Alternative Transportation - Today and The Future

Exploring Alternative Transporationin the journey by bicycle and other forms of public transit, thereby giving you an opportunity to explore the options besides driving a car. Within this area of The Home of Knatchwa, the objective is to open your eyes to not so deceptive options that have been there all along. So take the time and read it through you may find it remarkable how simple it really is to make that quality decison for change.

Alternative Transportation:

Recent Revision Below: Updated 08/29/2008 19:43

Alternative Transportation today. To save gas and help the environment

Gas prices so high, insurance through the roof all the while paying off a car at it's retail value when it's actual value is far below the total value of the car when you first purchased it. Just as soon as you drive your new cage off the lot it loses value. Just gonna have to work extra, sweat equity in keeping alive in a failing economy sound familiar?

Or do you really? Why not instead, keep the car you have, at least it is more likely to be completely paid off even if it has a 100,000 miles on the engine. Once you start considering that there are alternates you start realizing a new car is not quite as necessary as you may of once thought.

Alternative transportation comes in many flavors, and these are options that have been around about as long as a car has and even before cars became the supposed de facto standard. These options, can save you money, help the environment and help you set a solid example for the current generation and the ones to come. My objective in this article is to explore these options, and to prove that there are ways to get around the gas prices that are already to high. In that savings your wallet will feel even better, it is always nice to have a bit more money in there don't you think? Besides, you are improving your own health, and showing it is possible to live without a car.

First we will start with the simplest option, but lets set the stage consider that the stores you spend the most time in are usually nearby, they are convenient and you know they have what you want and the prices are fair. It is these places that you already know, where you are comfortable returning to time and again.

Now that the stage is set, let us explore a regular day, interpretively speaking of course. Usually you stop at the store to pick up dinner, to get the few things you need for the coming weeks and head home. It is likely that you stop at these same stores on your way home, or when you have a day off. Figuring the approximate mileage, from your house to the store lets say it is a mile or so from home. You get home from work, you relaxed a bit, you take a look in the refrigerator, you were going to make your favorite dish this night. The problem is you are missing some key ingredients so you figure you will go to the store and get what you need. You go for your keys and are about to walk out to the car, stop there, the store is maybe a few blocks or so from your home right? Well then instead of taking the car burning gas, put on a warm jacket, lets try something different. Instead of running out to your car zip up that jacket and start walking, not to the car mind you but just walking. One foot in front of the other right, along the sidewalk in the direction of your favorite store. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, take a moment, take a breath, the fresh night air, isn't that nice? Take a deep breath, stretch a bit and start taking time to look around and see the many things you have missed in times previous because you were focused on the road, on driving as of course you should be. Many of these building may of lost there intrigue as you figure you pass them everyday anyhow when in your car. That could well be, remember when you first moved here, how everything was different and unique? How the excitement of the new place was enjoyable, new environment, different places you were excited about being here particularly after the stress of the move in itself. Recall that, and put it into the present context, depending on how long you have been here, it is likely there have been changes. Small ones in the beginning perhaps, but in time major changes constantly improve. The point being is this sidewalk you are walking on now may of changed quite alot since you first arrived, when you are walking you can enjoy it without feeling you need to go fast. Without feeling pressured, to hurry up because the car behind you want to get going to the next red light for some reason. Realize with walking there is no such pressure, you go at your own pace and choose the route being no longer limited by lanes, sure you may still have to stop at a light and wait a moment before you cross the road, at the very least you do not have to worry about this idling, you heard somewhere it burns gas when you idle and on a regular city street you do alot of that. And as you sit there in your car, you consider how much it is going to cost you to fill up the next time, you start stressing and finally the light changes and at that point you just want to hurry up, even if it burns more gas. When walking you have no such worries, the money in your wallet remains there as you do not have to fill up the tank quite as soon as you may of otherwise had too.

