Geonz, I love that!

I've just started commuting myself. A 22 mi one-way trip biking with still a half hour or so 30 mile drive. I posted in another commuter thread earlier. I have a 104 mi/day roundtrip to work. I saved 88 miles of driving this week. I see several commuters on the road, but I am probably new to them as I've just started.

Unfortunately there are no buses and trains where I am. The nearest commuter train is still a 25 minute drive and it wouldn't take me northwest to Lowell where I work, but due east into Boston.

I know many people I talk to are very conscious on saving trips, thinking twice about that trip to the store until they can bundle it up with other errands nearby. I think it really is on the forefront of people's minds. Although these people I know wouldn't get groceries with a bike.

My nearest really good has everything grocery store is about 14 miles in either direction. There is one closer convenience store for emergencies that is about 6 miles although there is a 3 mile hill between me and it on the way back. If I wanted yogurt or anything good like that I'd have to go the 14. I make a lot of things from scratch just to save me a trip to the store.

Since I still am driving for my commute to work I always stop to get groceries on the way home. But I am going to refurbish my old mt bike and make it into a commuter of sorts. It has a broken sun-tour derailler, now obsolete (now you know how old it is - front suspension, what is that). A friend actually sold me an entire xtr used gruppo for $60 so I'll overhaul with that. I have an old rack with panniers from the early 90's which are still in excellent condition.

Right now there are quite a few existing rail trails throughout the state here in MA. Some link to each other, some link to those in NH. The longer ones seem to go north-south. There are a few proposed rail trails. My company is bidding to do the environmental permitting on a 26-miler that goes from Danvers through Newburyport past Salisbury Beach up to the MA-NH line. I would be jealous over that one. There is also one that is proposed in Townsend. Unfortunately here in MA, several abutters are contesting the rail trails. NIMBY, Not in My Backyard.

Even though our state budget is hurting like everyone else's, I think there is a new mindset as there is funding for these rail trails. As gas prices increase I believe there will be pressure for things to happen.