Commuting Alternatives

Our fair city together with my institution of employment teamed up to advocate a week where people found alternative means of commuting to and from work or school. This is a grand idea; who wants to get stuck in a rut, so after walking or riding my bicycle to campus for 30+ years, the Phactor is driving this week. The campaign must be pretty successful because parking spaces are easy to find. Now before accusing this poor old man of being a contrarian please remember that this is field season, so every afternoon the troops head out to work on the prairie, and a 20+ mile round trip carrying all the field gear is a bit much to expect even for students, although one particular graduate student did the trip regularly. Now both he and his wife drive these huge gas-guzzling SUVs in matching black. How things change. On the whole the Phactor feels good about his decision to keep with the theme and use an alternative means of commuting.

Commuting & quality of life

The Phactor is on the move, a trip to the NY City area for a graduation, and this is not about that momentous occasion, but a much more mundane observation about life in a major metro area.

Even with reasonably a good public transportation system, these people spend way too much time getting to and from places.  This is not a high quality life, folks, even though you can learn to live with it.  

This gave the Phactor cause to reflect on how fortunate he has been.  Since I started making my living on college campuses in 1970, I have lived within walking distance of my work all but two years.  And quite frankly I wouldn't trade this quality of life for anything.   A great deal of my best thinking happens on my commute.  Seriously could any good ideas, other than kill, Kill, KILL, occur to drivers on these express ways?