Comments on: Reporter's Notes: Mass Transit Housing Plan http://science.kqed.org/quest/2009/02/13/reporters-notes-mass-transit-housing-plan/ Explore science, nature and environment stories from Northern California and beyond with KQED’s multimedia series Thu, 24 May 2012 05:51:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Carol Denney http://science.kqed.org/quest/2009/02/13/reporters-notes-mass-transit-housing-plan/#comment-11807 Carol Denney Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:44:34 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/?p=1351#comment-11807 Hello, Transit villagers make fewer trips because they don't have the option, and believe me, they wish they did. Your reporter at least had the sense to point out in a roundabout way that transit villages without transit are...problematic. Most transit villagers don't plan to stay long, just make some money and get out of there. Carol Denney Hello,

Transit villagers make fewer trips because they don't have the option, and believe me, they wish they did. Your reporter at least had the sense to point out in a roundabout way that transit villages without transit are…problematic. Most transit villagers don't plan to stay long, just make some money and get out of there.

Carol Denney

]]> By: nancy Kirwan http://science.kqed.org/quest/2009/02/13/reporters-notes-mass-transit-housing-plan/#comment-11806 nancy Kirwan Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:19:21 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/?p=1351#comment-11806 Hmmm…can’t tell if I’m an introvert or a Luddite, but the vision of a transit village that you’ve provided would make me want to commit suicide. Private, quiet space is important to me – I’ve found that in a townhouse in the burbs, with a generous planting space around a patio situated between the house and the garage, a 1200 square foot house on a 1300 square foot lot between a small front yard and the patio, but my house was built 35 years ago, when they understood that they were trying to replace the privacy virtues of a single family home. I looked at gazillions of modern homes crammed together that had a tiny little deck in front or a dinky balcony off the dining room as the only outdoor space which afforded no privacy or which had no outdoor space at all. So, I cringe when I hear of transit villages. I’d suggest fixing the transit before trying to cram people into a soulless high-density development at the station. I could walk to the Campbell light rail station – it’s about 2 miles each way, but, then it takes an hour to get to the Santa Clara train station and I’d have to switch to Bart from Millbrae to Daly City – that would take me 2.5 hours each way on the transit and a 30-minute walk each way. I can drive it both ways in about 2.5 hours total on 280. So, if you want me to take transit, don’t make me change between three separate systems, don’t make something I could drive in 15 minutes (my house to the Santa Clara train station) take an hour. And don’t expect me to move – just fix the system, so it makes sense – if it were easy, I’d take public transportation, but not for twice the time it takes me to drive. And cramming people into station-based developments as virtuous as you try to make it sound, well, again, I couldn’t do that and I don’t think I’m the only one who needs both a modicom of privacy and personal space. Hmmm…can’t tell if I’m an introvert or a Luddite, but the vision of a transit village that you’ve provided would make me want to commit suicide. Private, quiet space is important to me – I’ve found that in a townhouse in the burbs, with a generous planting space around a patio situated between the house and the garage, a 1200 square foot house on a 1300 square foot lot between a small front yard and the patio, but my house was built 35 years ago, when they understood that they were trying to replace the privacy virtues of a single family home. I looked at gazillions of modern homes crammed together that had a tiny little deck in front or a dinky balcony off the dining room as the only outdoor space which afforded no privacy or which had no outdoor space at all. So, I cringe when I hear of transit villages. I’d suggest fixing the transit before trying to cram people into a soulless high-density development at the station. I could walk to the Campbell light rail station – it’s about 2 miles each way, but, then it takes an hour to get to the Santa Clara train station and I’d have to switch to Bart from Millbrae to Daly City – that would take me 2.5 hours each way on the transit and a 30-minute walk each way. I can drive it both ways in about 2.5 hours total on 280. So, if you want me to take transit, don’t make me change between three separate systems, don’t make something I could drive in 15 minutes (my house to the Santa Clara train station) take an hour. And don’t expect me to move – just fix the system, so it makes sense – if it were easy, I’d take public transportation, but not for twice the time it takes me to drive. And cramming people into station-based developments as virtuous as you try to make it sound, well, again, I couldn’t do that and I don’t think I’m the only one who needs both a modicom of privacy and personal space.

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