Twelve years ago, my husband and I moved from Colorado to Hillsboro and later to Portland. A primary incentive for that move was the good public transportation system in the Portland area. We have a good car and we are both good drivers, but we had come to believe that public transportation was an important means of reducing pollution, as well as being more convenient in many cases.
We took full advantage of the amenities in downtown Portland and never drove there. Light rail, buses and street car meant that we had no worries about parking. Two years ago we moved to the Vancouver area and were able to catch a bus to a light rail station in Portland that would take us downtown.
We no longer have a desire to go to the ruined city that Portland has become, but we will take the good bus system that is being developed in Vancouver. I suggest that the habitual reliance on getting places by car is not the most convenient way to go.
