Public Transportation:Austin vs Dallas (San Antonio, Round Rock: live in, floor, move to)

[PurpleLove08]

I am the kind of person that likes to plan things out way in advance, hence this post.
I will major in Nursing and plan on working in Arkansas for about two years so I can build up some experience. I've researched jobs in Dallas and Austin and a lot of them require at least two years experiences.

I want to be able to not have to depend on my car, I'd really want to just go car-free or extremely car-lite.


So those of you who have lived/ do live in Austin or Texas, do you feel with the current system you depend less on your car?

Also for those of you who sometimes commute to work by bike, which city do you think is more bicycle friendly? I know Austin has been labeled a Bicycle friendly city but I'm not sure of the topography. Which city has the flatter topography?

Thanks for the feedback.

[karen staha]

I have lived in Austin for 26 years and fell qualified to answer your question. Our current public transportation system is city bus. In the not too distant future we will have light-rail transport that will go way out as far as Cedar Park and into Austin. It will have only certain stop points along the route but there will be day parking at the stop sites. Biking around Austin is common for many commuters but we do have some cold winter days so you'll want to have an alternate option. Good luck.

[love roses]

I pretty much agree with Karen. I live a little northeast of Austin. Mostly, you have the bus. If you live anywhere on the commuter rail line from cedar park into downtown, you'll be great. Live anywhere else, you're flat out of luck. Who knows when any other areas around Austin will get rail. Dallas has the flatter topography. Round Rock and Hutto want rail, but I don't think if it comes here, it's gonna be through Austins system. Right now, Round Rock is looking into joining a line from San Antonio that wants to come in. Hutto has a development coming called Crossings of Carmel Creek that will include a station, but who knows right now what system it will be. Austin is alright on the bike friendly thing, but you still need to exercize caution. They are working on getting a better trail system in place. I can't speak for Dallas.

[John Shaft]

IMO Dallas has far superior public transit because of the light rail...although that's not saying much. Biking in Dallas would greatly depend on where you live, and where you work. If you are intending to work at one of the major hospitals, I don't think you really want to bike to them. Their surroundings can be pretty scary.

By the way, don't put too much stock in the "2 years experience" thing for nursing...although I guess it depends on what you'd be applying for. Most of the hospitals are borderline desperate for nurses.

[ChristieP]

I work in Human Resources for a long-term care company, and it is my experience that you have a BSN, any healthcare facility in the DFW area will be eager to hire you!! You won't need 2 years of experience, unless you are applying for Director of Nursing positions, and even then, there's no need to move to Arkansas to get it!! Work as a floor nurse in a facility, then move up to a nurse manager. Changing jobs, especially out of state, is difficult to do because of license requirements. It's best to stay in one state.