Houston question
 

My son is going to Houston for a year. He is doing a fellowship at the Texas Medical Center. He is trying to decide whether he will need his truck or if public transportation is sufficient. He has leased a unit at the Elan apartments which seems to be right on the campus. I was emphasizing Zip car but I really don’t know much about them. Any input is appreciated.

Houston has public transport, buses around town, but its an ENORMOUS place thats VERY spread out.

Zip car is OK for very occasional trips, but if he's going to need something daily, I'm not sure it would be financially the cheapest route. You'd probably have to look into that.

He could also cycle places, but it's HOT and often humid. It may get cold and is often unpredictably rainy too. I'm not sure that cycling is as appealing an option in Houston as it would be in Cali unless he wants to arrive everyplace hot and sweaty.

I, personally, can't imagine being in Houston without personal transportation.

Thank you.....I’ll pass this on to him. Shipping his truck will be around $1100-1300.
He can afford it.

Jeez, for that kind of money I'd drive it. It's a 24 hour drive.

I’m with you but he doesn’t have the time. He finishes his residency and starts in Houston the next day. Right to the airport and into orientation.

Absolutely will want a car living in Houston. Lots of stuff to do that are off the public transit routes. If you are just going to school and work it might be fine, but for a year you’ll want to venture out.

He’ll be glad he brought the truck. Hope it has A/C too...

The METRO light rail line goes right through the medical center. The Houston light rail system is not too extensive but with bus connections you can get many places. A friend of my scummed to blindness due to macular degeneration. He gave up his car and got to know the system real well before he passed away. It is not as convenient as it could be but it is possible to get around. Also, parking is a big expense to consider if you drive your own vehicle.

Needs a car with good A/C. Houston is 4 months of 90/90 and the rest of the year is pretty nice.

My first thought was that he'd absolutely need/want a car and the price of shipping is short money. Parking at the Elan is free and the convenience of having your own car is priceless. Probably helps ones dating life too.

That said, Uber is pretty good in Houston as is grocery delivery. Several of the younger folks I work with do not have cars - - and they easily could buy one if they wanted too - - but they work long hours and when they go out, they're likely drinking with friends, so better to have a driver anyway. Typical rides are less than $15/trip.

Except for maybe taking the bus/shuttle from the Elan to the Med Center (to go to work daily), or maybe taking the light rail to the bars in mid town or downtown (or the dome), I would not want to ride public transportation in Houston. Mostly, because it's really hot out there, especially today. $1200 would be money well spent, IMO.

I could not imagine living in Houston without a car. Public transportation is an afterthought.

Ya gotta have a car in Houston....hitch-hiking to 'Nawlins sux :)

As mentioned earlier, Houston is spread out and about 1,660 sq miles. Even if the public transport was top notch, he will not want to walk 1/2 mile or more when the heat index is 110+. Just walking from the car to a building or from a building to a car can be very a sweaty experience. Car a car that has top notch AC. Not just AC that is OK for 80 degree days.

Getting into a car hat has sat in 100+ degree heat for 8 hours and is 140 inside requires AC that is superior.

I don't know how we survived growing up around here. I guess you acclimate to a certain degree. Only parts of the high school where I went were air conditioned. The gym was not. I always managed to have PE in the morning so even after a cold shower was sweating for the the next few periods. I don't even think AC was an option on my first car and I did not get it on my next two either. Here is what I drove in high school. Was a great beach car and never got stuck in the sand. :D
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1560179163.jpg

This ^^^ ... The heat index was 110 yesterday. Six months of the year you can experience some really nice weather, the other six months? Hot, Humid, mixed with torrential downpours / thunderstorms (or drought as the case may be).

last time i was in houston. the place is giant. it wasnt set up for walking as far as i could remember.

if you visited a Bed Bath and Beyond and wanted to price compare or check availability at Target in the same shopping center..you drove it. it was far, it was hot, the air is wet! and everyone else driving would run you over. shopping centers are giant behemoths!

Yep.

And on top of that, it can be sunny and nice one min, be a torrential downpour the next min, and then 30 mins later, the sun has come out and made it hot and super humid.

I get it. I think that is the case. I had a coworker who's nutty husband didn't allow the AC to be turned on in their house (he eventually relented in July), and she was always FREEZING when she was at work and we were in 73* AC.

I had plenty of cars with no AC when I was younger both in Virginia and Florida and did OK, but then I do remember thinking that my parents kept it way too cool in the house because I was used to the heat.

Yep, you've definitely been here. That's Houston exactly. There are a few places where you can do some walking, but that's far more the exception and it's just a little walking, not a lot of walking.

I still do not use a/c....in vehicles :).

Inland anywhere along the SE coast can be HOT/HUMID/HELL along the coastal plain :(:
Some can take it....some can't...but it just is...;)