The last month I’ve been temping in Boston. To get there I’ve been taking the bus from Concord. In order to get there by 9a I have to take the 6a bus. Usually I get to Boston about an hour before my shift starts. Why am I taking such an early bus? The traffic.
You see, just because I’m commuting greenly, the bus still has to contend with Boston’s early commute. And it sucks. I’ve tried taking the 7a bus but I didn’t get into the office until 10a on two different occasions. Because I like getting a paycheck I can’t be an hour late.
Regardless of the time I’m on the bus, as it sits in traffic I increasingly see hybrid cars on the road. While I think it’s great people are buying cars that use less gas I do find it a little troubling for a couple reasons. First, while the cars may be good on gas it still takes a lot of resources to build a new car and a lot of money to buy a new car. Second, just because someone buy a hybrid doesn’t mean the traffic is easing. Rather, the gridlock is still the same because a gas guzzling car is replaced by a hybrid.
To me the solution is simple: get more people on public transportation. But what will it take to do so? Well, first, in the Northeast at least, a better system of public transportation needs to be created and the existing needs to be expanded. I wrote about this on The Greenists last month. To repeat myself, I believe expanding the existing lines and upgrading/rebuilding dilapidated lines will create jobs and ease transportation burdens. Getting cars off the road — gas or hybrid — will make commuting much easier for those who have long commutes and will cut down on carbon emissions, etc.
This nation was created by trains. Why not go back to a proven method of transportation? Making the rails more environmentally friendly is a challenge many will enjoy.
I used to love it when I lived in Burlington, VT… I took the bus everywhere. For several years I dd not even own a car! There’s something to be said for the independance that a car gives you, but I would definitely take the bus or commuter rail to work every day if there was one available.
That would require that we break the personal transportation monopoly–which I’m certainly in favor of. But the auto industry is directly responsible for causing much of the intra- and inter-city rail system to be destroyed, abandoned, paved over, etc. They won’t give up easily.
You’re right they won’t give up easily. But I think it’s worth the discussion, even if we have to have it over and over.
My mother attended the University of Georgia in the 1940s. She used to be able to ride the train from Athens to Atlanta, and then ride trolley cars all over town. Currently the public transportation system in Atlanta pretty much sucks. There’s talk of bringing back both the rail line between those cities and a street car system; the latter is in progress, while the former is still just talk as far as I know. But these are decisions made on the local political level, therefore ones that we can have some influence on. Find out what is going on with public transportation on the county, city, and state level, and let people know you support it.
I’m another one in the camp of taking public transport to my job. It’s an odd tradeoff. I get 1-2 miles of walking every day I take the bus both ways, but the ride itself is about five minutes. Which is also why I opt not to drive; the car would barely be warm by the time I park.
We definitely need a major overhaul of public transport. It’s ridiculous here in the Northeast. And taking forever for MTA to update/upgrade the Metro North cars to/from NYC.
When I worked downtown here in Chicago, I took the “L (elevated/subway) train”. I walked about six blocks to get to it, and after I got off, I walked another 1-1/2 blocks to the office. The total trip took me about a half hour to travel five miles, which during rush hour, would be the same with finding parking, but at about $20 less per day.
Instead of fighting traffic and paying out the nose to park (some people have deeded parking spaces!), I wrote in my journal. Now I admit, to get a coveted seat instead of standing, I would ride the train going the opposite direction a couple stops. But I did that so I could write.
So many people I know do not own a car in the city, because they have similar commutes, even third shifters. Out in the sticks though, you need a car just to get basic stuff like milk and cough syrup. And in the suburbs, you still need a car if you’re said third shifter, as they roll up the sidewalks early and cut back the little bit of public trans they do provide.
What I think folks need to push further, in conjunction with more public trans availability, is more *genuine* telecommuting positions. If more companies allowed their employees to work from home, even just a day or two a week, that too would significantly scale back the gridlock and pollution, and it would lessen the burden on the public trans systems.
It seems to me the way to entice more companies to do that would be to offer a tax break of some kind while mentioning how much it will save employers in the long run:
- loss of productivity (due to tardiness or [feigned] illness)
- less use of supplies and utilities
- raises morale
- brownie points to promote for being a green company (some companies care strictly about themselves)
Just me 2c
We do need commuter rail systems – 120% agreement. However, it isn’t as simple as it appears. With a corporate government that pays car companies for failure, and the enormous city/State revenues generated by car ownership, parking and use – it’s an uphill climb.
I’m also of the mind that many downtown areas should be closed to vehicle traffic, and running trolleys (again) would be a great alternative instead.