  Greatlakes Member Username: Greatlakes Post Number: 33 Registered: 07-2007 |
http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll /article?AID=/20071021/NEWS06/ 710210609 quote: Yep. Normal for SE MI, I guess. I love how mass transit isn't even thought of...oh that's right. Why don't we have it? "Because nobody would really use mass transit!" Uh-huh... | ||
Wazootyman Member Username: Wazootyman Post Number: 264 Registered: 02-2006 |
I'd say it's not exactly a SE Michigan anomaly, though. Her commute IS extreme. What's she's saying is crazy...but also makes sense. Her net expenses are still significantly less while she's living with her family. I doubt it'll last. She'll move out eventually, and commute time HAS to be a factor. In this case, I don't believe a mass transit system would be much faster given the distance she's travelling (or cheaper). I recall taking the commuter train from New Jersey to NYC several years ago, and it was very expensive...something like $22 (maybe that was round trip?). That'd add up to roughly $300-$400 a month; just shy of what she's paying on her commute. Plus, we got on around Matawan, NJ (about 40 miles outside of the city, comparable to this commute), and had to make a dozen or so stops on the way. It was nice to not have to drive, but time consuming. I hear you that mass transit would be a good thing, but I don't think in this particular case it solves anything. We took the train into NYC after driving on Manhattan the first day, and decided it was far more effective to park at the train station and commute in from thereon. Detroit doesn't have that problem; finding parking is quite easy. Commuting patterns are so hard to predict it would be extremely hard to effectively serve the population. Find a train for my friend living in Ann Arbor, working in Southfield. Or myself, living in Livonia and working in Farmington Hills. Or my coworker, living in Huntington Woods. How could we serve so many people who live and work in so many places? | ||
Wpitonya Member Username: Wpitonya Post Number: 47 Registered: 08-2005 |
You're right Wazootyman, we couldn't make it easier for everyone to commute with mass transit, but I still think maybe lines up each of the spokes (Michigan, GR, Woodward, Gratiot) and also from AA to Detroit would help many people. It would also create jobs, slow sprawl, and give the Metro area some more credit. I am lucky to live in Manhattan and walk 8 minutes to work every day. This won't happen in SE Mich, but maybe driving 5 minutes to a station and then riding the train 20 minutes will?? | ||
Miketoronto Member Username: Miketoronto Post Number: 678 Registered: 07-2004 |
The problem with commute times is, that even if you live close to the city, it can take you an hour or more with transit to get to work. Having transit does not automatically mean it is faster, etc. That being said, that is a long commute. But the majority of people do not commute ethat long. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 6702 Registered: 02-2004 |
That's one of the disadvantages of living in the suburbs. You have to commute minutes to hrs. from your home to work. | ||
Miketoronto Member Username: Miketoronto Post Number: 679 Registered: 07-2004 |
I guess I am lucky with my parents choices  My parents made sure that when they bought a home it was under a 30min drive from downtown(takes a little longer with transit) as my dad drove downtown to work. To this day, they will not even think of moving further out. Now on commute times. It is not like there was not long commutes before. I found out that before the subway, some people in the inner city had commutes of over a half hour to downtown, where today it takes 10min by subway. So people have been commuting for ages, and it will not stop. Not everyone can live next to work. Never have been and never will be able to. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3838 Registered: 02-2005 |
More like one of the disadvantages of living in the country, Danny. Dearborn, Ferndale, and Grosse Pointe-- places demonstrating the original vision of the commuter suburb-- are minutes from the city. Just imagine if we still had streetcars. That person is nuts to want to live at home and pay that much to travel. I'd like to check back in a year or two to see what they come to their senses. (Message edited by mackinaw on October 21, 2007) | ||
Fareastsider Member Username: Fareastsider Post Number: 643 Registered: 08-2006 |
Why does it take 1 1/2 hours to get downtown from Washington Twp? I can see 1 1/2 hours from Almont or Imlay City. Must be the traffic. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3839 Registered: 02-2005 |
