Washington has one of the highest levels of extreme commutes in the U.S.

Started by cpzilliacus, March 05, 2013, 11:07:16 PM

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vdeane

Quote from: Mapmikey on March 09, 2013, 10:43:04 AM
I love the independent city concept in Virginia...

The City of Fredericksburg does have a sheriff in addition to a police force, and I do not pay any county taxes whatsoever...only property taxes to the City and income tax to the state.  Fredericksburg is extremely well-run and my taxes to them are quite reasonable.  The streets are always passable within 24 hrs of any snowstorm we've had in the last 18 yrs.  No counties around here come close to that nor would that necessarily be expected due to size of counties.

Independent cities who either are poorly managed or can't attract revenue through business/industrial activities within their borders do have a harder time and sometimes revert back to incorporated towns (South Boston, Clifton Forge, Bedford are recent former cities).

Mapmikey
Of course, the downside is that county clinching in VA is harder work than other areas.

Ontario is weird in that some cities are independent and others aren't.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.


jeffandnicole

I've always felt (and I'm sure there's a few that do) that it's possible to live in South Jersey near the Delaware Memorial Bridge and work in Baltimore; under 90 minutes drivetime in non-rush hour periods.  And the only true rush hour traffic would be in the Baltimore area anyway.  The worst issue would be the $18 in daily tolls one would rack up (not including discounts).

agentsteel53

Quote from: Steve on March 06, 2013, 09:29:02 PM
People like the suburbs

I've yet to meet one person who likes the suburbs.  I must hang out in the wrong crowd.
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

kphoger

Quote from: agentsteel53 on March 11, 2013, 09:59:04 AM
Quote from: Steve on March 06, 2013, 09:29:02 PM
People like the suburbs

I've yet to meet one person who likes the suburbs.  I must hang out in the wrong crowd.

I once mentioned to my roommate that I disliked living in the suburbs because the pace of life was too fast.  He was quite taken by surprise, because the pace of life seemed really slow to him, and that's why he liked living in the suburbs.  He was from México City by way of Santa Ana.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

1995hoo

I much prefer living in the suburbs to living in a city, especially after many trips to Brooklyn to visit my grandparents when I was growing up. Sure, there are some aspects of New York that you don't necessarily get in all cities (alternate side parking being the one that always comes to mind), but there are a lot of hassles that go with it that simply do not appeal to me. I'm speaking in a general sense here because there are specific things about the District of Columbia that would cause me never to want to live there if I could avoid it.

My wife and I do like (quite a bit) the suburban neighborhood where we live.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

djsinco

It is partly a generational thing. When I was in my 20's and early 30's, I preferred the city life. At a point, the suburbs seemed infinitely more agreeable. I enjoy having reasonably easy access to the amenities of a bigger city, but without many of the pitfalls that come with living in the city.
3 million miles and counting

cpzilliacus

Quote from: agentsteel53 on March 11, 2013, 09:59:04 AM
Quote from: Steve on March 06, 2013, 09:29:02 PM
People like the suburbs

I've yet to meet one person who likes the suburbs.  I must hang out in the wrong crowd.

I much prefer the suburbs over the hassles of living in the two central cities near me, the District of Columbia and Baltimore City.

Note that like many other cities, there are plenty of neighborhoods in both D.C. and Baltimore that have the "look and feel" of a suburban  neighborhood, where single-family detached, or modestly-scaled single-family attached homes prevail.  Certainly the same can be said of many neighborhoods within  the corporate limits of San Diego and Los Angeles (note that I mean the cities, not the counties).

But still, I perceive the hassle factor of living in either of those to be more than it is worth.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

agentsteel53

I think what I hate about the suburbs is the featureless housing subdivisions, box stores, etc.  I live in a fairly rural neighborhood, but have to do all my shopping about five miles down the road in what is a textbook suburb, and it seems to me to be completely unlivable.  too many traffic lights, SUVs, box stores, megachurches and megaschools; basically the worst of commercialism on display. 

if this is what North Korea envies, I welcome them to bomb it.
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

kphoger

I do dislike the transportation in suburbs, probably most of all.  Especially Chicago.  There, you can get around the city itself and the nearest suburbs really well on public transportation.  But in the outer suburbs, driving is a headache while public transportation is thinly spread.  I just really don't like stoplights, basically.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

corco

QuoteI think what I hate about the suburbs is the featureless housing subdivisions, box stores, etc.  I live in a fairly rural neighborhood, but have to do all my shopping about five miles down the road in what is a textbook suburb, and it seems to me to be completely unlivable.  too many traffic lights, SUVs, box stores, megachurches and megaschools; basically the worst of commercialism on display. 

