Not So Fast Mr. Car Driver

Okay, admit it. How many of you have driven past a commuter bus thinking, “No way. That’ll never be me.” As the bus passes you inevitably see a sour, stressed look on a passenger’s face or better yet, a passed out passenger with their face plastered against the glass window. Well, I’m here to tell you, “It ain’t that bad!”

As a full-time working mother of two, my time is very precious. Every day is like a race with the clock; squeezing every last minute  out of my day to maximize time with my kids and time for my career. Until last week, I had never taken public transportation to work. Never even tried it or thought about it. I always felt that it was faster and easier to drive and I couldn’t possibly go a whole work day without access to my own car. And it’s not that I don’t know that driving a car adds to harmful emissions, I just felt I was doing my part for the environment in other ways –- I recycle like a champ, I use CFLs wherever possible, and I have a career as an environmental professional.

Since taking a job with Arlington County Government last month however, I’ve been hearing more and more about how progressive the county is in terms of smart growth and environmental sustainability.  I have even come to know the phrase “transit-oriented development” quite well. And not long after I start work, the county launches the Car-Free Diet and everyone is so jazzed about it.

So, I decide, I’ll give this public transit thing a try. It could save me money and buy me some time after all. Because of the long distance I have to travel (over 50 miles round-trip), and the fact that I do not live anywhere close to a Metrorail station, my route would involve driving to a Metrobus stop, riding a bus to the closest Metrorail station, and then hopping onto the Metrorail.

After doing the routine, I found that the trip was actually quite nice and the time was nearly the same as driving. The buses were prompt on both ends of the commute as were the trains. I was able to give my car a rest and I saved nearly $7 in that one day alone. I was also able to more effectively utilize my commuting time for reading and catching up on emails and my to-do list. Environmentally, I prevented emissions too. Not too bad for one day!

So, if you haven’t given public transit a try, why not do so now? You’ll only be doing your wallet and our environment a favor.

Sarah E. O'Connell, Energy Outreach Coordinator, Fresh AIRE

Comments

[Fritz]

It's a 2 minute bike ride from my front door to the bus stop, where an express bus whisks me 25 miles (with no stops) straight to my train station. If I don't sleep in the morning I spend the time reading the paper, reading my email, or reading a book. In the evenings I'm often in conversation with one of the other passengers. Getting chauffeured like this beats driving any day of the week.