Quote:
Originally Posted by Steely Dan
transit in chicago is really only efficient if you live next to a rail stop and work right next to a rail stop on that same line.
throw in a bus ride or a rail-to-rail transfer or a 15 minute walk to/from the station, and the whole fucking clock explodes.
from our home in lincoln square, i can ride my bike the 8 miles up to my job in downtown evanston in ~35 minutes, door-to-door (unless i'm fighting a nasty headwind).
alternatively, i can ride the brown line over to belmont and transfer to the purple line up to evanston. door-to-door, ~45 minutes depending on transfer time (big wildcard!)
alternatively, i can ride the lawrence bus to the ravenswood metra station and ride the UP-N up to downtown evanston. door to door, ~45 minutes because my office schedule doesn't neatly align with metra's schedule.
i just ride my bike.
it's free and faster!
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That's more or less my entire point. What Chicago seems to lack are relatively transit-friendly, relatively safe affordable areas. There are lots of safe areas, lots of transit-friendly regions, plenty of affordable areas, but a serious lack of anything reasonably affordable that are relatively safe AND have good transit access.
I certainly live in an area that's relatively safe and affordable, and while transit access is fairly decent, it's still a bit of a time suck to get anywhere, whether by bus or a walk to the Blue Line...
Aaron (Glowrock)