I think I asked this question several years ago. But there are always new members here. I've always wanted to live in a town (or a neighborhood in a town) where you are not dependent on a car. Now I have to live in a place like that: I have lost most of my eyesight to diabetes and can't drive. Anybody know a place where you can get around on foot, buses, and taxis? Would prefer a place in the American south, but will consider every suggestion.
By joan pecsek from South Norfolk, VA
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There's an excellent website called Walkscore, which ranks cities in the US and Canada according to how walkable they are, using many different criteria, such as shopping, sidewalk design, etc. Assuming you will do some walking in the future, you could start researching at this website and then research the cities you like at their own websites to see what kind of services they provide for the disabled.
You should be able to narrow it down to a few cities with the best combination of walkability and ride services for you. Don't overlook cost of living info, too. I've noticed that college towns offer a lot of good features, including inexpensve entertainment options. I did a quick search using "walkable neighborhoods" and "walkable communities" - there are a lot of websites and articles available. If you're a senior, you can also check the cities for senior services. I'm pasting the link for Walkscore below. Good luck!
Most towns of any size have buses, and taxis. A lot of towns also have vans for disabled people to ride, and they are cheaper than taxis. The town that I live in is about 200,000 and we have buses, taxis, and paratransit buses. I do know that there are some towns of about 15,000 that have taxis and small buses. Research some places that you think you would like to live, online, and see what you can find. I know of at least one town here in SD, that is about a population of 2,000-5,000 that has a van for disabled people. I would think being your vision is most of the way gone, you would qualify for something like that.
Since losing your eyesight would classify you as somewhat disabled, contact your local government to see what transport choices are available there too, probably more than you know. I would hate for you to have to move away from familiar surroundings unless you really, really want to.
I'm in Sanford Florida. I live in downtown. There's convenient shopping within walking distance along with buses every hour. It's right outside of Orlando in a somewhat sleepy town with things to do most of the time.
Hi, Joanie. My husband and I live in Durham, NC. Brien is in a wheelchair and I have some mental disabilities that make it hard for me to ride the bus. Our town has a van service for handicapped individuals called "Access" - you call their main number, make a reservation, and off you go. Each trip is $2 each way, but if you have Medicaid you will get all of your doctors' visit rides for free. We go all kinds of places - doctors, libraries, Walmart, grocery stores, etc.
According to Wikipedia, there is a new development called Bicycle City in South Carolina. Here is the link en.wikipedia.org/
There's only one place on this earth that fits your needs:
Boston. You do not need a car. There are buses, street cars, trains and subway.
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