I drove alone into Cambridge for eight years until I started riding the MBTA commuter rail from Rockport to North Station, then connect to the Cambridge EZ Ride to my Cambridge office. I found this routine added a lot of travel time. Although I could do it in winter, it was going to drive me back to my car in summer.
To be an environmental steward, I tried to find a more efficient way from North Station to Cambridge. So I found a second hand bicycle at the Rockport dump, fixed it up, parked it at public racks in the city, and hoped it wouldn't be stolen or vandalized. I discovered that many people park bikes on city racks -- which are very safe.
My "dump" bike has been living at the North Station and Central Square bike racks since June and enabled me to use public transportation instead of my car. Because it's a relatively flat route between North Station and Cambridge/Allston, it's an easy ride and quicker than all other forms of transportation. I have gotten some exercise and my commute is only slightly longer then when I drove alone.
I will keep this up as long as the weather holds out, then I'll ride public transportation door-to-door, bring my bike home for some well-needed maintenance and get it ready for the city bike racks in spring.
A little creative thought can reduce a lot of energy consumption. I was driving 42 miles each way, 20,000 miles per year, using 700 gallons of gas) to commute to work. I now drive a little over 200 miles per year (about 7 gallons of gas) back and forth to the train station -- less than a half mile from my home -- and use public transportation and my bicycle.
Jim
Genzyme
Cambridge
BLOGGERS NOTE: Jim--why not Dump the Pump 100 percent: find another old bike to use to go the first half mile from home to commuter rail? Cold starts for trips of less than 5 miles are the MOST polluting.
