Walking sucks because heat and cars, public transit is ok-ish, but it’s really good if you live in Tempe, with their free shuttles. Also, the light rail is expanding, so can get around at least in Central PHX and East Valley. Western PHX is mostly gascucked NIMBYs.
Getting back to Tempe, in a section of Apache Blvd. they are trying something different. Sucks that this was done by a private company and not the city: https://culdesac.com/
EDIT: GEEZUS KRIIISSS those prices! Like I said, sucks that this wasn’t an initiative from Tempe or Phoenix.
it’s been a few years since I was there but I wouldn’t exactly describe transit in the phx area as “ok-ish” lol. there weren’t even sidewalks to get to the transit lol, and I was staying not too far from the end of the light rail in mesa iirc
honestly though I guess that’s not too bad compared to the rest of the southwest? One big issue is just the sprawl. It seemed bad for it to be 2h to get to downtown phoenix, but it’s like 20 miles as the crow flies sooooo that’s pretty far, and most of it not very dense
the other thing that killed me was the new stadium way out in the west, they had the superbowl there (I think) and I out of curiosity looked up how bad it would be to take transit to and it was awful. 2h from downtown, significantly worse from anywhere east of downtown. and the nearest bus stop to a brand new stadium was like the better part of a mile away
That’s why I say “ok-ish”. Things have changed since you were last here. In about 2 weeks (Jan 27), the light rail route will go from Metrocenter (31st Ave & Mountain View Rd.) to East Mesa (Gilbert Rd. & Main St.)
So it is a bit easier but still sucks if you have to go anywhere west of 67th Ave (have to use buses past Metrocenter station) or east of Gilbert Rd (like ASU East campus). Like you said, the problem is the sprawl. And of course, most of the white, NIMBY, neighborhoods where there are places like the new stadium that you want to get to are outside of the public transit routes.
yeah honestly I just have a kneejerk negative reaction to phoenix because as someone from the polar tundras of the upper midwest I can’t fathom living in a place that’s hotter than comfortable (to me anyhow) like 7 months out of the year and has no water. And I’ve had family move there even, I just don’t see the appeal at all, even as brutal as our winters can be up here. but the sprawl also didn’t help my opinion lol
I’m glad the transit is still expanding tho. That southern extension looks significant!
This is true, especially in Arizona.
Walking sucks because heat and cars, public transit is ok-ish, but it’s really good if you live in Tempe, with their free shuttles. Also, the light rail is expanding, so can get around at least in Central PHX and East Valley. Western PHX is mostly gascucked NIMBYs.
Getting back to Tempe, in a section of Apache Blvd. they are trying something different. Sucks that this was done by a private company and not the city: https://culdesac.com/
EDIT: GEEZUS KRIIISSS those prices! Like I said, sucks that this wasn’t an initiative from Tempe or Phoenix.
it’s been a few years since I was there but I wouldn’t exactly describe transit in the phx area as “ok-ish” lol. there weren’t even sidewalks to get to the transit lol, and I was staying not too far from the end of the light rail in mesa iirc
honestly though I guess that’s not too bad compared to the rest of the southwest? One big issue is just the sprawl. It seemed bad for it to be 2h to get to downtown phoenix, but it’s like 20 miles as the crow flies sooooo that’s pretty far, and most of it not very dense
the other thing that killed me was the new stadium way out in the west, they had the superbowl there (I think) and I out of curiosity looked up how bad it would be to take transit to and it was awful. 2h from downtown, significantly worse from anywhere east of downtown. and the nearest bus stop to a brand new stadium was like the better part of a mile away
That’s why I say “ok-ish”. Things have changed since you were last here. In about 2 weeks (Jan 27), the light rail route will go from Metrocenter (31st Ave & Mountain View Rd.) to East Mesa (Gilbert Rd. & Main St.)
So it is a bit easier but still sucks if you have to go anywhere west of 67th Ave (have to use buses past Metrocenter station) or east of Gilbert Rd (like ASU East campus). Like you said, the problem is the sprawl. And of course, most of the white, NIMBY, neighborhoods where there are places like the new stadium that you want to get to are outside of the public transit routes.
yeah honestly I just have a kneejerk negative reaction to phoenix because as someone from the polar tundras of the upper midwest I can’t fathom living in a place that’s hotter than comfortable (to me anyhow) like 7 months out of the year and has no water. And I’ve had family move there even, I just don’t see the appeal at all, even as brutal as our winters can be up here. but the sprawl also didn’t help my opinion lol
I’m glad the transit is still expanding tho. That southern extension looks significant!