I typically like suburbs, but to me some of the suburbs in the southwest are just the absolute most character-less things. Phoenix metro is a complete cf of a CVS Pharmacy on one corner, a nail salon on another corner, and tan houses on the other two corners.

The suburbs that are nice are the ones that are built off already existing towns that had a strong sense of place before they went crazy. It'd be nice to see those places stay as quaint little towns and not boom, but I suppose that is unrealistic. Most suburbs in the west or far-outlying aren't that way so much though.


Looking, at, say, Columbus- Westerville is a nice suburb while Pickerington isn't very exciting. Westerville has been around and stood on its own for a long time, but Pickerington wasn't much more than a few cows until the early 90s and that really shows in the type of development that occurs in each city.



cpzilliacus

Any city where this sort of stuff happens is unacceptable.  And it happens far too often for my taste in D.C. (amazing that nobody was killed).  And this was a few blocks walk from my office!

Washington Post: Eleven people shot on D.C. street corner overnight

Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: corco on March 11, 2013, 01:49:53 PM
QuoteI think what I hate about the suburbs is the featureless housing subdivisions, box stores, etc.  I live in a fairly rural neighborhood, but have to do all my shopping about five miles down the road in what is a textbook suburb, and it seems to me to be completely unlivable.  too many traffic lights, SUVs, box stores, megachurches and megaschools; basically the worst of commercialism on display. 

I typically like suburbs, but to me some of the suburbs in the southwest are just the absolute most character-less things. Phoenix metro is a complete cf of a CVS Pharmacy on one corner, a nail salon on another corner, and tan houses on the other two corners.

I want  peace and quiet, freeways that move fast (just recently got that in the form of Md. 200 near my Silver Spring home), a low crime rate (including a lack of corruption among public employees) and good county services (since most of my state of Maryland is unincorporated, even in built-up areas).   
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

kphoger

Quote from: cpzilliacus on March 11, 2013, 01:52:05 PM
Quote from: corco on March 11, 2013, 01:49:53 PM
Phoenix metro is a complete cf of a CVS Pharmacy on one corner, a nail salon on another corner, and tan houses on the other two corners.

Any city where this sort of stuff happens is unacceptable.

Totally agree!  Nobody needs that many tanning salons.  Turn one of them into a bank, at least.

:D
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

mc78andrew

W
Quote from: corco on March 11, 2013, 01:49:53 PM
QuoteI think what I hate about the suburbs is the featureless housing subdivisions, box stores, etc.  I live in a fairly rural neighborhood, but have to do all my shopping about five miles down the road in what is a textbook suburb, and it seems to me to be completely unlivable.  too many traffic lights, SUVs, box stores, megachurches and megaschools; basically the worst of commercialism on display. 

I typically like suburbs, but to me some of the suburbs in the southwest are just the absolute most character-less things. Phoenix metro is a complete cf of a CVS Pharmacy on one corner, a nail salon on another corner, and tan houses on the other two corners.

The suburbs that are nice are the ones that are built off already existing towns that had a strong sense of place before they went crazy. It'd be nice to see those places stay as quaint little towns and not boom, but I suppose that is unrealistic. Most suburbs in the west or far-outlying aren't that way so much though.


Looking, at, say, Columbus- Westerville is a nice suburb while Pickerington isn't very exciting. Westerville has been around and stood on its own for a long time, but Pickerington wasn't much more than a few cows until the early 90s and that really shows in the type of development that occurs in each city.