Even a one-hour round trip commute is terrible. Think about how much of your life is wasted in a car. You could say that you like driving, but if their is congestion/stress involved with your drive, you're probably lying. Plus you look at the same scenery everyday...it's not like taking a road trip. And every additional mile you drive heightens the overall probability that you'll be involved in a crash-- you are at the whim of other anonymous drivers for the most part. | ||
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe Post Number: 836 Registered: 08-2007 |
I was reading a history of Chelsea, where Jiffy Mix is. Can you believe, people rode the train from Detroit to work there, back in the early part of the 1900s? In the early 90s with the state funding issues, I was bumped to Lansing and had to commute there about 1 1/2 hours. We had a great carpool that met at OCC Orchard Ridge. Lots of people do that commute still. | ||
Greatlakes Member Username: Greatlakes Post Number: 34 Registered: 07-2007 |
Mass transit may not be any faster, but you can get other stuff done at least if you choose to live so far from work. You can read a newspaper, watch some videos on your iPod, chat with someone else from your neighborhood...I know people who have even met their significant others while riding a train to work in other cities... It may take as long, but I suspect it's much less stressful. (Message edited by GreatLakes on October 21, 2007) | ||
Sstashmoo Member Username: Sstashmoo Post Number: 507 Registered: 02-2007 |
Quote: "It may take as along, but I suspect it's much less stressful." Like the day you forget the report thats due that day or anything else critical to your job. That would be stressful and would turn me against riding anything I'm not in control of. All this talk about mass transit, we need to fix the city first, some jobs to even go to would be a start and some public protection for the folks going to these jobs would be nice as well. Putting a commuter system in Detroit right now would be like plumbing a house that isn't built yet. People mover is a fine model of mass transit servicing infrastructure that doesn't exist. Thats all you'd have but on a much larger scale. | ||
Focusonthed Member Username: Focusonthed Post Number: 1379 Registered: 02-2006 |
I used to commute from near Port Huron to downtown everyday. It SUCKED. I will never, ever, do something like that again. It turns an 8-hour workday into 12 hours, you're gone from 7 to 7, and if you get delayed even a bit, you miss dinner. Not for me, thanks. | ||
Wash_man Member Username: Wash_man Post Number: 485 Registered: 05-2006 |
"Why does it take 1 1/2 hours to get downtown from Washington Twp? I can see 1 1/2 hours from Almont or Imlay City. Must be the traffic." Because she only travels on the "expressway" probably. VanDyke to 696 to 75 south I am guessing. It's a parking lot. Until recently, I had to go to Windsor two or three times per week. I live in the northern part of Washington Twp. I would take Van Dyke all the way to Gratiot then Gratiot to Randolph and be in the tunnel in usually 45 minutes. Once you are south of 696 on VD there is little traffic. I did get stuck at the RR at Davison a couple of times. BTW she only started the job in May and hasn't experienced what a few snow flakes do to the traffic...grinding halt. (Message edited by wash_man on October 21, 2007) | ||
Dhugger Member Username: Dhugger Post Number: 219 Registered: 03-2005 |
Mackinaw: "additional mile you drive heightens the overall probability that you'll be involved in a crash" I agree with Mackinaw. My commute to the city has been 25 minutes, free of winter hazards that is. I decided to use the Smart express bus because I found it much safer than driving a compact car. If I got hit by a truck or SUV my little car would become a crushed soup can. On the other hand if I got hit while traveling on the bus I felt I had a chance of surviving a large crash. A much less stressful way to get to work. | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 1231 Registered: 12-2005 |
Here is an interesting set of maps which illustrate how average travel times to downtown Detroit shrunk over the years 1900 to 1960. The red lines are 90 and 120 minutes isochrones which mark the perimeters of areas within which travel to downtown could be accomplished in that time or less. 1900 map:  1910 map:  1930 map:  1950 map:  1960 map:  [source: "Emergence and Growth of an Urban Region - The Developing Urban Detroit Area, Vol. 3", Doxiadis Associates, Wayne State University and The Detroit Edison Company, 1970] | ||
