Attempting to Achieve a Truly Car-Free Commute

Today is Day 4 of my grand experiment to eliminate the last remnants of driving from my weekday commute.

It was easy eradicating the biggest part -- the part involving the freeway. "Let's see, 35 minutes of stressful driving plus a gallon of gas that could be better used driving to a park for an enjoyable day of hiking? Or 30 minutes on the bus. Gosh, I just don't know."

It was also easy doing away with the bit between the bus station and the office. It's amazing how a lack of options simplifies decision-making. "I don't have a car or bicycle, and knocking that kid off his skateboard without suffering severe repercussions seems unlikely. That leaves my feet. I guess I'm walking."

The last (and hardest) part has been letting go of the idea that I need to drive from home to the bus station. "It's only a mile," I tell myself. "If I don't drive, I'll miss the bus. Besides, I'll need the car afterwards to grab groceries or drop by the library or [insert emergency errand of the moment]."

Two recent developments have led me to renew my efforts for a car-free commute.

First, the surging price of gas. The local gas station is now selling regular unleaded for $4.379 a gallon. Three weeks ago (the last time I filled up), it was a measly $3.819. (At its current rate, unleaded should hit the $4.999 mark by mid-July.) One week of not driving to and from the bus station means ten miles saved. Assuming my car gets 22 in-town miles to the gallon, the it's-only-a-mile mentality costs me $2 a week, or the price of a venti coffee at my favorite corporate cafe.

Second, there has been a recent rash of cars with smashed windows at the bus station parking lot and neighboring Gilroy has seen a recent rise in gas theft. My theory is if it's happening in the next town, it's likely happening in my town, too. I also prefer windows that aren't smashed. ("Bug splattered, not shattered" would be a motto of mine if I were the type of person who had mottoes.) Keeping the car at home seems like a smarter and safer choice.

So far, the experiment has been a success. I wake up five minutes earlier and make a concerted effort to get out of the house five minutes earlier so I don't have to run to catch the bus. As a hidden bonus, I get an extra twenty minutes of exercise every day. We'll have to see how this experiment goes when I'm faced with hot weather or rain.

The next experiment will be to run in-town errands without driving (unless absolutely necessary). Trader Joe's and the library (two of my frequent stops) are only 1.5 miles away and their respective routes have sufficient bike lanes. My backpack has ample carrying capacity and I finally have a bike lock, so, technically, I have no excuse not to try cycling to both locations.

But I think I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's see if I can get my car-free commute streak into double-digits first. Then I can look at expanding my car-free campaign. In the meantime, here's to Day 5 and that distant day when I lose count of the days.