Hybrids Make Your Wallet Happy

I just got an email from Zipcar, announcing that their hybrid Zipcars will be offered at a lower price ($7-$8/hr.) compared to their regular cars ($9-$10/hr.) :) That's nice to know, plus it's more kind to the environment. So I'll keep it mind when I have to rent a Zipcar in the future. Hopefully the hybrid cars will continue to stay at a lower hourly fee - it would definitely encourage Zipsters to choose a hybrid.

This Friday is the annual Bike to Work Day. :) People wonder why I get excited about this event. They say, "But EVERY DAY is Bike to Work Day for you!" That's kind of true - however, it's not everyday that there are pitstops set up with coffee/donuts/bananas, vendor booths (Zipcar is always represented there!), raffle prizes given away, etc. So I like to stop by, see some of my bike commuter friends, check out the booths, pick up various brochures and talk to people, see bikers coming and going - it's quite the festive atmosphere - especially when the weather is favorable. :) Good weather is helpful to encourage new bike commuters to give it a try.

Go Amtrak!

Well, isn't it interesting that the day before I get ready to hop on Amtrak to go up to visit my brother and sister in Baltimore, that President Obama has unveiled his vision for high-speed rail in the U.S.! I think it's great that there is this vision, and I hope it won't take too long to become reality. When I told my brother I'd be taking Amtrak up to visit him for the weekend, I think he thought that's just silly. He offered to drive the hour down, and pick me up and bring me up to Baltimore, and then I could take Amtrak back home. Now to me, THAT'S silly - it's a waste of time and gas (even though he has an economical car). For me, taking Amtrak is HALF the price of getting a Zipcar (a day's use is about $80). Yes, when you consider $40 to get up and back to Baltimore, it DOES seem kind of expensive. BUT, when you add up my yearly total transportation costs, it's inexpensive. I have been keeping track, and so far this year, I have probably only spent about $100 for transportation costs. I bet my brother has spent more than that for gas and other maintenance for his car since January 1.

I will get in a nice bike ride on my Bike Friday Tikit to Union Station in D.C., and the travel time up to Baltimore is about 45 min. Not bad at all. Plus, I get to spend two full days with my brother and sister, vs. just one day (when I get a Zipcar). I'll get some good reading done along the way, vs. dealing with any traffic. Plus, I haven't actually been in Baltimore's Penn Station, so that'll be a new experience. I was reading online that the station is the 8th busiest station in the U.S.

I'll look forward to the future of high speed rail, which, according to an illustrated map (www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/rrdev/hsrmap.pdf), will cover a lot of the East coast! Lucky for me! :)

I'm NOT Lovin' It!

McDonald's current motto is "I'm Lovin' It"...meaning, I guess, that people love their food. I don't eat there often, but it does hit the spot from time to time. Anyway, I was riding the Metro subway yesterday to work, due to the 3 inches of snow we got. There are various ads on the subway car, and McDonald's had one - - showing a tall bubbly cup of Coke and a juicy hamburger next to it. Yum...!

Metro has a VERY strict rule of NO food or drink. It helps to keep the system clear of trash, rats, bugs, etc. Once in a while though, and I don't know if they are tourists, but people come on the subway cars with their drinks and/or food (usually on a weekend). I'm not sure how they get by the Metro officials when going through the fare gates... In the past, people have been arrested and/or fined by even consuming food as they go down the escalators into the subways.

Anyone who knows me, knows that images or commercials about food REALLY get my senses going, and I can't look at or listen to food commercial ads. I'm definitely not one of those people who can watch a cooking show! So there I am on the subway, and my eyes are fixed on this McDonald's ad....my mouth is watering....what torture! :) Cruel and unusual punishment. :) Why would Metro put an ad like that up, when they don't allow food on the train?! Seems a little contradictory.

Nevertheless, I AM happy to have the subway available to get to work in inclement weather. It always is running, though once in a while, when we get A LOT of snow, they can't service the above-ground stations. But that only lasts a little while, til they can get the snow off the tracks. The Metro is more reliable than a bus line at least!

