The assignment was to make a list of all the places we were going today and how we usually get there, and then to think about which alternatives could be used instead.
The first part was easy. We had two destinations today: our CSA during the day, and a rehearsal in the evening. Then, things got ticklish... Our CSA used to be on a bus route. That portion of the route was discontinued a while ago because of budget cuts.
However, I probably wouldn't have used the bus for today's CSA outing, regardless. The seven miles took two busses and about an hour to traverse. We would either have had to leave the house very early, or not arrived at the farm until mid-morning. Then, on the trip home, the arrival time of the first bus would have been uncertain. The stop closest to the CSA was towards the end of the route, and you never knew whether the bus would be early or late getting there. That meant needing to leave a huge window of time at the stop, just in case. That was all doable for an adult with reading material at the ready. When that adult has two children in tow, whose tolerance for unpredictable bus schedules is fairly low after putting in a few hours of volunteer time, the wait time by the side of the road, and the long travel timerelative to the distance made the bus a lot less attractive.
Similarly, public transportation was not an option for our evening rehearsal. There are simply no stops within reasonable walking distance. So, into the car it is on Tuesday nights. However, we do have a +1 for the trip, because we pick up another participant along the way, and carpool for the last few miles there and back.
My regular commute, on the other hand, is all by foot and public transportation! On days when there's not a long connection time between travel segments, my time needed is comparable to driving by car. Among the benefits: I can read during my trip; I don't need to spend any time searching for a parking space; and the bus driver shoulders the stress of rush-hour driving, not me.
On tap for tomorrow: food!
Posts
12-3-20
3 years ago
Good for you that you commute on foot or with public transportation! When we can, we do the same. My husband has even ridden his bike to work when he was subbing at schools within a few miles of our house. Thank you for being an excellent role model for all of us.
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