The Sprawl

Tucson may not seem large, but it is very spread out. It's a motor- and bike-friendly city, but it doesn't cater to walkers. Luckily, the transportation system is decent...not awesome, but decent. When I first arrived in the city, I needed to re-learn how to plan trips: "I have to catch the bus at this time and be out of the store by this time," or "It's going to take me 2.5 hours to get to the mall and pick up a pair of pants I ordered. Do I need anything else there? Because I'm not going back for awhile..." I'm lucky there was no place I had to be during my first few weeks because of my time miscalculations. I just wish the supermarket and a drug store were closer, you know? You have to plan for a two-hour block of time for a round-trip to either of these places. It's especially frustrating when you want to pick up one thing.

However, for other things, Tucson is very walkable. I can easily walk to the downtown bus station, cafes, the library, a yoga studio, and a YMCA. So I will quit complaining. I enjoy walking, honestly - much more than driving a car.

I also have to admit that I was impressed with how accessible the streets were for cyclists when I got here (even better than Madison in my opinion). Maybe I'll spring for a bike in the future.

Bike-friendly street:

But otherwise, these are car people here: