Community Exchange
 
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Date Created:
July 11, 2008
Category:
Lifestyle »
Home Improvement
Group Type:
Public
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communityexchange Offline
communityexchange
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Community Exchange
Community Exchange is your space for sharing with others what makes your community the place where you can see yourself living out your life to the fullest. Go on! Brag a bit about why living where you live means you live in a home you can afford, where there are nearby services like hospitals, shopping malls, and where there is good access to places to work and play! And, to top it off, tell us about all the different transportatin options you have to get to these places---like the good public transportation, the available sidewalks/walking paths that you allow you to get around when driving a car is not an option, or the great street signs and good road designs in your neighborhood that make it really nice when you do choose to drive!

Ok, so maybe you don't have all this, so what can you do about it? You can make a difference! And, Community Exchange will even give you some examples of how you can take action to make your community THE community where YOU can live out you life to the fullest!
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http://www.aarp.org/community/groups/displayTopic.bt?groupId=9291&topicId=453671
communityexchange said:
on July 11, 2008 11:14 AM ET
edited on February 5, 2009 04:33 AM ET

  I am ready to hang up the keys...not because I can't drive my car any more, but because, I want to save some money---but i'm not sure my community is ready for me to give up my keys. How are you "getting around" in your community!
5 posts by 5 users
mmf1
Post #5
mmf1 said:
on November 22, 2009 03:54 PM ET

We live in Alameda, on the island just west of Oakland, CA.   We have great wheelchair accessible bus service, AC Transit, and live close to several bus stops.   If we take the bus to Oakland, we can also ride on BART (rapid transit) or take a ferry.   We can go to San Francisco by bus, BART, or ferry.

We are also within walking or rolling distance of stores, post offices, etc. as well, in the opposite direction, close  to  the shore line.

My daughter lives in Contra Costa County, CA.  The bus service does not run on holidays, so we can no longer go to her house via bus or paratransit for Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.   :( 


sierra-gold
Post #4
sierra-gold said:
on November 14, 2009 05:21 PM ET
edited on November 14, 2009 05:24 PM ET

We live in a small town in the Sierra foothills which is about 12 miles "off the public transportation grid." Getting rid of the car is not an option.

One thing that has helped us reduce trips to town is the keeping of errand lists. It is not uncommon for us to go to town once a week and to combine 4-5 stores shopping  with a doctor appointment.

We keep a backup of most commonly used food items in our pantry. (Canned and dry package as well as frozen in the freezer.) When the backup is used that item goes on a shopping list. This has really reduced the need for "ran out of it" shopping trips.

We have also used the Internet for shopping which has reduced trips to the Malls, which are 30 miles away.

 


GramGramY
Post #3
GramGramY said:
on December 9, 2008 12:58 PM ET
edited on December 9, 2008 01:00 PM ET

My community has relatively good public transportation but they are cutting services every year or so.  I have a bus stop in front of my house!  BUT it is limited on weekends; it doesn't run after 7 p.m.  I use my car most of the time because I can't really stand or walk very far due to my arthritis.  I just don't drive much anymore--except to get to my Medical Center and church.  I make sure that I get groceries or other errands in the same trip.


SayKath
Post #2
SayKath said:
on November 7, 2008 10:51 PM ET

  My community is bike friendly and I could walk to the grocery, bank, pharmacy even Starbucks.  But I'm still tied to my car because I need to drive 20 miles daily to help out with my mom's care.  I do hope to hop on the bike more!


TamaraJ
Post #1
TamaraJ said:
on July 14, 2008 03:40 PM ET
edited on July 14, 2008 03:40 PM ET

My community is very pedestrian unfriendly. We have a great north-south bikepath, but a lot of areas don't have sidewalks. If my neighborhood had sidewalks, I could walk to the bank, grocery story, book store and ice cream stand. All are within a mile of my house but it's too dangerous to walk in the road. I've been combining my errands and shopping closer to home. Gotta make those gallons of gas last!