As you continue on this walk you have less to worry about, things are looking up and you are enjoying the fresh air of the night, travelling at your own pace whatever it may be. Before you know it you will have arrived at the grocery store, feeling good and knowing you just had a good cardiovascular workout. You made the time burned out some of those toxins that tend to build during inactivity and you took the first steps in exploring alternative transport. The car is at home no gas burned and you begin the journey back home feeling good. That is usually how it goes, after a walk after a brief jaunt you get that dopamine flowing, you became just a bit stronger and the benefits continue even after that. Considering that a brisk walk, burns approximately 100 calories a mile according to discoverwalking.com, and that is 100 less calories that will become fat, besides the benefits to your health and well being by taking this short walk to get what you needed just the same without the car, and without the gas being burned. And to think it was as simple as putting one foot in front of the other, pounding the pavement if you rather. Sounds pretty good doesn't it? Well of course it does and yet it can get even better from here and that is what we will explore next.

Walking is a great option, and there are others, perhaps the store is not quite as close as you would like it to be, well instead of jumping in that car and travelling the extra few miles that may make up the store you want to go for, how about considering yet another gas free option? That may have an initial investment yet can offer you even more long term benefits and another great option for a store at distance. Seems like a fair trade off right? Most certainly, well then you may ask what is it you are talking about. Well it has been around for many years, when you were a kid you used to love get out there and riding it. The journeys you and your cruiser may of had, long before you could even drive a car, as you were not quite old enough to drive so instead you rode. Of course I am speaking about the Schwinns, the Raleighs, the old 10 speed. Each in common with the other, two wheels a drive train and a steering column. Bicycles, what a wonderful thing, been around how many years, how many generations enjoyed the ride on a regular basis when a child, the means to an end. The freedom sought, but only viable by your own power. The bicycles have resided in this world since the late 1800s in its current form at least. In 1817 there was a version of a bicycle though at that time, it was called a walking machine or Draisienne, basically a bike frame without the drivetrain propelled entirely by pushing with your feet and rolling, a gliding walk it was said. Today's bicycles are far from the bikes of old though similarities still exist even today.

A bike is my own chosen alternative transport, it gets me where I need to go and can carry the load instead of me carrying it on my back or shoulders. A bicycle may require an initial investment, though there simplicity in the primary parts make them relatively easy to work with. When you look at bikes you should also consider your size, a properly fitted bike can make the difference between a great ride and a not so good one, each of us are individuals and as such there is no one size fits all in relation to bikes. It may be marketed as such, though truly it does not exist. Being that the case I would not recommend Walmart, Target, Kmart, mass produced bikes because of that simple fact. And also a warning based on my own experience, the saying "You get what you pay for ..." holds quite true in regard to bikes. Not just bikes but everything, the price may be tempting at the time, and that is the objective the stores present, my own experience tells me otherwise and the story follows.

I was excited, I just got a bike, as my last one was getting to small and had begun to truly fail, so I walked on over to Target and saw this bike, I don't even remember the exact brand but I believe it was Magna, the price was great only seventy dollars, seemed solid, looked good so I went ahead and bought it. At this time I was just beginning to explore quality control and understanding the reason why it is best to pay a higher price for a good quality bicycle then to by a cheap one and hope for the best. I ended up buying it rode on home, relatively flat nothing to taxing to the frame or the drivetrain, the bike seemed to do well on that type terrain and seemed like I found myself a great buy. Until I went on a job in Monterey at a local banquet hall, specifically Marriot in Monterey for an event. I ended up riding the bike the entire distance because I figured I would take it on a longer maiden voyage. Along the flat routes coming from Salinas all seemed fine and dandy. It was when I arrived at the last turn, from a flat area up a relatively steep hill, to go to the employee entrance at the Hotel that it happened. I started climbing and initially it was alright and then it got a bit steeper so I pushed it a little harder to make the climb, apparently to hard for the price I paid, it was right then as I begin the upward climb that the drivetrain on the bike snapped from the frame rendering the bike useless except as a walking machine as I mentioned earlier. That night I expected to ride on home, but was not a probable option with a snapped drivetrain, so instead I talked with a co worker who offerd me a ride home, fortunately he had a truck so there was a place for the bike. Now certainly I could of taken the bus which we will explore later, but the hour was late when we finished if I recall correctly around one in the morning and I most certainly was not gonna walk my bike home, the entire twenty mile route.

