<p>I am commuting to school this fall, and I am pretty much broke (financially). Driving every day will cost a lot of money (I’d be driving a GMC cargo van about 50 min. each way). I want to take the train, but there are no buses running at the right time for me to get from school to the train on Tues. and Thurs. Mapquest says the station is 2.35 mi. from my school. Would I be able to walk there, or would that be cazy?</p>
<p>How safe is the area?</p>
<p>I’m going to Trinity in Deerfield, IL, and the station is Lake Forest, IL.
Also, aside from safety, would this even be physically possible in a reasonable amount of time?</p>
<p>That’s pretty much Chicago. I would not go there with more than $20 in cash.</p>
<p>Unless it’s a dangerous area, it seems very doable. I used to walk that when I went to grad school in D.C. I probably also walked that when I went to undergrad because my dorms were far away from where my classes were. </p>
<p>Depending on how fast you walk, estimate 12-18 mins. per mile. Great exercise, too. You might avoid the freshman 15.</p>
<p>This sounds like the perfect situation for a bike. Will be a nice 10min ride.</p>
<p>Get a nice hybrid or low-end road bike that doesn’t look too fancy. Spend $300-$400 for new, $100-$200 if used. Make sure it has narrow rims and weighs under 30lb; not those awful “bike imposters” you see from Walmart / Target.</p>
<p>Get two good locks, and lock it properly at the train station overnight. Scope out other places to lock it and switch it around to minimize chances of it getting stolen.</p>
<p>"
Get two good locks, and lock it properly at the train station overnight"</p>
<p>No. Take the bike with you on the train each day. Locking it at the train station overnight would be an invitation to thieves even if you’re using a very secure lock. There also are people who might vandalize it just for “fun.”</p>
<p>Well I’d do the bike thing (NOT locking it overnight), but the Metra only allows bikes on the train past certain hours. So, I don’t think I can take it on in the morning. I’m not so sure about walking wouldn’t I have to be pretty much jogging to get there in about 30min.?
Then it’d be even longer in winter.</p>
<p>Are you sure that the college doesn’t have a bus from the bus station? </p>
<p>BTW, parking can be so bad on some college campuses that it can take 40 mins. to park and walk to class. Virtually all colleges except some community and commuter colleges have parking problems.</p>
<p>OK, super safe suburban area, so no worries on that account. But if my memory is correct, it’s a pretty hefty walk and I’m not sure there are any sidewalks, etc. I would talk with someone at the college about transportation. Surely there are buses or something for students.</p>
<p>There’s a school shuttle service, but, again, doesn’t run when I need transportation. I think I’ll take train/bus but drive the 2 days a week that there’s no right bus time for me. Parking shouldn’t be an issue. I’m going to Trinity International University. It’s so small, I’m sure parking will be fine. Thanks to all for the input :-)</p>
<p>You could also look into carpooling. There might be someone going by that area who wouldn’t mind picking you up or dropping you back off.</p>
<p>Depending on the area’s safety, I would probably have no problem doing it. I guess it depends on your personal tastes, such as whether or not you “like” walking or are capable of doing a relatively long distance daily. I really like walking (calming, gathering thoughts, etc.), so I would say that it should be fine. But what would really make or break it for me is the safety: I would not like waking in an even slightly dangerous place whatsoever.</p>