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell Post Number: 4261 Registered: 10-2003 |
50 weeks x 5 Days a week = 250 days x 3 hrs. per day commute = 750 hours / 8 hrs. = 93.75 work days worth of driving. Now let's say Ms. Procopio lived and walked the equivalent distance she walks from her parked car, say like living in River Place and walking to a job at the Omni Hotel. What could one do with 94 work days? Meet Mr. Right and spend days together? If she was paid at $50K a year rate that time would be valued at $18750. If she earned that in as overtime instead of sitting in traffic Ms. Procopio now has a monthly living budget of: $18750 / 12 months = $1562.50 to buy or rent a very comfortable loft. But maybe living at home with the parents and a stressful drives is what she wants. | ||
Greatlakes Member Username: Greatlakes Post Number: 35 Registered: 07-2007 |
quote:quote: Oh yes, because it's so hard to get off the next stop and get on the reverse route...and you do realize that you're not going anywhere in your own car that's under "your control" since you're stuck in rush hour traffic, which is definitely not under your control, right? Of all the reasons to be against mass transit, denying that it isn't less stressful than driving because you're not the driver is just...::shakes head:: | ||
Sstashmoo Member Username: Sstashmoo Post Number: 510 Registered: 02-2007 |
Quote: "denying that it isn't less stressful than driving because you're not the driver is just...::shakes head::" If one has the time and has no other place to go except their job, I understand. I don't live like that. And don't intend to. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 1841 Registered: 12-2005 |
The young lady the article featured grew up with this long of a commute being normal. People my age (48) can remember when your father taking the bus was normal or when only having one car in a family was normal. As long as the fallacy of having that perfect little house in the country with a white picket fence and a view of nothing but rolling green hills (with NO manure smell) continues, we will have this abnormal-normal. I wonder where the tipping point (price) of gasoline prices truly is. It still must be comparatively cheap, judging by how fast the Ram pickups and Ford Exploders pass me while I'm going 83 in a 70 mph zone. $3/gallon is the new normal there, and if it stays there I suspect the sales of three ton, 9 mpg personal tanks will continue, to points further out. | ||
Ghetto_butterfly Member Username: Ghetto_butterfly Post Number: 766 Registered: 09-2004 |
I regret every minute of my life spent in my car, commuting. I hate it with every fiber in my soul. I hate the local freeways, the aggressive, oblivious, careless drivers around me. I wish so much I could take a commuter train or subway to work, even if it would take longer to get to and from work. My job might potentially move to Novi in the near future (from west Detroit/Redford) and despite of a compensation for the longer drive plus other benefits, I might not consider it and look elsewhere just because of the longer, even more dreadful commute. If there was a train to take however, it would be great. Just thinking of all the additional time I could spend reading. | ||
Ltdave Member Username: Ltdave Post Number: 97 Registered: 09-2006 |
i work 0.3 miles inside of detroit. just south of 8 mile... am i going to live in detroit? hell no. am i going to live in warren? hell no. am i going to live in oakland co? hell no. why? because the city sucks for A, the city sucks for B and everything else is too much human population for me... i drive 110 miles round trip. it takes me about 55 minutes going in (MUCH less traffic) and about 75 minutes going home (Much more idiot traffic) by that i mean people doing 72 in the left lane, people in either lane who cant keep a constant speed (somewhere in the neighborhood of 55 to 75) and you cant pass them because the left lane is blocked... do i like the 37,000 miles on my car every year? no, but im not moving any closer any time soon... | ||
Digitalvision Member Username: Digitalvision Post Number: 432 Registered: 11-2003 |
This is so normal to so many people, it's crazy. It's perfectly acceptable to many, many folks. I know a few people who drive from north of Mt. Clemens to Ann Arbor every day. Others who go from Genessee County to downtown. Others who go from ten miles past Novi to downtown. In casual conversation, I've noticed that in general, the view is that this kind of driving is the price you pay to have a nice home in a quiet neighborhood. One guy lives in Brighton and goes to Chicago daily, another near Jackson to the eastside of Detroit. To me, that's folly, but, it's how the vast majority of people around here think. They must love their cars more than their kids - because I just don't buy that there isn't a nice house closer in a decent neighborhood within 20 or 30 minutes of where they work. I realized only recently how different I am to want to live within even just 20-30 minutes of where I work. | ||
Jrvass Member Username: Jrvass Post Number: 272 Registered: 01-2007 |
I drive an hour from Waterford to Okemos in the am, 1.5 hours in the afternoon due to children drivers & soccer moms being awake. If I leave an hour earlier (5am) I can shave 40 minutes off the total commute with blinking yellow lights and high school still in session in the afternoon. Things do go to hell in snowy weather. But I had similar commutes from Waterford to Troy or Dearborn in terms of time. The commute from hell? Dearborn to Waterford, in snow, with accidents. 4 hours. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3844 Registered: 02-2005 |
LtDave, that's nuts. Unless you just say that you don't like cities or any situation where people live reasonably close together (most of suburbia falls under this too, I guess) -- a la Miss_Cleo on this forum who sits up in Petoskey and repeatedly tells us how bad Detroit sucks -- I don't understand why you have imposed this situation on yourself. You can't tell me that there aren't good places to live in Detroit, near Detroit, hell even in oakland County. You better really have a serious love affair of the boonies to justify that. If you're happy, well there's not much I can say...but don't complain about increasing gas prices. | ||
English Member Username: English Post Number: 593 Registered: 10-2003 |
I've never had longer than a 20 minute commute in my adult working life. That's because for 6 years of it, I was a Detroit teacher who lived in the city, and the other 3, I've been an Ann Arbor teacher and U-M doc student living in Ann Arbor. The nicest commute I ever had was the 3 years that I worked at Cass Tech, lived in University Tower, and attended classes and taught at Wayne State. Ah. Good times! (That's also the period when I became a DetroitYES forumer.) Now I work in Ann Arbor, attend the University of Michigan, and live in Ann Arbor. Nothing on my regular route is more than 10 minutes away by car or 20 by AATA bus. Hats off to the long commuters. Between road rage, time lost, and hastening the demise of the environment, I don't see how you sleep at night. Not just figuratively -- literally! ;-) | ||
Futurecity Member Username: Futurecity Post Number: 669 Registered: 05-2005 |
CarHeads and SprawlHeads are a resourceful bunch - always looking for new ways to re-define the word "stupid." | ||
Jerome81 Member Username: Jerome81 Post Number: 1637 Registered: 11-2003 |
Used to commute 7 miles each way, about 15-20 minutes depending on traffic, no freeways in CA. It was perfect. Far enough away (I do like a little time in the car, like to drive), while still close enough to run home at lunch if I wanted. I just moved to Chicago. Working 30 miles away. Mornings I can make it in 30-35 minutes usually. Its OK I suppose. It seems so far away even though the time isn't terrible. However, afternoons usually take 45-1hour. Ug. I don't know how I feel. Apparently 30 minutes is pretty much average, so I'm not doing too bad by that measure. But I miss the 15 minutes. That was perfect. And what I wouldn't give to work in the loop and take the L on a 15-20 minute ride..... I do feel like I'm wasting an awful lot of my life in the car now  On the other hand, you have to make sacrifices. Almost nobody lives where they want, in the house they want, with their office in the location they want with just the right amount of commute time they want. I could look for a new job, but I really like what I do. I could live in the burbs much closer to work, but I LOVE living in Chicago. I'd love to only have to take my car when I wanted to take it. But overall, it gets a big OH WELL. Cause I can and want to and choose to deal with 30-45 minutes each way. It is the best setup for me. I'd rather have that commute time than be stuck livin in the burbs in a second. I'd rather have that commute time than work in the loop at a job I hate. We all have our limits. Some people my commute is insane. To me that girl's commute is insane. She probably thinks shes the normal one and we're blessed to have 30 minute drives. | ||
Hpgrmln Member Username: Hpgrmln Post Number: 232 Registered: 06-2007 |
