Brandon Commuters
October 3rd, 2007 by 
jtatefinn
On the mornings I drive into Brandon on Rice/Holly before 8 a.m., it’s obvious: there are a ton of Brandonites heading toward Sioux Falls. Maybe for work. Maybe for school. Who knows? Point is, there are a lot of you with things to do in places other than Brandon.
This intrigues me and I am currently researching this commuting issue for an Argus Leader/BrandonInfo article. Do you know anyone who commutes from Brandon to Place X (Sioux Falls, Madison, Vermillion) for whatever reason on a consistent basis? Would they be willing to share some of their experiences with me (why they commute, the pros, the cons, etc.)? If so, have them gimme a call (331-2320) or an email (jtatefinn@argusleader.com) - I’d love to talk with them and I’m certain their perspective would add much to the story’s foundation.
That brings me to another, more bloggy, question: Is Brandon just a bedroom to Sioux Falls? I know it’s a self-sustaining community, but, really, the parade of SUVs, sedans and minivans traveling from East to West everyday gets me wondering…
Posted in Uncategorized | 
October 4th, 2007 at 6:50 am
I travel to SF from Brandon for work. I like the fact that Brandon is a “Bedroom Community”. It’s not a bad thing. If I wanted what SF has, I’d live there. I believe that’s why most people live here. The streets are quite at night, low crime rate, friendly people. If we try to have all the things SF has that will change and a person might as well live in SF closer to work.
October 4th, 2007 at 8:06 am
Alicia,
I have a contact that might make a good candidate for you. I will call them to see if they would be willing to visit with you. They own a home in Brandon and travel 60+ miles everyday.
October 4th, 2007 at 9:44 am
Todd,
Thanks for the lead. I feel bad for your friend’s gas bill if they put on that kind of mileage.
Alica (please note spelling)
October 4th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
I am sorry!!!!!! I did try to figure out how to correctly spell your name but I chose the your example. Sorry!!
Tood
October 4th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
2nd your = wrong in # 3
October 4th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Both of my grandmothers are named Alice. So my name is spelled similarly to theirs, but with an “a” at the end instead of an “e”. Five letters.
October 4th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
I live just north of S.F. off of Cliff Ave. but drive to Brandon every morning for daycare and then back to S.F. for work on the north end of town. We would like to move to Brandon, but the houses are a little too pricy right now. I agree that the traffic on Rice is just crazy, but thank goodness the intersection near Casey’s is nearing completion! By the way, I only drive all that way for daycare because my mother-in-law has an in-home daycare. Thank God for Grandma!!!
October 4th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
Brandon needs more high paying jobs to be truly self-sustaining. Those jobs usually come from larger employers. We have the grocery, the fast foods, the bars, the churches - all things that keep a city from dying. We lack the entertainment and higher paying jobs that make a town alive. That said, I suspect most of the people that have moved to Brandon have done so because of the schools and because they like the small town atmosphere. They are probably happy with a bedroom community. I work at Citi in Sioux Falls and my commute is less than most of the people I work with that live in Sioux Falls.
October 5th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Alica,
My idea for your story has moved from Brandon. Sorry.
I will keep thinking.
October 5th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
I moved to Brandon 7 years ago from Sioux City for a job outside Sioux Falls. I picked Brandon due to the smaller size and very good school district. I now drive into Sioux Falls to work and the commute seems really fast. It’s not far at all. I wish we had a bigger and cheaper grocery store and a chinese place. But I’m really happy and still glad I picked Brandon to live in.
October 6th, 2007 at 8:14 am
Brandon has always been a bedroom community of Sioux Falls. When I was growing up there were many who worked at Morrells and lived in Brandon. These days there is more traffic because Brandon is larger.
October 9th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
I agree with #8. PRO-BEDROOM. I also commute to Sioux Falls (Russell Street) so my drive time is sometimes less than someone who lives on the other side of SxF. Daycare is in Brandon, and I chose to commute because of the schools, and also the HUGE differences in city councils, and school boards. Brandon truly has a city council/school board dedicated to the betterment of the city, and not personal gain. It is nice having the “bigger” things close by, but not in your back yard.
October 11th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Are there any plans to install a left turn light at Holly and Sioux Blvd? Cars going north on Sioux Blvd line up to turn left onto Holly / Rice to goto Sioux Falls. A green left turn light would go along way toward reducing traffic congestion.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:51 am
After living most of my life in a large metropolitan area, and having a 45-60 minute commute to work each day, I can honestly say that the 20 or so minutes it takes to get into Sioux Falls is a breeze. And, with the exception of an occasional wayward deer or icy roads (or both), we have so much to be thankful for in living in a area like this.
Thank God for places like South Dakota.