Derek Bauman ‏@derekbauman  1m

Citizens of the #Cincinnati region: Which commute do you prefer? #CincyTraffic pic.twitter.com/EFA1SI1FmT

 

I'm moving to a new job near University Circle in a few weeks and I'm kindof frustrated that I'll have to drive to work. There's just no reasonable option to get from Lakeshore Blvd down to UC on RTA. I'll take the bike when the weather is good, and on the days when I have no other option I can take the 39F all the way to downtown and then take the Healthline back across town, but considering how long that'll take, I think I'll be driving a lot.

So to follow up, I changed jobs in 2012 to UC and found that my commute sucked. I rode the bike or motorcycle as much as I could but the weather got in the way (especially this past winter.) So I decided I needed to do something about it and had three options, find another job, get the transit fixed, or buy a car. I really didn't want to buy a car as it would kill my budget so that was my last resort. I've been going to public meetings and offering my opinions on the HL extension to Euclid, but even in the best case scenario that will take years to get fixed. So I also started looking for a job back downtown, and thankfully I won't need to worry about my commute issues in a few weeks. :-) I really like my current job and would gladly have stayed at it if I could have found a way to get home from it in crappy weather, but I guess it wasn't to be.

I sadly just had to change mine from walk to single occupancy car (actually, I should have done that six months ago).  Still a manageable 15-minute commute on city streets, but I definitely miss the location advantage of my old apartment.

When I was looking for a job some five years ago I told the IT placement firm I was only entertaining businesses in downtown Cincinnati, so that I could maintain my quality of life walking to work.  That didn't stop them from trying to tempt me with two jobs way outside of downtown, but when they realized I was serious they quickly found me a job downtown.  I can't imagine having to drive to work anymore.  I'm really glad I'm in an in-demand field that allows me the option to be so choosy.

New employment, new commute. My old 15-30 minute commute (depending on traffic) was via Spring Grove Ave., Mitchell Ave. and Dana Ave. from Northside to Xavier. A lot of construction, potholes and traffic made the drive pretty stressful on some days. My new commute is 25-30 minutes and is mostly congestion free either via US 421/Leestown Pike through a bunch of scenic horse farms or Interstate 64, which also passes all but farms. Since it's a reverse commute from Lexington to Frankfort, traffic is generally pretty good.

 

Bonus routes: Old Frankfort Pike, a very scenic byway, connects the two towns, and a myriad of back roads.

 

I wish it was bikeable, but that would require getting up before 6 AM... and that won't be happening for me :)

When I was looking for a job some five years ago I told the IT placement firm I was only entertaining businesses in downtown Cincinnati, so that I could maintain my quality of life walking to work.  That didn't stop them from trying to tempt me with two jobs way outside of downtown, but when they realized I was serious they quickly found me a job downtown.  I can't imagine having to drive to work anymore.  I'm really glad I'm in an in-demand field that allows me the option to be so choosy.

 

They thought no jobs outside DT was merely an objection rather than a qualification.[/jdouglasedwards]

Man this sucks I went from a 3/4 mile commute to a 40-minute each way driving one. I don't know if I should move to Lancaster so that I can cut it back down or go with something in the middle like Groveport. I'm going to take a year to decide.

There is commerce in Lancaster?

Once I opened up the mall reached 100% inline occupancy. Then another yogurt place closed and it went down to 99% or whatever.

 

eta: Yes Lancaster is very busy these days. Memorial Dr. (old 33) is still really busy and lots of new businesses have opened in the past few years. The city has added 10k residents since I lived there in the late '90s. A large portion of people who live in Lancaster work in Columbus. When the 33 bypass opened the city basically became untangled since 33 was acting like a Berlin Wall in the middle of town. Then they removed a bunch of traffic lights and at-grade intersections and added turn lanes between Columbus and Lancaster to enable Columbus commutes. So if someone felt Columbus was too flat they didn't have to move there. Or if someone from another city that was used to hills took a job in Columbus they could move to Lancaster. This population increase actually didn't come with boatloads of additional sprawl because people were able to take over older houses that were vacated when Anchor-Hocking laid off a bunch of people in the mid-80s. Also since Lancaster is hilly the sprawl machine couldn't just dine on a bunch of cheap flat cornfields.

I apologize I believe I was confusing Lancaster with Logan.  There's also a town called Logan on 33, right?  I haven't been out there for 10 years. 

 

How is Nelsonville doing with the bypass?  The traffic through there was always a wild card.  But the weird thing was that the road 33 traveled on through Nelsonville already seemed sort of like a bypass.  You definitely missed pubic square, or whatever it was called. 

