After living in Los Angeles for the past three and a half years and barely surviving the ridiculousness that is the daily commute I'm happy to be back in a town that offers other options to the crushing defeat of traffic on the 405, 5 or really another major highway in LA. While I 25 has its disadvantages once in a while, it's nothing compared to LA.

One thing I took into account while searching for an apartment in the Denver area was to find a place close to a public transportation hub so I could take the bus to work at Denver International Airport (DIA). I was happy to find a place just 10 blocks from one of the main stops for what is called the Sky Ride, routes that directly service DIA. While many people in LA rarely consider public transportation an option because it takes too long to get most places, especially the airport, Denver seems to provide better options to do a bus commute. Passes through RTD- Denver can seem a little pricey, many companies off-set the price of a monthly bus pass. I much prefer to buy a pass that I can use just to get around town in addition to going to work rather than drive every where like I had to in LA. Most of the time there was just no other option but to drive because taking public transportation usually involved about five different routes and about three hours, depending on where you needed to get to. But instead of just buying a pass thru RTD, I was directed by a co worker to another way of getting passes-- Craigslist and similar sites. I have never had a problem finding a bus pass for much less than what the RTD website is offering.

While some day the light rail system is supposed to connect to the airport, but for now it is just the bus. Bussing it still offers a nice commute and the possibility of napping or getting some reading done on the way to and from work.

The light rail is great for getting into the heart of Denver, Lodo and several main attractions such as Mile High Stadium II (also referred to by its technical name of Invesco Field at Mile High, though no true Denver Bronco fan will ever refer to it as such), the Pepsi Center (home of the Avalanche hockey team and Denver Nuggets basketball and many concerts), as well as dropping off passengers within walking distance of Coors Field where the Rockies make their home. Across the parking lot from Pepsi Center is Elich Gardens, which has entertained visitors with excellent roller coasters and now a water park as well. The 16th St Mall is also easily accessible from the light rail.

The multitude of bike trails that link up with public transit sites are also convenient. Recreational biking is also very enjoyable with many interlinking trails all over the city of Denver and the surrounding cities.

If you have a commitment to helping the environment, or if you just can't stand driving everywhere (and I'm a combination of both) public transportation is possible. And though Denver's RTD is not the best in the world or even the nation, it is a drastic improvement over the mess that is LA.

Check out schedules and other info at www.RTD-denver.com