How Much Will Gas Have To Cost To Get People To Change?
06.10.2005
Hey you! Yeah you. Get your butt out of your car or truck and walk, bike, or hopscotch to work. Can't get out of the car, well at least bring someone else in and carpool. That's the basic message of Commute Options Week here in Bend this past week. Wait, you didn't know it was Commute Options Week? Big surprise. By the number of cars (well mainly large SUVs) driving by me while I've been biking hasn't changed one bit this week from the last. Our office has participated in this event during the last, let's see, six years I believe. Every year participation has dwindled more and more, while excuses have been on the rise. Generally the program has a good message of try to do something different that just drive yourself from place to place. It makes sense and with gas prices in the $2.40 range it makes economic sense as well. Sure gas could cost more, but people will continue to drive here simply because there are not a lot of options out there. Why is it so hard to give up your daily driving habit? Afraid of being run over on a bike? Too far to walk? Don't want to arrive at work sweaty or a non-driving commute would mess up your clothes too much? Takes to long? Not convenient? It was very obvious after moving to Eugene for a few years that the commuting options there were worlds apart from Bend. In Eugene, you could safely cross the street without looking both ways. People driving expected people to cross at crosswalks. In Bend you're lucky if your not almost killed while crossing in a crosswalk. In Eugene there were plenty of people riding bicycles, even though it rained and rained and rained until it couldn't rain any more. In Bend the weather is generally colder, but much drier, which makes it more ideal for riding in my opinion. Public transportation was also another story. Public transportation in Bend is basically Dial-A-Ride, which I haven't used, so it's hard for me to comment on. I'm not sure if it's really less expensive to use Dial-A-Ride than drive a car. Carpooling seems like a better option, and I did that for a while with one co-worker. As long as you live relatively close to each other and work similar shifts, it can work out quite well. That's a great way to cut your driving use in half without having to make a major life style commuting change. Are there options, or not that can work for most people? It's to think that there can't be some. If more people did something other than drive themselves, it would make the experience better for others walking or biking. While Commute Options Week might be almost over it doesn't mean your commute options can't change.
Posted by monkeyinabox :::
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Jake said:
shannon said:
I walk to work 2 days a week and usually each day I do walk, someone tries to run me over or it takes an act of congress to get cars to stop in cross walks.
monekyinabox said:
Jake- You definately have less options than someone who works local. Carpooling is an option, but it does depend on your schedule and how many other people work with you. My wife worked out in Sunriver for a few weeks and I was glad when that was over (I think she was too).
Shannon- I agree that Bend is NOT safe for pedestrians. Hell, it's not safe unless you're driving a Hummer, so that you can fight fair.
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If I didn't work in Sunriver, I'd be (trying) to ride my back, assuming my back cooperated. But 25 miles one way (up hill all the way here) isn't the funnest commute, and my wife already thinks I'm gone too long as it is.
And I know what you mean about Eugene. I went to college there and didn't even use my car until I was a senior when I had to commute to Salem on a daily basis (and even then they had a worker bus shuttle that I took most of the time). Eugene is setup VERY well for bikes and pedestrians, and I didn't mind getting soaking because it was better than getting stuck in traffic.