I've moved down to OTR and now commute to Hyde Park daily via Columbia Parkway. It's about a 15 minute or so drive, give or take depending on light timing. It's a great drive though. I've always liked the view both directions on Columbia Parkway and going against traffic means I never have to deal with congestion. I'd rather have somewhere I can walk to and to not need a car for work, but as it is I'm not going to complain. The only driving I do is for work and even then it's a small amount and is mostly scenic.

I apologize I believe I was confusing Lancaster with Logan.  There's also a town called Logan on 33, right?  I haven't been out there for 10 years. 

 

How is Nelsonville doing with the bypass?  The traffic through there was always a wild card.  But the weird thing was that the road 33 traveled on through Nelsonville already seemed sort of like a bypass.  You definitely missed pubic square, or whatever it was called. 

 

I haven't been to Nelsonville recently. But yes, these bypasses are actually bypass #2 for most of these towns. Columbus St. runs through the middle of DT Lancaster and is Old, Old 33. Memorial Drive dates from the '50s I believe and was created by a mix of fusing disconnected streets on the grid and some all new all-new alignment. Nelsonville seems like they did the same thing.

The Nelsonville bypass is open. It's a relief from having to crawl through Nelsonville. The old route is much nicer now that it's not clogged with a steady line of cars and trucks.

I apologize I believe I was confusing Lancaster with Logan.  There's also a town called Logan on 33, right?  I haven't been out there for 10 years. 

 

How is Nelsonville doing with the bypass?  The traffic through there was always a wild card.  But the weird thing was that the road 33 traveled on through Nelsonville already seemed sort of like a bypass.  You definitely missed pubic square, or whatever it was called. 

 

I haven't been to Nelsonville recently. But yes, these bypasses are actually bypass #2 for most of these towns. Columbus St. runs through the middle of DT Lancaster and is Old, Old 33. Memorial Drive dates from the '50s I believe and was created by a mix of fusing disconnected streets on the grid and some all new all-new alignment. Nelsonville seems like they did the same thing.

 

I believe that road you used to drive on in Nelsonville that went past Rocky Boots was the canal. 

My vote was for Other, since thank God I no longer have a daily commute being retired. But I realize the impact of a daily commute. It really came home to me when my company decided to sell their plant in Norwood and build a new facility in Mason in an industrial park about 1-1/2 miles from my house. What a convenience. I finally convinced my brother, who worked for the same company, to sell his house in Blue Ash and move to Mason, about a 1/2 mile from me. We are both retired now, and still living in Mason.

 

Enjoying a great residential area while also being a chip-shot from work, that is the epitome. Not too many people get to experience that, but keep trying.

Job 1: walk 5 minutes to the train, ride for 25 minutes, get off, and my employer is down the street.

 

Job 2: walk 5 minutes to the train, ride for 20 minutes, get off, and walk 5 minutes to my business partner's condo where we are headquartered.

I'm in Phoenix.  There's a commuter train that goes straight down the middle of the city and to the university district.  My gf rides it every day to work, but it's too limited for me and most (although it's being expanded because it definitely does work for the population it can serve).  I work on the west side and live in the middle.  It takes me 15 minutes to get to work driving.  I have no options to get to work in under an hour except to drive.  There are buses but they're sparse, cost as much or more than driving (would take rail to bus to work) and waiting at a bus stop or walking 10 blocks from a stop in 120 degree temps is not fun.

 

The worst part of phoenix transportation (outside of the insanely sprawling area it covers and lack of options) is that you are pretty much forced to drive with a bunch of people who don't seem to care about living or don't understand how dangerous they're being.  Every single day you hear about 5-6 accidents on the freeway and the side streets are all 40-45mph speed limits which means people are driving 50-55mph right next to sidewalks.  They also seem to believe the light turning red means only 1 or 2 more people are allowed through.  Not a fan

 

When I lived in Seattle I took the bus for the first 5-6 years.  Took about 45 minutes for a normal 15 minute drive.  Worst part was standing on the bus due to crowding and buses coming early (why oh why!?!).  They have a commuter train from downtown to the airport that's great, and that's being expanded too, so that's nice.

 

When I lived in Columbus I took the bus.  Which meant the shift job I worked downtown on Sundays would leave me stranded at night and force me to walk home (near 5th).  The winters were rough.

 

I will say as someone who pretty much rode the city bus my whole life until 4-5 years ago, getting a car opened up my world tremendously.  I'm all for public transportation, but man once I got a car I could decide at a moment's notice that I wanted to go drive out to the country and hike around some mountains or eat at a random secluded diner or go anywhere I wanted without having to ensure a bus could get me there and back.  Quality of life shot through the roof. 

You can have the benefits of a car without the tremendous expense of owning one. Car share is an attractive option for those who want to visit remote places like the countryside where everyone is forced to drive or sentenced to house arrest.