Low Car Diet Challenge: 1 day down, 29 to go
by Marissa Madrigal
Yesterday morning Jeff gave the keynote speech at the 3rd annual ZipCar "Low Car Diet" kick-off in Pioneer Square. Among the 30 or so Portland participants: yours truly and Ms. Karol Collymore, communications expert extraordinaire.
Karol claims that the breezy distance between her place and work combined with her unencumbered "life status" will make her experience simple and un-blog worthy. I disagree and plan to keep you updated on her car-less trials and tribulations, too. She won't be able to resist Target's suburban lure for long. When she decides to cave - which she will - how will she get there? Public Transit? Walking? Zip Car? Oh, the mystery! The Intrigue! But I digress.
Some background on me and my commuting: I live in Central NE Portland about 1/3 of a mile from a bus line and about a mile from the blue and red line MAX. When I first moved to Portland 8 years ago, I lived really close-in; but I always drove anyway because gas was hovering around a buck a gallon. I started walking/busing more when I met my husband who walked everywhere, and even more when I sold my car on a whim.
Then we had a kid - an amazing, lovable kid - but suddenly we were driving everywhere. Then a few wine bars plopped into our neighborhood and we moved further out to find a cheaper, nicer place. The only problem? The available public transportation options = not hot.
Of course, it wasn't me who noticed this because I was still driving all the time. It was my husband who complained bitterly about having to walk soooo far just to get to a bus that may or may not arrive in the next forty minutes. I would nod sympathetically, but inside ... I shrugged. "What's the big deal?" I thought, "it's not THAT far".
Well, my friends, having taken the bus and MAX to work almost every day since gas hit $3 dollars a gallon, I can tell you, it IS that far. It's obviously still "walking distance" because it's doable. What's a mile or two? But it's not a distance you can cover in those cute brown espadrilles you bought for the summer. It requires planning, and on really hot days - a change of clothes.
The good news for me and my prospects on this diet: I think I've got work commuting down. It's easy because I've only got myself to think about. The impromptu trips to the grocery store for snacks or t.p. or whatever will be harder. And trips with the kid will be the toughest. She's a great little urbanite who loves the bus and train, but she's too big for a stroller and not big enough to trek very long distances on foot.
I have a bike, but honestly, it freaks me out to ride it. I once saw a driver open a car door into a bicyclist right in front of me. It was not pretty. So, in honor of my anxiety, I'm going to try, TRY, to do this month on foot, public transit and zip car.
So, here's the report from day one. No hitches. No problem.
Destinations: To work on the Eastside and back, plus two separate trips downtown from The Multnomah Building
Miles walked: 5.6
2 bus rides
2 MAX rides
Cost: $0
Posted on July 22, 2008
Comments
(Note: Comments are the views of their authors, and no one else.)
Posted by: Karol - July 23, 2008 10:44 AM
I will indeed be strapped for some Target action. I think I can make it 30 days, but we'll see. My two miles to and from work isn't bad and added in with my regular workout, I may just lose a few pounds.