Odragon - The reason I blame the state is simple - municipalities exist at the discretion of the state (both counties and cities). This issue was adressed at length in these two posts.

http://phillyblog.com/forum/viewtopi...ghlight=#59519

http://phillyblog.com/forum/viewtopi...ghlight=#59517

The state of Pennsylvania lacks central planning for its development. This works against the state. There is urban sprawl and "losangelization." The development weakens the core city and causes all sorts of problems as open land is consumed by development.

Rather than coordinating and controlling development, the state lets it run amok.

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Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian. - Robert Orben

Hmmm... After reading all that maybe I'll agree that it's half the state's fault but I really believe the city has to take some responsibility. It's like with Septa, the city blames the state for not enough funds. Why can't the city take responsibility that it's not auditing it's section enough, over paying it's people, letting unions dictate how things get done, etc.

to get back to the actual subject of this thread......

i commute to bucks county...i like my job...would LOVE it if it were downtown and i could walk/bike/mt. unfortunately, i just didn't find a job in the city (trust me, i tried!).

as for people who work in the burbs taking mass transit from the city: i challenge you to find an office in the suburban sprawl that is actually within walking distance from a train station. GOOD LUCK! i'd gladly take the train if it wouldn't mean someone from my office driving 10-15 minutes out of their way to come pick me up every morning and drop me off every evening.

on the other hand, if anyone is looking for a corporate trainer or training manager downtown, i'll happily apply for the position!

I'm not certain how anyone can blame someone who lives in the city but works in the suburbs for using personal transportation rather than mass transit.

Having spent a year (man, it felt like two or three) out there, there are really few links from the transit stations (bus or train) to the industrial parks and campus that dot the suburban landscape.

It would make sense for the developers to provide shuttle service - sort of like apartment buildings do . . . or it could be done by one or more employers in a park or campus. The state or feds could provide some sort of tax support for such pro-environment efforts. Also, it seems to me that by providing such a service, a firm would open itself up to a wider mix and probably better range of candidate for jobs.

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

i think that's a great idea! i would love to be able to relax on a train at least a few days a week...i would take full advantage if there was a shuttle from the train to my office.

i might have to start working on that one around here...

Well it just goes to show that the Circa Center, despite the fact that it is a prime example of the nasty inside deals, tax breaks for the politically connected, etc. etc is nonetheless a remarkable example of common sense. Where is the best place to build office buildings in the era of global warming and diminishing fossil fuel resources? As close as possible to Mass trans hubs so its easy for your workforce to get to work stupid.

Yes the city-with its long tradition of pay-to-play and a one-party system (even if the current one-partis the one that I tend to agree with most often on the national scale) is partially to blame, but it is also a result of an almost astounding anti-city bias in the region that I think is unique to greater Philly and its whole self-defeating trip. As someone who moved to West Philly from San Francisco, just to be able to buy a house in great urban neighborhood where I actually wanted to live I continue to be amazed by people who think I from Mars. Looking for work when I first came to town, I was amazed at the number of times the interviewer posed the "So what made you decide to move back to Philly?" question even though the resume in their hand clearly indicated I was in fact that most rare of all things, a white anglo fourth generation native Californian. Its like the concept of moving to the city of Philadelphia from someplace else just completely did not register with the owner's and VP's hiring for my somewhat technical field of employ.

I also love after talking about how much the value of my Univ. City Victorian twin has gone up since I bought it - I love the almost universal response from my suburban coworkers about how thats great because I can sell and buy an ugly new house like theirs somewhere on the Route 202 corridor. Greater Philly's image of itself and the city is just screwy and does not reflect the reality of the city or even compare to other major metropolitan areas. Its really quite strange.
Sean

I shudder when i think that there are people who take the train to DC and NYC every day for work.

and the people who drive to trenton, Harrisburg and Newark ...

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Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian. - Robert Orben