[nabs-l] Looking for information on transportation in cities around the U.S

Sun Sep 18 23:23:16 UTC 2016

OK sounds good.
I'm always here to help.

Sent from my iPhone Ms. Amanie T Riley
MSED student/TVI in training
B.S. Psychology/Education
914-308-6944

> On Sep 18, 2016, at 7:06 PM, Kaiti Shelton via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> Thank you for the feedback thus far.  I'll try to respond as in order
> as possible to the last few messages.
> 
> I'm afraid Michigan is completely out as there aren't any other
> internship sites that I'm interested in; most are hospice-related and
> there is a school system in Detroit, but it requires significant
> driving from school to school in each day so it would not be feasible.
> 
> As I said in my original message, I am taking a variety of factors
> into consideration from the clientelle served, to the knowledge and
> expertise of the supervisors, to the amount of driving or travel time
> required in a day.  The bottom line is that I could pick an internship
> that is a great fit for me, but I won't be able to take it if I don't
> have a reliable and affordable way of getting there and back to where
> I'm staying, as well as to places like the grocery store or pharmacy I
> will need to travel to on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.  I also simply
> cannot take jobs that require a lot of driving; sometimes MTs or
> interns will drive all over a state to see clients, which for me would
> just take too much time and reliance upon other people's schedules for
> me to have any kind of for sure consistency.  Part of what will make
> or break the fit for me will be my ability to navigate the area, no
> matter how well the internship site fits into the other categories.
> Of course I won't take an internship that won't be such a good fit
> just because the city might have some great transportation, but it is
> something my professors and I need to pay attention to.  AS for
> looking into crime and the decline of some of the cities on the list,
> that's the whole reason why some of those sites are there---to serve
> under-served people in those areas who don't otherwise have access to
> resources provided there.  Many internships either have housing worked
> out for a low cost, or they can help by providing resources to get set
> up with housing nearby.  If I get my top choice, that internship site
> has an agreement with host families who I would pay room and board to,
> I think.  I have thought about seeing what my voc rehab agency might
> be able to help out with in transportation, but I won't have a ton of
> money to be able to hire drivers as much as what a lot of the sites
> would require (For example, that's why I'm not taking the ones that
> contract out through school districts and require interns to travel
> from school to school throughout the day; I'd basically need a driver
> to shuttle me to new places every 45 minutes or so the whole work day
> for most of the time).
> 
> The news about Yonkers is encouraging.  I've also been to Rodchester
> before and unless it has changed in the last few years since I have
> been there, I remember them having a good system in place, too.  I
> might take you up on your offer for more information if I pursue my
> sites in those cities.
> 
>> On 9/18/16, Taylor Arndt via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> The only city that really good in Michigan for transportation is Kalamazoo
>> the zoo or grand rapid
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>> On Sep 18, 2016, at 12:51 PM, Elizabeth Mohnke via NABS-L
>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hello Kaiti,
>>> 
>>> I applaud you for being proactive in your internship placement. However, I
>>> think narrowing down your internship selection based solely on
>>> transportation is a lot like selecting a college or university based
>>> solely on the level of accommodations offered by a disabilities office. I
>>> do not believe either one of these approaches work well as there are
>>> usually a number of different factors that go into these types of
>>> decisions.
>>> 
>>> I noticed some of your selections in your list of possibilities include
>>> places that are known for being places of manufacturing that are now in
>>> decline. As manufacturing jobs decline, the population of these places
>>> decline, and the rates of crime increases. This may be something worth
>>> considering that is just as important as transportation.
>>> 
>>> Also, Chicago might be good in terms of transportation, but it has a high
>>> homicide rate due to gun violence. However, this is not to say that all
>>> parts of Chicago are like this though. But I would imagine that the nicer
>>> parts of the city may also be a lot more expensive than your current way
>>> of living. I think these are also important things to consider for your
>>> internship placement.
>>> 
>>> In terms of providing future opportunities for your career, I would
>>> suggest either Minneapolis or Indianapolis. I have heard a lot about how
>>> these two cities have grown over the past several years in terms of
>>> attracting and retaining young professionals. I do not know anything about