Lt. Dave- no Oakland county, eh? Ever been near Holly? Addison Twp? Still pretty low density. Even Milford/Lyon is still reasonably rural. Then in Wayne county, you Have Huron and Sumpter TWPs. Sumpter is definitely still rural and probably a better commute. The great thing about the tri-county area is that it provides options for all lifestyles and tastes. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 2124 Registered: 01-2005 |
Reading all the posts above once again makes me so very happy to be retired. In my working days, I never had a long commute. During WW II we lived at Schaefer and Ford Road in Dearborn, and dad walked to work at Monkey Wards at Michigan and Schaefer. Kind of had to anyway because of gas rationing. I walked to school at Ford and Chase; no school bussing back then. I don't necessarily think those of you who make those long commutes are nuts; do your thing. But it wouldn't be for me, thank you. | ||
Arrogancy Member Username: Arrogancy Post Number: 16 Registered: 02-2007 |
When I lived in Detroit, I had to commute 20-30 minutes to go to decent grocery stores , malls, parks, bars with a demographic I liked, half of the restaurants that I liked going to (and the other half was a 15-20 minute commute downtown looking for parking), etc. so it pretty much evens out to me for, lets say an Oakland County commute, since I lost similar amounts of time. | ||
Fareastsider Member Username: Fareastsider Post Number: 646 Registered: 08-2006 |
Mikeg good book. I was very intrigued by the plans for the 2nd city center around Port Huron and the expected development plan which showed Detroit gaining density every year! Lots of interesting maps and projections in that book I almost posted some on here. | ||
Spacemonkey Member Username: Spacemonkey Post Number: 240 Registered: 03-2006 |
I don't like driving any more than 20-30 minutes to work. Any longer than that is life wasted sitting in a car. I won't apply for jobs farther than that. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 1946 Registered: 04-2006 |
Here is an interesting set of maps which illustrate how average travel times to downtown Detroit shrunk over the years 1900 to 1960. Those maps are pretty telling... | ||
Detroit313 Member Username: Detroit313 Post Number: 517 Registered: 02-2006 |
I used to live in Seattle, WA. and commute 90 miles one way. After I got into an accident rushing to work, I just moved closer to work. I love to drive, but I will never drive to work more than 30 miles again. That is pointless. Life is too short to be spending it on the road. <313> | ||
Ltdave Member Username: Ltdave Post Number: 98 Registered: 09-2006 |
i have 2 acres near port huron. we have a nice mall with in 15 minutes, i have trees and lawn, the neighbors that are close have nice kids, im less than 10 minutes from Lake Huron with lots of water (depth) and waves if i want them, im about 15 minutes from the St. Clair River and can get to Canada in about 30 minutes (assuming the bridge isnt all backed up... its 10-15 degrees cooler in the summer because of the lack of cement and im only about 10 minutes from I-69 and I-94. i can get to flint or points west in an hour and i can get to downtown detroit in an hour and change... my friend lives in commerce township. hes about 35 miles from work and weve spent longer going to his place than for me to come home due to the density of population. the traffic is just nuts... my whole set-up cost considerably less than a similar deal in Oakland County, or s.w. Macomb. i dont have to deal with the idiocy of Hall Rd although i will admit that M-25 thru Port Huron can be kind of congested at the 'right' times... another upside is im 15 minutes from my 75 and 77 year old parents (our daughters grandparents) and im 9 miles from my local Known Distant rifle range out to 600yds and a relatively empty airport where i dont have to fight excessive air operations if i want to go fly... ive not once complained about the price of gas. my wife's family pays the equivalent of $5.50 for a gallon in Denmark. do i LIKE the price of gas at $3? no im not stupid but i accept it as an expense to be paid for my social situation. i could live closer and save what 30 minutes off my drive to work? its a price my family is willing to pay to live where we want to live... edited to add: the girl in the article lives in washington township and has a 90 minute drive. i live 40-45 miles north of her and have 30 minutes and 15 minutes less drive TIME than she does. tell me how im disadvantaged over living 'closer'... (Message edited by ltdave on October 22, 2007) | ||
Dustin89 Member Username: Dustin89 Post Number: 141 Registered: 07-2006 |
