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People moving from Scarborough condos to suburban homes outside of Springfield,
Missouri could be forgiven for being a little nervous about getting around in
a brand new city. Busy cities are a nightmare to drive in if you're new
to the area: there always seems to be construction in all the most inconvenient
places and the road signs never seem eager to display information on your desired
destination. Public transit sometimes isn't much better unless you can
track down a detailed schedule and unravel the colored spaghetti noodle mess
of a map. To help you directionally challenged persons get a feel for the area,
we've compiled this overview on transportation in Springfield, Missouri.
Road
The preferred mode of transportation in most of the United States (with the
exception of some of the more enormous cities) is by car and this generalization
applies to Springfield, MO as well. Auto dealer supply stores do brusque businesses
selling new and used personal vehicles to Springfield families who don't
want to be confined to bus routes and schedules. Granted, when you're
driving yourself it means you have to find someplace to park, but this is generally
only a problem in the downtown area during the working weekday. Most other places
in Springfield have large paved lots, precisely because so many people own their
own cars.
Driving around the city proper shouldn't pose too many problems for the
average motorist, since the downtown area follows the traditional grid layout,
making it easy to navigate. If you're planning on driving west to visit
relatives living in Arlington, TX homes however, you'll need to make
yourself acquainted with the highways. There is one interstate highway, number
44, which connects the city to St. Louis and Tulsa. There are also a number
of state highways: U.S. Route 13 north goes to Kansas City while Routes 60,
65, and 160 all pass through Salt Lake. The old scenic route 66 also has preserved
historic sections in the city but isn't much use for actual travel.
Bus and Rail
Due to the aforementioned reliance on personal vehicles, Springfield's
public transit isn't as wide-ranging as what you would find in New York
or Toronto. However, most neighborhoods within the city limits have at least
one stop on one of City Utility's bus routes. The bio diesel buses provide
not only transit but also opportunities for local businesses to decorate with
words on the side to advertise. There is no light rail to connect suburbs to
the city or indeed any passenger rail capacity at all, only freight. However,
intercity transport is offered by private companies like Greyhound bus.
Air
Air service out of Springfield is provided by six regional airlines through
Springfield-Branson National Airport, primarily to destinations in the Midwest.
This airport doesn't have international service (you have to go to Kansas
City for that or connect with a larger plane during a stopover in Chicago, Denver,
or Atlanta) but does serve charters. Due to the region's wild weather,
high temperature blankets are occasionally used to de-ice the planes in the
wintertime before departure.
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