In follow up to Brian's recent posts about commuting to work on bicycle, I wanted to share my thoughts on one of our undertakings that I am really enjoying...driving less.
I'll start with a disclaimer: we no longer live in climates where we risk freezing our limbs, and our recent move into a very walkable city/neighborhood makes this undertaking much easier than it would be if, say, we were still living in Alberta, Minnesota, or even a suburb in greater Vancouver.
Driving less does come at the expense of convenience and requires the commitment of time and planning - and we have dedicated to doing it, rain, wind, cold, or "slushing" (since it doesn't really "snow" in Vancouver). However, the payoffs are much better than the sacrifices. We are consciously trying to get where we need and want to go WITHOUT getting into the car. Here's how:
Getting to and from work - Brian has already shared his strategy for his commute to work; cycling is great exercise for him, and far less stressful and frustrating than navigating through congested Vancouver traffic. I commute from Vancouver to Surrey via Skytrain, and have taken advantage of the work and tax subsidized transit pass. While the commute is much longer than I am used to and would prefer (45 minutes each way), I'm using this time as an opportunity to read (and can report that I have finished more books in the last 3 months than I did all of last year). We're saving on the cost of gas, toll bridge fees, and parking passes (and reducing carbon contributions). When I have to get between the corporate office, hospital, and ambulatory care center in Surrey, I take advantage of the health shuttle (again, reducing carbon imprint AND saving BC taxpayers by reducing my mileage expenditures). I try to take advantage of the working from home policy whenever I can and remotely commute into the office when I don't have meetings.
Getting groceries - We walk. We make frequent small trips together and carry our groceries home. For solo or larger/heavier shopping purchases, we bring along our hiking backpack.
Seeing friends and running errands - We walk, cycle, or run. It definitely requires us to plan out our schedules to leave extra time for getting to and from places, but we cherish this time to connect with one another, shake off the stiffness from sitting at our desks and computers all day, and burn off some of the calories from the decadent meals our friends have been treating us with!
On vacation - We recently made a trip down to Oregon and Coastal Washington to use the generous "mini-honeymoon" getaway that my coworkers gave us as a wedding present. While we did require the car to get to and from these destinations (we did investigate taking the train... unfortunately, it didn't stop where we had to go), we made a commitment that we would use the car as little as possible. While we were in Welches, OR - we did our best to walk and NOT take the car around town. While we were in Long Beach, WA, we stayed at the Inn at Discovery Coast and took advantage of the neighboring Adrift Hotel (www.adrifthotel.com) beach cruiser bike loans. I'm pretty sure that I had a perma grin on the entire time - I loved the one-speed, banana-seat, upright-handle nostalgic ride. We rode along the boardwalk and the paved trails all the way to the lighthouse. We stopped to enjoy the beach and explored the towns in search of a perfect spot to stop and get lunch. It was pure bliss!
The Adrift Hotel and Inn at Discovery Coast are noteworthy - using a lot of reused objects to finish, furnish, and decorate the rooms, and offering local, organic, vegetarian, and environmentally sound food and products, all at a great value. AND they are pet friendly - with some really loveable resident canines. Much to my dismay, I didn't manage to convince Brian to bring one home. But I think he's warming to the idea...
I estimate that I have gone from using the car 5-6 days a week to once every two weeks. Soon, we will be selling Brian's car (which has been parked for almost 5 months) and officially become a one car family! (Anyone who is in the market for a fantastic Honda Fit, stay tuned!)
I'll start with a disclaimer: we no longer live in climates where we risk freezing our limbs, and our recent move into a very walkable city/neighborhood makes this undertaking much easier than it would be if, say, we were still living in Alberta, Minnesota, or even a suburb in greater Vancouver.
Driving less does come at the expense of convenience and requires the commitment of time and planning - and we have dedicated to doing it, rain, wind, cold, or "slushing" (since it doesn't really "snow" in Vancouver). However, the payoffs are much better than the sacrifices. We are consciously trying to get where we need and want to go WITHOUT getting into the car. Here's how:
Getting to and from work - Brian has already shared his strategy for his commute to work; cycling is great exercise for him, and far less stressful and frustrating than navigating through congested Vancouver traffic. I commute from Vancouver to Surrey via Skytrain, and have taken advantage of the work and tax subsidized transit pass. While the commute is much longer than I am used to and would prefer (45 minutes each way), I'm using this time as an opportunity to read (and can report that I have finished more books in the last 3 months than I did all of last year). We're saving on the cost of gas, toll bridge fees, and parking passes (and reducing carbon contributions). When I have to get between the corporate office, hospital, and ambulatory care center in Surrey, I take advantage of the health shuttle (again, reducing carbon imprint AND saving BC taxpayers by reducing my mileage expenditures). I try to take advantage of the working from home policy whenever I can and remotely commute into the office when I don't have meetings.
Getting groceries - We walk. We make frequent small trips together and carry our groceries home. For solo or larger/heavier shopping purchases, we bring along our hiking backpack.
On vacation - We recently made a trip down to Oregon and Coastal Washington to use the generous "mini-honeymoon" getaway that my coworkers gave us as a wedding present. While we did require the car to get to and from these destinations (we did investigate taking the train... unfortunately, it didn't stop where we had to go), we made a commitment that we would use the car as little as possible. While we were in Welches, OR - we did our best to walk and NOT take the car around town. While we were in Long Beach, WA, we stayed at the Inn at Discovery Coast and took advantage of the neighboring Adrift Hotel (www.adrifthotel.com) beach cruiser bike loans. I'm pretty sure that I had a perma grin on the entire time - I loved the one-speed, banana-seat, upright-handle nostalgic ride. We rode along the boardwalk and the paved trails all the way to the lighthouse. We stopped to enjoy the beach and explored the towns in search of a perfect spot to stop and get lunch. It was pure bliss!
The Adrift Hotel and Inn at Discovery Coast are noteworthy - using a lot of reused objects to finish, furnish, and decorate the rooms, and offering local, organic, vegetarian, and environmentally sound food and products, all at a great value. AND they are pet friendly - with some really loveable resident canines. Much to my dismay, I didn't manage to convince Brian to bring one home. But I think he's warming to the idea...
I estimate that I have gone from using the car 5-6 days a week to once every two weeks. Soon, we will be selling Brian's car (which has been parked for almost 5 months) and officially become a one car family! (Anyone who is in the market for a fantastic Honda Fit, stay tuned!)
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