance companies and their required payments, and maintaining a depreciating liability is something great. A modern society would have infrastructure for high speed rail, great rail/train access, and alternative modes of transportation that do not rely on a car. This country is severely lacking in that department, the rest of the world is good on alternatives to cars. Only The Americas and parts of Africa lack on this aspect. Let's face it, cars are a burden to many Americans. If they weren't required by default (necessity of geography by way of government planning in the 1940's and 1950's), I am sure many people would choose to go without.
I suppose car payments, living a sedentary lifestyle, paying high insurance payments, and maintaining a depreciating liability is something great. A modern society would have infrastructure for high speed rail, great rail/train access, and alternative modes of transportation that do not rely on a car. This country is severely lacking in that department, the rest of the world is good on alternatives to cars. Only The Americas and parts of Africa lack on this aspect. Let's face it, cars are a burden to many Americans. If they weren't required by default (necessity of geography by way of government planning in the 1940's and 1950's), I am sure many people would choose to go without.
You can get a decent used car for $3000. Since the car has little value, just get liability insurance. I am 55, been driving since I was 16 and run 3 5ks per week.
I'm all for public transportation - but - I ain't going to use it if I don't have to. Buzzing down a country road in my car while jamming to whatever is a lot better than catching COVID from some kid on a bus. I can also have a conversation with my lady friend who might be a little more impressed with my car than a bus pass.
Pittsburgh is one of the easier cities in the country to live in without a car. The transit system (well, pre-COVID) is higher utilized than any city off of the coasts, barring Chicago. It consistently outperforms peer cities in the rust belt when it comes to the number of people who use transit or bike/walk to work.
That said, really in order to live here without a car, you'd need to have one of three things be the case.
1. Live anywhere, and work Downtown.
2. Live in the East End, work in Oakland
3. Otherwise, live very close to your place of work.
Basically Pittsburgh transit works on a hub/spoke system. Almost all routes exist to get you to Downtown or Oakland. If you have a job outside of one of those two places, you may have to rely on the cumbersome transfer system to commute. Otherwise you'd have to find a place to live on one of a handful of transit routes which align with your place of work, walk to work, or bike to work (not possible everywhere due to topography).
Honestly with a background in tech, I would say you're less apt to be able to find a job in Downtown/Oakland. These days more tech jobs are in the Strip District, Lawrenceville, Bakery Square, etc. These areas are fine and walkable in and of themselves, but they limit you to a much smaller number of neighborhoods to consider depending upon your place of work.
But, if you can work out the commuting issue, you don't need to drive much. I've lived here in Pittsburgh for 15 years, and up until COVID, I could count the number of times I drove to work on two hands (my office moved to a quieter part of downtown, and I mostly go in in the evenings now). My car would sometimes sit unused for weeks at a time. If you live in a walkable neighborhood, you can handle most of your needs on foot as well. You might have an issue with once a week grocery shopping, but that's about it.
I suppose car payments, living a sedentary lifestyle, being ripped off by insurance companies and their required payments, and maintaining a depreciating liability is something great. A modern society would have infrastructure for high speed rail, great rail/train access, and alternative modes of transportation that do not rely on a car. This country is severely lacking in that department, the rest of the world is good on alternatives to cars. Only The Americas and parts of Africa lack on this aspect. Let's face it, cars are a burden to many Americans. If they weren't required by default (necessity of geography by way of government planning in the 1940's and 1950's), I am sure many people would choose to go without.
Back on topic : Depending upon what part of town a person chooses to live, you really don't need a car, but having a driver's license so that you can rent or borrow a car for those times when you'd like to "get out of Dodge" or just pick up a large quantity of groceries is really nice.
When I lived in the city proper, even when I did have a car, I mostly used a combination of public transit, a bicycle, and my own two feet to get around. Life without a car was slightly annoying at times, but quite doable. It helped that I was used to not having a car when I moved here (my university had an excellent bus system and strongly discouraged students from having cars on campus due to very limited parking).
If a neighborhood is chosen wisely, paying careful attention to what amenities, services, and employment opportunities are available within a walkable or easily bus-able radius, there is no need for a car here. It's a simple convenience--especially now with the ride sharing options that are now available.
Even in some of the inner ring suburbs like the one in which I now live, plenty of people don't have cars, rarely use them, or share one with a spouse. Pretty much every basic need that I might have can be met within walking distance of my house.
