Going car-lite

[Eden]

Wow Jenn - that seems super expensive for the train.... even the Sounder train up here only costs at most $4.75 per person - and that is to go all the way to the next city (either to Tacoma or Everett).

If you get a full fare regional pass up here (its good in 5 different counties and on the inter-county Sounder system) it can cost up to $171 a month (that's if you have a max fare commute) - *but* local governments give huge incentives to employers to lower SOV commuting around here, so I get a permanent (well, as long as I work there) one totally free through my work (and that's on top of incentives given to cyclists ). A fair number of the big companies up here give free or reduced passes of some sort.

[Crankin]

If I take the commuter rail into Cambridge or Boston, it's 12.50 round trip. A monthly pass is 200.00. If I worked in the city, I would do it, although I wonder if it's less than driving. Right now I drive to the terminus of the train line, about 20 minutes from my house to get to class, where I take the train 2 or 3 stops. The commuter rail does not mesh up with the times I need to get there or home. I have a Charlie Card, so a one way trip is 1.70. I load it up with money about once a month. I don't get a monthly pass, since I only use the train twice a week. It's worth it to me. When the other students are worrying that the money is running out in the parking meter, I don't. I won't drive in the city; the drivers are nuts. The university reimburses me for the parking garage fee ($7.00) as they don't want people clogging up the streets in Cambridge. Even with driving to the train line parking garage 2x a week and driving to my internship 3x a week (about 30 miles rt), I only fill my car up about every 10 days or 2 weeks. My car gets average gas mileage, nothing special. I just am very careful about where I drive. I don't mind driving, but it's on my own terms; nothing that stresses me out.

[Jolt]

I have been so bad about this lately...number one, because it's winter so we have ice/snow to deal with (and I just don't find it pleasant to ride when it's cold, can't seem to get around the numb fingers/toes issue on the bike and do much better running/walking), number two, because of the odd hours I work right now (very early mornings some days, late nights others, and the early mornings are in a place that would be really sketchy to walk through at that time) and number three, because some of the places I get sent to work are just too far away to ride (currently doing agency nursing). I agree with the people who have said driving just drains the energy out of you...it's stressful with traffic and it just isn't fun to be confined like that. Hopefully I will have a permanent job soon and be able to live close enough to work that I can walk or bike, weather permitting. That would cut out a ton of driving, and I'm sure I could find ways to do a lot of my errands by bike too (if I can do it here in Worcester...). Then the car would be mostly for the longer trips or if there's a lot of stuff to be hauled.

[Karma007]

I try to limit my driving to one day per week. I just try to make the most of it when I do take my car. I run as many errands as I can, and will try to meet a friend for lunch that day as well. It's a new system, but it seems to be working well so far.

[JennK13]

Wow Jenn - that seems super expensive for the train.... even the Sounder train up here only costs at most $4.75 per person - and that is to go all the way to the next city (either to Tacoma or Everett).

If you get a full fare regional pass up here (its good in 5 different counties and on the inter-county Sounder system) it can cost up to $171 a month (that's if you have a max fare commute) - *but* local governments give huge incentives to employers to lower SOV commuting around here, so I get a permanent (well, as long as I work there) one totally free through my work (and that's on top of incentives given to cyclists ). A fair number of the big companies up here give free or reduced passes of some sort.

Our train also has a pass that employers can buy for their employees, but I imagine the ones who do that are probably the big companies downtown. I would think others in the Tech Center might do it, too, but my work doesn't. Wish it was cheaper for your average Jane to get a pass! Students also ride free here.

While $7 a person is "expensive" it certainly beats $20 for parking at a Broncos game Like I said, events are usually the only time we take the train as we don't really live all that far from downtown.