>>> Indianapolis beyond what I have heard about it. However, I know
>>> Minneapolis has a good transportation system provided you can withstand
>>> the frigid cold winters there.
>>> 
>>> In terms of working in a smaller city, especially if it is anywhere in the
>>> Midwest, you would most likely need to give up living in a place that has
>>> good public transportation. I do not know of any small towns or cities
>>> that have much in terms of providing public transportation. However, I do
>>> not see why hiring your own driver would not be an option if you are
>>> interested in working in a smaller city.
>>> 
>>> I have never been to Greenville before as I do not know of a way to get
>>> there using public transportation. However, transportation is not all that
>>> great here in Michigan given the reliance and culture of automotive
>>> manufacturing. I would imagine this would be the same in other places
>>> where automotive manufacturing has been a predominant part of the
>>> culture.
>>> 
>>> While I completely understand the need for reliable and affordable
>>> transportation, I would focus more on what the internship itself has to
>>> offer in terms of providing future possibilities for a career. So I would
>>> say that you should narrow down your internship possibilities down to
>>> where you could picture yourself living and working five years from now.
>>> If you cannot picture yourself working and living there within five years,
>>> then it might not necessarily be the best internship placement for you.
>>> This is the criteria I would use in determining an internship placement
>>> where I have some sort of say in the decision process.
>>> 
>>> Anyway, I hope this helps you in selecting the best place for your
>>> internship. I am confident that regardless of where your internship takes
>>> place that you will make the best of the circumstances, and gain the most
>>> out of your internship.
>>> 
>>> Warm regards,
>>> Elizabeth
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: NABS-L [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kaiti Shelton
>>> via NABS-L
>>> Sent: Saturday, September 17, 2016 10:47 PM
>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>> Cc: Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com>
>>> Subject: [nabs-l] Looking for information on transportation in cities
>>> around the U.S
>>> 
>>> Hi all,
>>> 
>>> I'm beginning to delve into the pre-application process for my required
>>> post-graduation internship, and I could end up anywhere around the
>>> country.  My professors thankfully are conscious of my needs and have
>>> remarked a few months ago before I even said something, "We'll have to get
>>> you something with a bus line."
>>> 
>>> Naturally, a ton of factors are going into my decision-making process.
>>> I know I want to work with children and adolescents and the types of
>>> settings I would be interested in working in.  I am also considering who
>>> the supervisor is and what their background is, the theoretical
>>> orientation of the facility (humanistic or behavioral for example), and if
>>> they have a stipent or housing available.  However, transportation will
>>> play a major role in my decision as well as I will need a way to get to
>>> work and to places like the store from wherever I end up living.
>>> Unfortunately this means some really good sites might need to be cut from
>>> my list simply because they're in rural areas or request students with
>>> cars who can drive to multiple locations for sessions during a given day,
>>> but such is life.
>>> 
>>> I'm wondering if anyone else has been in this position and has found a way
>>> to research what public transportation options are available in various
>>> cities and states.  I do have paratransit where I go to school now, but as
>>> the internship is 6 months there I might also need to look into gaining
>>> long-term access to those services if they are offered.
>>> Naturally, I'm leaning more towards cities that are larger and that I know
>>> have well-established public transportation systems like Chicago and
>>> Minneapolis-St. Paul, but I'd like to find more information to see if the
>>> ones I'm looking at in smaller towns are also doable.  Any strategies or
>>> web sites with information would be helpful.
>>> 
>>> In case anyone has experience with transportation in the areas I'm
>>> checking out at least for now, here is my list of possible locales.  I
>>> still have yet to meet with my professors and get their views on where I
>>> should go so the list will dwindle for sure, but I'm trying to be as
>>> proactive as possible.
>>> Illinois:
>>> Oaklawn, Park Ridge, Chicago (I'm assuming downtown based on the
>>> information I have), Lisle, Countryside, Evanston.
>>> Texas:
>>> Dallas.
>>> Ohio:
>>> Cincinnati (don't need info on that one as that's my hometown).
>>> Columbus, Cleveland.
>>> Michigan:
>>> Greenville.
>>> Indiana:
>>> Indianapolis, Fishers.
>>> Minnesota:
>>> Minneapolis.
>>> Iowa:
>>> Dubuque.
>>> New York:
>>> Yonkers, Rodchester, Harris.
>>> New Jersey:
>>> Peapack.
>>> Tennessee:
>>> Jackson.
>>> 
>>> --
>>> Kaiti Shelton
>>> 
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> 
> -- 
> Kaiti Shelton
> 
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