Tuesday, December 2, 2008

I take the train to work.

For institutional researchers, you generally have to live and die by federal research grants. Unfortunately, the success rate on receiving those grants is not very good, so funding on-going research can be a crapshoot. Such was my experience, having found out recently that funding for my position in an IUPUI lab was going to lapse at the end of December.

Luckily, I was able to find a new job relatively quickly in a lab at Methodist Hospital. My first day will be next Monday and I'm very excited! I'm also a little melancholy to be leaving my comfy old lab position that I've held for a little over six years. On the bright side, the new position is a great opportunity to expand my skills set and build connections for the future. In a sexy twist, though, it also provides me with the opportunity to say something that not many people in Indianapolis can say:

I take the train to work.

Given that I live on the canal, I can just walk a couple blocks up the canal, get on the People Mover and take it to my new job at Methodist. Or I can hop on my bike and ride some relatively bike-friendly roads, St. Clair St. and Senate Ave., from my apartment to Methodist. Or I could walk there (about a mile). Or -- heaven forbid! -- I could just drive my car. By far, though, the coolest option is walking to the People Mover and riding it to Methodist.

PhotobucketThe Clarian People Mover pulling into the Methodist Hospital Station.

Wish me luck in my new job!

7 comments:

bhorg said...

Driving is for suckers! Good luck!

Alan Maginn said...

With the a sprawling town like Indy, I'm glad to here there's at least some train (monorail? mono-what?) options. In the short-term, I doubt we'll see a lot of state-sponsored transit efforts --- there's not going to be a lot of cash to put into them --- but in the long-term, i bet more and more cities will add transit systems. bhorg is right. cars are for suckers.

WYA! said...

The best of luck at your new job and it is insanely cool that you can take the train there!! We're jealous.

CorrND said...

Oh to live in Brooklyn like Alan! I liked your advice when I asked how to deal with not having a car for the summer: "ummm....build a subway?"

As a public transit entity, the People Mover isn't particularly useful. While it's technically open to the public, it's owned and operated by Clarian Health which owns several hospitals in the area, including IU Hospital and Riley Children's Hospital on the IUPUI campus and a separate one that I'll be working at, Methodist Hospital. The People Mover connects those 3 hospitals and it runs for a grand total of 1.5 miles. There's also a station in the middle (the canal station I'd use) that provides access to 3 new IU and Clarian buildings built in the last 4 years or so.

Again, while it's technically open to the public, Clarian didn't exactly design it for easy public access. None of the three stations are directly accessible from ground level. Instead, you have to get to them from the attached buildings, usually at the second or third floor level.

Most people in Indy call the People Mover a monorail, though technically it's not (you can see that it rides on two concrete rails in the picture).

As for Indy and trains in general, plans are in the works for a commuter rail line to the car dense (and relatively rich) northeastern suburbs. If Obama announces a major infrastructure initiative early next year, Indy's rail plans could potentially get a nice funding infusion.

Tim Briscoe said...

You drive over me every day.

I park in the lot at 11th and Senate and walk under the Clarian train to my office in the Stutz building.

Kevin said...

Ya, that's pretty neat.

Zofeen Khan said...

HELP! My hubby and I are moving to Indy in June and are looking for a palce close to the medical area. My husband will be rotating between hospitals so we thought a place close to the clarian mover would be best. could you help us with some suggestions on apt locations? we'll only have one car which means he will have to take public transportation.

thanks,

zofeen