Easy Parking

My roommate is leaving town this afternoon for a long weekend, and she's parked her car at the airport nearby. After I get off work, I'll ride to the airport to find the car and put my Tikit in the back of it to drive home, so there won't be unnecessary parking costs over the weekend. Come Monday morning, I'll drive it back to the airport garage and leave for my friend to get when she gets off the plane. She said I can use her car over the weekend, if I want or need it. This is a nice offer, and I thought of various places I could go, and shopping/errands to take care of.

I could go to the PetSmart to buy a heavy, large bag of cat litter; go to Nordstroms at the Mall, and see about getting a new pair of shoes; go to the lamp store and get a certain replacement light bulbs...

But as I considered the process of getting these things, I had second thoughts. For the cat litter, instead, I could just hook up the Bike Friday trailer suitcase, and put the cat litter in there to bring it home. As for the shoes at the Mall, when I'm on my bike, I usually just pull up and lock my bike right near the door of the store, and be in and out very quickly. With a car, you have to park in the garage, which is located on the OTHER side of the mall, walk a long way around to get to the store, and, of course, PAY to park the car. It seemed foreign and odd to me to have to PAY to park, since I'm so used to biking places and parking for free.

Plus, I thought, I'd be missing out on getting some exercise and fresh air while taking care of these errands and more....

You know what? I think I'll just ride my bike - it's more fun and easier! :)

New Administration - Less Cars?

As mentioned in my Bicycling to Work blog - I biked into D.C. on Inauguration Day - it was the best and easist way to get to and fro! :) People who tried to drive in the area were met with many closed highways, roads, bridges, etc. On the other hand, thousands of people biked into DC for the Inauguration, which is great! There were two free bike valets set up by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, and about 2,000 bikers took advantage of that option. Many others, like myself, just locked up our bikes to posts, etc. nearby, and then walked to the festivities on the Mall. Perhaps some of the people who gave biking a chance that day, will continue to use the bike in getting to and from work, or running errands locally. That'd be great, and in fact, is mentioned on the "Urban Policy" page of The White House's website:

Build More Livable and Sustainable Communities:
Our communities will better serve all of their residents if we are able to leave our cars to walk, bicycle and access other transportation alternatives. President Obama will re-evaluate the transportation funding process to ensure that smart growth considerations are taken into account.

Hopefully the new Administration will help to bring about this change, and help to change people's thinking as to how they get around town! We'd all be better off!

Car is King in CA

This past Thanksgiving week, I was out in southern California, to enjoy some warmth, blue skies and sunshine. :) Melinda and I stayed with her friend Nancy, who lives in Laguna Niguel. Thanksgiving was to be spent at their in-laws house in Apple Valley - about 100 miles northwest, a couple of hours drive.

Except on Thanksgiving Day....when EVERYONE in CA gets in their car to drive somewhere for the turkey meal. It took us FOUR HOURS! Ugh. You should have seen the massive traffic jams! I was thinking it would have been much more enjoyable to bike that 100 miles than sit in this traffic. If it hadn't been 100 miles, I would have tried it. :) Fortunately, the ride home was the normal 2 hours, thank God!

I had suggested to various friends while we were visiting, that they could give biking a try in their area. They would save a lot of money (even though gas prices have come down to about $1.89 a gallon), get exercise, and get to know their own neighborhood. You'd be surprised how many businesses are located within an easy biking distance. And you'd have FUN along the way. They could bike to run errands, to stores and restaurants they needed to get to, instead of always hopping in the car. Yes, it takes longer, but you get the exercise and fresh air, that you don't have TIME for otherwise! But everyone's kind of "married" to their car, and they don't think of anything else as an alternative.