Why would you need a tanning house in Phoenix?  I get it in other areas, but in that climate...sounds like an oxymoron.

andrewkbrown

Quote from: cpzilliacus on March 11, 2013, 01:52:05 PM
Any city where this sort of stuff happens is unacceptable.  And it happens far too often for my taste in D.C. (amazing that nobody was killed).  And this was a few blocks walk from my office!

Washington Post: Eleven people shot on D.C. street corner overnight



I run medical calls to that apartment building all the time, as my firehouse is just 7 blocks south of there. Had I been working last night, I'd have been on that call.
Firefighter/Paramedic
Washington DC Fire & EMS

cpzilliacus

Quote from: andrewkbrown on March 11, 2013, 07:39:00 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on March 11, 2013, 01:52:05 PM
Any city where this sort of stuff happens is unacceptable.  And it happens far too often for my taste in D.C. (amazing that nobody was killed).  And this was a few blocks walk from my office!

Washington Post: Eleven people shot on D.C. street corner overnight



I run medical calls to that apartment building all the time, as my firehouse is just 7 blocks south of there. Had I been working last night, I'd have been on that call.

My office is at North Capitol and H Streets, and there seems to be a never-ending procession of (mostly) D.C. ambulances coming by most days. 

Are you based in the same firehouse as Engine 3 on New Jersey Avenue, N.W.?
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

andrewkbrown

Quote from: cpzilliacus on March 11, 2013, 07:50:45 PM
Quote from: andrewkbrown on March 11, 2013, 07:39:00 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on March 11, 2013, 01:52:05 PM
Any city where this sort of stuff happens is unacceptable.  And it happens far too often for my taste in D.C. (amazing that nobody was killed).  And this was a few blocks walk from my office!

Washington Post: Eleven people shot on D.C. street corner overnight



I run medical calls to that apartment building all the time, as my firehouse is just 7 blocks south of there. Had I been working last night, I'd have been on that call.

My office is at North Capitol and H Streets, and there seems to be a never-ending procession of (mostly) D.C. ambulances coming by most days. 

Are you based in the same firehouse as Engine 3 on New Jersey Avenue, N.W.?

I am assigned to Engine 3, yes.
Firefighter/Paramedic
Washington DC Fire & EMS

djsinco

Quote from: kphoger on March 11, 2013, 02:15:57 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on March 11, 2013, 01:52:05 PM
Quote from: corco on March 11, 2013, 01:49:53 PM
Phoenix metro is a complete cf of a CVS Pharmacy on one corner, a nail salon on another corner, and tan houses on the other two corners.

Any city where this sort of stuff happens is unacceptable.

Totally agree!  Nobody needs that many tanning salons.  Turn one of them into a bank, at least.

:D
From mid-March through October, Phoenix is a tanning salon.  :D
3 million miles and counting

mtfallsmikey

Been commuting back and forth to Reston for 15 yrs. now. I have a little over 9 ac. of property, 1/2 mi. off the pavement, nearest Wal-Mart 15 mi. Very quiet. I just do this drive for the money, like the rest of us commuter scum do.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: mtfallsmikey on March 15, 2013, 12:57:13 PM
Been commuting back and forth to Reston for 15 yrs. now. I have a little over 9 ac. of property, 1/2 mi. off the pavement, nearest Wal-Mart 15 mi. Very quiet. I just do this drive for the money, like the rest of us commuter scum do.

The Piedmont Environmental Council and its front group, the Coalition for Smarter Growth, do not approve. 

They would like to command you to live in an apartment on top of or near one of the new Dulles Rail (Silver Line) Metro stops.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

mtfallsmikey

Quote from: cpzilliacus on March 15, 2013, 01:15:46 PM
Quote from: mtfallsmikey on March 15, 2013, 12:57:13 PM
Been commuting back and forth to Reston for 15 yrs. now. I have a little over 9 ac. of property, 1/2 mi. off the pavement, nearest Wal-Mart 15 mi. Very quiet. I just do this drive for the money, like the rest of us commuter scum do.


The Piedmont Environmental Council and its front group, the Coalition for Smarter Growth, do not approve. 

They would like to command you to live in an apartment on top of or near one of the new Dulles Rail (Silver Line) Metro stops.

Yes, it takes a village... now, where do I put the garden at?



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