There are several bus lines that go through the neighborhood with all of them running fewer than two blocks from my house. Up until the time that the rumblings of COVID began to be heard, I rode the bus to work on weekdays and only drove into town on weekends when I could park for cheap/free. My renter, who has neither a driver's license nor a car, uses a combination of taking Ubers and taking the bus to get around town. Trust me--he does plenty to help out the economy and has a decent social life despite not having wheels of his own.
Don't get me wrong--I love to drive and and explore the greater Pittsburgh metro and beyond in my car, but it's not for me to tell another person that they must own or drive one.
Last edited by Formerly Known As Twenty; 11-02-2020 at 07:15 PM..
Pittsburgh is one of the easier cities in the country to live in without a car. The transit system (well, pre-COVID) is higher utilized than any city off of the coasts, barring Chicago. It consistently outperforms peer cities in the rust belt when it comes to the number of people who use transit or bike/walk to work.
That said, really in order to live here without a car, you'd need to have one of three things be the case.
1. Live anywhere, and work Downtown.
2. Live in the East End, work in Oakland
3. Otherwise, live very close to your place of work.
Basically Pittsburgh transit works on a hub/spoke system. Almost all routes exist to get you to Downtown or Oakland. If you have a job outside of one of those two places, you may have to rely on the cumbersome transfer system to commute. Otherwise you'd have to find a place to live on one of a handful of transit routes which align with your place of work, walk to work, or bike to work (not possible everywhere due to topography).
Honestly with a background in tech, I would say you're less apt to be able to find a job in Downtown/Oakland. These days more tech jobs are in the Strip District, Lawrenceville, Bakery Square, etc. These areas are fine and walkable in and of themselves, but they limit you to a much smaller number of neighborhoods to consider depending upon your place of work.
But, if you can work out the commuting issue, you don't need to drive much. I've lived here in Pittsburgh for 15 years, and up until COVID, I could count the number of times I drove to work on two hands (my office moved to a quieter part of downtown, and I mostly go in in the evenings now). My car would sometimes sit unused for weeks at a time. If you live in a walkable neighborhood, you can handle most of your needs on foot as well. You might have an issue with once a week grocery shopping, but that's about it.
Thank you for the information. I am trying to break into the technology field/sector. I would rather try and have as much of a car-free life as possible. Between Houston and Baton Rouge, both cities have a transportation system that is lacking severely. I will definitely do some research on the neighbourhoods you have mentioned.
Back on topic : Depending upon what part of town a person chooses to live, you really don't need a car, but having a driver's license so that you can rent or borrow a car for those times when you'd like to "get out of Dodge" or just pick up a large quantity of groceries is really nice.
When I lived in the city proper, even when I did have a car, I mostly used a combination of public transit, a bicycle, and my own two feet to get around. Life without a car was slightly annoying at times, but quite doable. It helped that I was used to not having a car when I moved here (my university had an excellent bus system and strongly discouraged students from having cars on campus due to very limited parking).
If a neighborhood is chosen wisely, paying careful attention to what amenities, services, and employment opportunities are available within a walkable or easily bus-able radius, there is no need for a car here. It's a simple convenience--especially now with the ride sharing options that are now available.
Even in some of the inner ring suburbs like the one in which I now live, plenty of people don't have cars, rarely use them, or share one with a spouse. Pretty much every basic need that I might have can be met within walking distance of my house.
There are several bus lines that go through the neighborhood with all of them running fewer than two blocks from my house. Up until the time that the rumblings of COVID began to be heard, I rode the bus to work on weekdays and only drove into town on weekends when I could park for cheap/free. My renter, who has neither a driver's license nor a car, uses a combination of taking Ubers and taking the bus to get around town. Trust me--he does plenty to help out the economy and has a decent social life despite not having wheels of his own.
Don't get me wrong--I love to drive and and explore the greater Pittsburgh metro and beyond in my car, but it's not for me to tell another person that they must own or drive one.
Thank you for the information Formerly Known As Twenty. I have been a licensed driver since age 16. I drive a vehicle that is my blind father's name (it will be going to my little brother soon). I was looking for a vehicle of my own, I don't even want to go through the entire process. I'm waiting it out for as long as possible. Capital One tried to stiff me with a 11-12 percent APR with a good credit score. I will take into consider living in neighbourhoods with a proximity to potential places of employment. Looking to move from Louisiana over to that area, if possible.
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: Depending upon what part of town a person chooses to live, you really don't need a car, but having a driver's license so that you can rent or borrow a car for those times when you'd like to "get out of Dodge" or just pick up a large quantity of groceries is really nice. 