I had brought my folding bike, the Bike Friday, with me, to get in some rides. Nancy and Melinda had a conference to attend in San Diego the following week. San Diego is located about 70-80 miles south of Laguna Niguel. I had brought along the Adventure Cycling Association's maps of the coast, and decided I would bike down to San Diego to meet them at the hotel. Nancy couldn't believe I would actually WANT to bike all that way - why bother, when you could get there in a car in just an hour and a half?

Well, there are MANY reasons to bike somewhere - whether it's near or far. Number one, as mentioned above, it's much more enjoyable. You're not just stuck in a car seat, looking at cars all around you. Instead, you feel the breeze, soak in the sun, meet the people along the way, stop and take pictures of funny signs or scenic spots. You work up an appetite and food always tastes better! You EXPERIENCE your surroundings instead of passing by and through them. It's like the difference between watching a movie, vs. actually being IN the movie. :)

I had a GREAT ride down the coast. Yes, it took all day, but you're so INTO your surroundings, time flies. You certainly don't feel that way in a CAR!!

First Year Anniversary

This month will mark my first year of living without a car. :) Hard to believe it's been a year already! Here are a few of my thoughts about being car-free:

1. I have come to enjoy and appreciate the slower pace, both in bicycling places, and using public transportation. I have done a good bit of reading in my public transit time, something I haven't had time for before. You'd think it wouldn't be possible for me to say I enjoy biking EVEN MORE than I have - but I do. I enjoy seeing the sights around me and exploring new areas. Cars zoom past me on the road...yes, they beat me to a destination, but I have more fun getting there. :) I also enjoy getting even more exercise than I did before. I appreciate the simplicity, ease and use of the bicycle.

2. I have saved about $2K in my savings account, which I add to each month. It's been neat to see the account grow, and I haven't withdrawn any of it. Someone mentioned that I could use the money to pay for any bicycling repairs or expenses I have. I suppose I could do that, if I didn't have the resources otherwise. I suppose I also could add more to the monthly amount that I deposit, but I was keeping it at the amount that equaled how much I had been spending in gas and insurance for my car.

3. I've explored getting around by bus, train, subway, plane, etc. Though sometimes it's been a little frustrating or slow to take public transportation, for the most part, I've managed alright and I've worked around some obstacles. I have made the adjustment in my mind of how long it will take to get to my destination. It's been neat to meet people in my travels who start up a conversation with me when they see me with my bike. It's been fun to share with them that I don't have a car and how I've managed to get around. Some people look at me with disbelief, and state they couldn't possibly live without a car. Others have told me they have enjoyed biking in the past and have been thinking about taking it up again. I tell them how great this area is with the bike paths, transportation, etc. and I encourage them to try it again.

4. The hourly/daily rates of renting a Zipcar has risen the past year. It'd be nice if it hadn't, but inflation has hit everywhere, so I'm not too surprised. When I had donated my car, Zipcar opened my account with $500 in driving credit, which is valid for a year. I remember talking with a co-worker about that credit, and told her that I BET I could make that $500 last all year long. Through the year, I have rented Zipcars as needed/wanted (8 times). I used the last free Zipcar rental recently, so now I'll be the one paying the hourly fee. Even though I like having Zipcar as an option, I probably can get along without it even less.

5. Thanks, Melinda! Lastly, (but not least!) I thank and appreciate my friend and roommate, Melinda, for rides to/from the airport, train depot, Zipcar locations. I have tried to schedule my returns to not be late at night, so it will allow me time to then bike home. Sometimes though, when I have finished a trip to other areas, I have been delayed along the way (unexpected transportation delays). So, even though I have TRIED to be back in town early, I get thwarted. It would be even later, if I were to try and bike home. Yawn... Melinda has been kind and gracious to come to my aid. We sometimes catch a meal together when we meet up, and I pay for her's in appreciation. Also, if I am with her when she happens to fill up her gas tank, I help out towards that. I also have helped her out a few times where I pick up items or run errands for her on my way biking home - which saves her a trip out, and she appreciates that. So, we help one another out. :)