Case in point you most certainly get what you pay for. Fortunately even with my stubborness, I did learn that valuable lesson. Since then, the bikes I have purchased, though not the top of the line, have been affordable and functional for my needs as a cycle commuter. Which brings me to my next point, you do not have to be a millionaire and spend thousands on the bike or the equipment, to be a bicycle commuter though in all the savings of money that would otherwise been spent on the gas powered cage, usually known as a car, could be enough to get a pretty good setup. Though it is not a necessary part of being a cycle commuter or a person who is just now taking the time to explore alternative transportation. Though it is nice to get an idea about the unique savings you would accrue, just by riding a bike or walking that mile isn't it?

Of course it is, so far though we have merely scratched the surface of alternatives to driving a car without spending money on gas. What we will now explore is some of the alternatives that will still burn gas, just not as much and will not make such a dent in your wallet or balance sheets. The two I expect to explore in the following thoughts is Public Transit and Car Pooling, both which have the associated cost of gas in different capacities. Though for every single car that is not on the road, there is less pollutants in the air. The benefits being two fold are, reducing congestion, and being able to share the cost of that ride over multiple people. That way each is paying less in gas because the total price is shared over all the riders. Now let us continue on the second thought that was shared, riding a bus or using public transport.

First on a bus, you ever wonder why there is so much time working out a bus system? Or why there are often incentives for using public transport? The answer can be quite simple or complex dependant on how much time you take to research it. However you look at it, riding the bus can get you everywhere you need to go and not require you to drive your own vehicle thereby saving you some money and giving you an opportunity to speak with some of the individuals from the community. The experience I can only speak for this area that is Monterey County and by experience. To start the system in each area will be different, each with a specific infrastructure. Let us put this into perspective, that mile or more from home to the store, along that early walk you will probably see at least a few bus stops dependant on the area and place. As an infrastructure evolves the system itself is improved. As an example here in Salinas, there was a recent addition to the transit infrastructure, where you can now make a connection to the bigger city of San Francisco via a bus to train combination point to point without having to pay for gas. At least not the gas in your car you do pay a fare on the bus and surely the train the point is that the price is actually lower then it would cost you to keep your own car gassed. Particularly after the promotions of big trucks and sport utility vehicles that were the focus for so long. Just as everything does the cycle came full circle. At the time gas was almost affordable, but still a bit more expensive then previous. Even today the promotions continue, though with the current state of our economy, it is becoming more and more apparent along the lines of leasing options thinning out and the inability to sell a SUV back to the dealer. That constant evolution of Public Transit, has moved with the times. As an alternate to driving a car you can travel farther, save the gas, and see some sights you may not otherwise see. Besides the fact, that as things continue there has been improvement on interconnection points between multiple options thereby making it more viable as a means to the end.

Public transit is not only limitted to buses, but also relates to trains, subways, trams or any mode of transportation that will take you from point a to point b and back again at a fair price, as we begin to explore this aspect you find the relation, in why there has been many improvements in connecting points, each taking a step in the direction of a united transit system throughout California and beyond. Subways, are most apparent in larger cities and can get you where you need to go quickly and hopefully efficently in an ideal world of course. In the world of today there is much to be done to increase efficency of public transit as a viable modes of travel. The constant improvements being brought about will eventually establish such a solid system though for the time being it is necessary to go as you can and decide you can and will use it. In doing so your wallet will have more money on it and the car itself does not become such a necessary part of travel point to point in particular at short distances with to much stop and go. Gas burning occurences, such as to much stop and go, revving the engine in hopes of beating the light and the like.

The benefits, in using these alternatives, will be better overall health a bit heavier wallet from the savings and the good feeling you will get from helping the environment by decreasing your carbon footprint. It of course takes one person at a time to start, to walk, to ride a bike, to use alternative transportation. In this simple step by step, one foot in front of the other you become a better example for your circle of influence. It is in example that even today we each learn, the example you set is up to you and the person in the mirror. By putting one foot in front of the other, moving away from automobile dependancy, to a different view, dependance on your own abilities, on your own health. Just take that first step and begin this new excursion as a part of your journey in life.

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