When in Rome…

For those of us who live and work in low-density cities, the car is often seen as the preferred (if not the only) mode of day-to-day transportation. We only consider using other forms of transportation when we are on vacation in cities that are known for their rail and bus systems and their walking culture. What is seen as a method of last resort in our home town becomes a convenience and a luxury when we travel.

During a trip to Baltimore and D.C. a few weeks ago, I realized that, to some degree, my experiment in Austin trying to avoid car trips has a lot in common with some of the more memorable aspects of travel.

For example:

• The most desirable hotels are often located either near sights of interest or close to transportation hubs. In Austin, we chose to live in the center of town, in part, to take advantage of the density of bus lines, restaurants, grocery stores, and shops within walking distance of our apartment.  

• Walking is not just a means of transportation for tourists. It is often the best way to explore new surroundings. In Austin, I have found that I have started replicating my tendency when traveling to take different routes to and from a point of interest so that I can see more of the city. 

• Tourists are always on the alert for people, buildings, gardens, galleries, and meals that pique their interest. We often remember our vacations in detail, because we approach them in the spirit of observation and discovery. In contrast, we may not remember our day-to-day activities in such stark detail. In retrospect, one of the reasons I enjoyed living in Cambridge so much may be the level of observation and spirit of discovery that influenced the choice of transportation (subway, bus, walking) on any given day.

One of the unintended consequences of seeking out alternatives to driving in Austin has been a change in my approach to the daily commute. I have come to see it as a puzzle to be solved, not a collection of streets and highways to be navigated, which has added another layer of experience to my life here. I now start planning how to reach my next destination by wondering, “What new discovery will I make along the way?”

Up Close – surprises along the way

When I drive down the street, I sometimes feel that I am traveling in a bubble. This feeling can be comforting, particularly on a hot summer day in Texas. But, I have found that it reduces my ability to observe and appreciate my surroundings – the way details shift from day to day and season by season.

For example, we moved back to Austin at the end of spring. It seemed that everything was flowering, even in forgotten places like cracks in the sidewalk.

On one of my walks, I realized that a century plant I had passed dozens of times without really noticing it had produced a flower stalk that reached well into the middle branches of its neighboring oak tree.  The exuberance of the plant life was amazing.

And, then, over a period of two to three weeks, almost all of the flowers disappeared; it seemed that we had entered the much-feared summer, which can drag on for six+ months without any rain.

Last week, however, it started raining again. The plants went wild, and it really hit home that Austin is a water-scarce area.

• Plants that had apparently given up for the season burst back into bloom;

• flowers started appearing in unlikely places;

• and, my walks were punctuated with views of plants and animals that are not usually seen in drought-prone Austin.

Over the past week, the temperature crept back above 100. And, the flowers have started retreating again under the influence of the harsh summer sun. But, I now know to keep my eyes open on my walks for the surprisingly dramatic response of some plants and animals to subtle shifts in temperature, humidity, and rainfall.

Tracking My Trips: June 2012

Starting June 1, 2012, I have tracked all of my travel to see if I could reduce my dependence on driving without affecting my quality of life. I have summarized the first month of results from this experiment below.

Overall, my trip profile in June shows half the number of car trips of a typical individual in the U.S. (Source: 2009 data, National Household Travel Survey.)

	Car	Transit	Walk	Other (air, car share, carpool, cycling)
My Trips	48%	9%	37%	6%
U.S. Average	83%	2%	10%	4%

The Downside

• As expected, the biggest hit to my quality of life was time. On average, my travel time increased 32 minutes a day compared with the amount of time it would have taken me to travel the same distance in a car. Of course, this comparison does not take into account the recreational benefit associated with alternative forms of transportation, such as walking.

The Upside

• Health: Simply through my daily movements around the city, I burned 32 more calories and exercised 7 minutes longer per day than the U.S. Surgeon General’s recommendation of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity (equivalent to 140 calories for a 154 lb person).
• Savings: Even after factoring in the cost of bus tickets and car share rentals, on average, I saved $1.95 per day in the cost of gas and mileage. 
• Eco: Using U.S. EPA estimates of average passenger car CO2 emissions, I avoided 36,183 grams of CO2, which is roughly equivalent to taking 2 cars off the road for a day.

All in all, the first month of the experiment seems to have gone well. The increased trip time only became an inconvenience when I arrived late to a meeting. However, that only happened twice, and I am improving in my ability to time which bus to take and how far ahead of time I need to arrive at the bus stop.

We’ll see if I will be able to replicate this month’s trip profile in future months.