I've pretty much decided that my goal is now to live @ or near WSU. The Brandon Township-Wayne State commute is looking less attractive by the minute. If I manage to set something up-i.e., I end up being able to afford an apt., etc., I'll let you guys know. Otherwise, I'll be spending my first year in college on Woodward Avenue or I-75.The bright side is that, despite the fact that I live approx. 45-50 miles from Detroit (depending on what way I take, and whether I'm going downtown, midtown, etc.) I have made the trip before in 35 or 40 minutes on weekends and during light traffic times during the day. If and when I'm commuting to school, however, I'll be doing it at less-than-ideal times in terms of traffic. | ||
Miketoronto Member Username: Miketoronto Post Number: 683 Registered: 07-2004 |
I think we all have to remember that commuting is a part of life. It is nothing new. Actually if you think about it, the cities we love are built on commuting. Chicago, NYC, Detroit in its heyday, etc are vibrant and bustling places, because people commute in from all points and create an energy. No matter what people will always have to travel. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3851 Registered: 02-2005 |
I feel for ya, Dustin. I'm glad you're overcoming that barrier. I was impatient with my 7 mile drive when I went to Wayne as a freshman. Let's put it this way, I could have class at 9:30 and leave my house as late as 9:10. You know about the University Cultural Center Assoc. website and it's resources for finding rentals, right? There are some deals to be had. I'll probably live around W. Ferry/Cass if I go there for grad school. I've never heard of Brandon Twp. Must be pretty damn far out. NW Oakland county? | ||
Alan55 Member Username: Alan55 Post Number: 681 Registered: 09-2005 |
"am i going to live in detroit? hell no. am going to live in warren? hell no. am i going to live in oakland co? hell no. why? because the city sucks for A, the city sucks for B and everything else is too much human population for me... " Ltdave, it doesn't suck so much that you mind making a living here. Thanks for contributing so much to society. Enjoy you Pabst and professional wrestling. | ||
Jrvass Member Username: Jrvass Post Number: 273 Registered: 01-2007 |
LtDave, I am in the same position as you. I'm on a nice lake in Waterford. A 1/2 hour east are my 81 and 78-yr-old parents. An hour west is my job. When I want to fish on Lk. MI, my boat is another 1.5 hours west at Grand Haven. An hour or so commute gives you time to prepare for the day. Or file it away for the night. A long drive is 7-8 hours or more. Or a fill-up of my "3-ton truck", with Bose stereo, 6-CD changer, XM radio, aircraft-landing lights, and 175dB 3-trumpet freight train horns. BTW, I only get 8mpg pulling the boat. Normally I get 16mpg at 80mph. The computer limits the truck to 100mph. So plan passing that semi on a 2-lane road carefully while pulling the boat! The results can be hair raising! =8^0 And I sleep very well at night. Thank you very much. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 3210 Registered: 10-2003 |
"BTW, I only get 8mpg pulling the boat. Normally I get 16mpg at 80mph. The computer limits the truck to 100mph. So plan passing that semi on a 2-lane road carefully while pulling the boat! The results can be hair raising! =8^0 "\ You're going 100mph pulling a boat passing semis? And they call me Speedball, Speedball Tucker, Terror of the highways, And all them other truckers, Will tell you that the boy is mad, To be drivin' in a rig like that. | ||
Diehard Member Username: Diehard Post Number: 165 Registered: 03-2005 |
I thought it was also telling that the woman in the article drove a 2006 Grand Cherokee. Unless her parents bought her that car for graduation and she had no say in it, she could've chosen something smaller. I guarantee she drives alone, too. | ||
Jrvass Member Username: Jrvass Post Number: 277 Registered: 01-2007 |
JohnLodge, I don't know about you. But mindlessly following a semi going under the speed limit on a clear summer day, on a 2-lane highway (1 lane each way)... drives me nuts. I try to pass as quickly as possible. I don't want to run an oncoming car off the road. Maybe it is a rural thing. Actually I'm safer than the nitwits that drive on I-275, crossing several lanes and cutting off people. Areas like this, I just chill and let them race around me. (Like you do, if I remember correctly). | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3855 Registered: 02-2005 |
Yep, this is the motor city. Some of you are obsessed with driving. 1.5 hours to Grand Haven?! WTF! | ||
Jrvass Member Username: Jrvass Post Number: 278 Registered: 01-2007 |
From where I work in Okemos/Lansing, it's only 110 miles. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3862 Registered: 02-2005 |
Upon second reading, I see that you didn't mean from Waterford to GH. That makes more sense. | ||
Sparty06 Member Username: Sparty06 Post Number: 31 Registered: 03-2007 |
This is a very interesting video on hellish commutes in the L.A. area but it offers practical advice that we could institute here in the Metro-Detroit area... advice that could truly make us cutting edge innovators in commute time and a make us a more attractive region to settle down in. http://reason.tv/video/show/6. html | ||
Imhere Member Username: Imhere Post Number: 33 Registered: 02-2007 |
I used to work DT and lived within the city limits, had a relatively short drive to work. Then my office moved me to Troy, so I moved to a city closer. My office then moved back DT. I didn't bother to move as the commute wasn't that bad. My office then moved me to Southfield. Still wasn't that bad of a commute so I still didn't move. After that it was Dearborn. That commute started to get to me, but I didn't want to move. Now my office is out in Plymouth. 30+ minute commute one way. Now I am considering moving homes, but I figure my office will just move again in a couple years then I'm right back to where I am today. If I could use Mass Transit I would. I looked into it when I was in Dearborn and found it would take 2 hours plus I would have to walk over a mile each way every day, ruled that out in a hurry. I can only imagine if I moved homes every time my office moved how much I would have lost in the housing market. So what's my point after all of this?? Not really sure, but with the rate my office has moved me around, I see no way of getting out of the 30+ minute commute (And the snow hasn't even started yet). | ||
Dustin89 Member Username: Dustin89 Post Number: 145 Registered: 07-2006 |
Mackinaw, I have seen the UCCA website. I'll keep you updated as I move towards Fall '08. I'll be sure to post here if I decide for sure to go to WSU. Brandon Township is definitely way out-Northern Oakland County. It is north of Clarkston, and mostly south of the village of Ortonville. I don't know if you're familiar, but I don't live terribly far from the Sashabaw Road exit on I-75. | ||
Detroitbill Member Username: Detroitbill Post Number: 358 Registered: 09-2006 |
If its feasible, living close to where you work makes sense not only money wise but also health wise. Takes me 8 minutes to work, downtown to near downtown location, lunch home is an option also. No rush hour, significantly less wear on the car, you pass YMCAs, restaurants, river walks, housing is a steal compared to city like Chicago in a similar type highrise etc and I and the car is totally safe,,It just makes alot of sense. | ||
Dustin89 Member Username: Dustin89 Post Number: 146 Registered: 07-2006 |
I know someone who commutes from the Old Redford neighborhood of Detroit to Macomb Township, and I knew someone who used to commute from Caro (•• to the Renaissance Center. I also know someone who commutes from Farmington Hills to Ortonville.I feel bad for people who are driving extreme distances and spending most of their time in the car, but it gets to a certain point where you need to move. I can't ever imagine myself doing this, although so-called "reverse" commuters-from the city to the suburbs-make more sense in terms of traffic. | ||
Ltdave Member Username: Ltdave Post Number: 99 Registered: 09-2006 |
""Ltdave, it doesn't suck so much that you mind making a living here. Thanks for contributing so much to society. Enjoy you Pabst and professional wrestling."" i would have worked for Chrysler in Marysville if there were any openings for electricians there. i also used to work in the warehouses in Warren... ive never in my life drank a beer. if it tastes as bad as it smells i cant imagine ANYONE drinking it. oh, i dont watch professional wrestling either. im too busy working on my masters degree and taking my daughter to dance classes... if YOU want to live in a 1000 sqft cookie cutter house in Warren or one of the burbs up mound road, or one of the dilapidated neighborhoods in detroit where they cant get your snow plowed thats YOUR business. dont try to make me live in your idea utopia... HOW much do you pay in city income taxes? i like the 0% where im at, even if i have to pay the 1.8% or whatever it is now for use of 1/4 mile of potholed streets... | ||
Lefty2 Member Username: Lefty2 Post Number: 486 Registered: 07-2007 |
NO THEY DON'T sorry to bust your bubble |
