World Carfree Day

Tuesday, September 22 marks World Carfree Day, a day set aside to encourage all of us to think about leaving the car at home and finding an alternative method of transportation. As a walker, and as someone who has more recently became interested in transit issues, I'm a big supporter of efforts like this. I also recognize, though, that going car-free isn't the easiest choice. Here are a few suggestions about ways you can use your car less:

• Carpool. Check with your co-workers and see if anyone lives near you, or find out if a neighbor works near you. Where I live, the regional transit agency offers a vanpool option, where workers who work near each other split the cost of using a van to get to work. In addition to helping the environment, you can save money on gas by splitting the driving.
• Use public transportation. Most areas have some form of public transportation, whether it be a subway, light rail, or bus. You may be surprised at the options you have to get to work or school, plus you have a chance to spend less money when doing so.
• Walk to your destination. The majority of our car trips are for errands, and frequently we're traveling short distances as we shop and take care of personal business. Before you get in the car, think about where you want to go. Is it within walking distance? Lace up your shoes and go for a walk. You'll get some fresh air and exercise while you leave the car at home.

Here's the thing: going car-free can be difficult, and for some people, it may not be an option. One possibility is to think about going car-lite, which is something lots of people do, including me and my own family. When it's possible, we leave the car at home. Sometimes it's not, though, or using alternate transportation may take hours for a short trip. So for those occasions, we use the car. The basic idea is to be thoughtful about the choices we make regarding how we get from Point A to Point B. Giving up a car entirely may or may not be the right option for you. But I would encourage you to at least give it some thought. Who knows? You may like what you discover, and you may even find that you're enjoying using your own 2 feet to get where you're going. For more details and ideas, visit the World Carfree Network.

A Pedestrian's Open Letter to Drivers

Dear Drivers,

I see you every day as I walk around town, but sometimes I wonder: do you see me? I try to be a good pedestrian and share the roads. I look both ways before crossing the street. I try to make sure I cross with the traffic light. I make an effort to make eye contact with you, and I try to be predictable so you won't worry about me darting in front of you and causing an accident.

I know I'm smaller than your vehicle, and that in a contest of woman vs. machine, I would lose. So I make an effort to be responsible, and I think of myself as someone who walks defensively. And yet, from time to time, I wonder whether it's enough. I step into the crosswalk when the light turns green, and out of the corner of my eye, you come quickly toward me, starting your turn. Do you see me? Do you notice me standing in front of you? Does it even occur to you that other people use the streets and sidewalks? Do you realize that while cars rule the road, pedestrians often have the right-of-way?

A lot of times, I walk without incident. But I've also had more than my share of difficult interactions with your fellow drivers (which probably comes with walking more than the average person does). So I'm a little jaded these days. I don't know whether to trust you or not. I approach crosswalks with an overabundance of caution lately. I still remember a few months ago the driver who yelled at me for having the audacity to cross the street when I had the right-of-way, and refusing to yield to him when I wasn't required to. I confess that sometimes I assert myself rather than wait when I know I have the legal right to cross. It's probably not the smartest or safest thing to do. But it makes me think: do drivers really know the rules of the road? Is it that you don't understand your responsibilities as a driver and my rights as a pedestrian? Or do you just not care? Maybe you're in a hurry to get where you're going. Or you're distracted by the bad day you've had and you aren't taking in all of the things and people around you.

I want to give you the benefit of the doubt. I know that all drivers aren't bad; heck, I drive too, and I hope I'm kind to other drivers and pedestrians more times than I'm not. I know that nobody's perfect. But I'm also worried, and a little afraid, because the odds are that if we keep going this way, one of us is going to be hurt. And in that woman vs. machine contest, it's likely to be me. So I'm asking you - no, I'm begging: please look around, and really see. There are more of us walking than you might think.

I'll tell you what; I'll make a deal with you: if you promise to try harder to be a more careful and observant driver, then I'll promise to be a less aggressive pedestrian. I'll try to be more concerned about staying safe than being right. And between the two of us, maybe we can make things safer for all of us, drivers and pedestrians alike. So what do you say; do we have a deal?

Yours truly,
A Concerned Pedestrian

Do I Look Like the Welcome Wagon?

It happens to me more often than I would expect. I'm out for a walk, moving at a pretty good pace, basically minding my own business. Suddenly, a car approaches. I pause, then begin to make my way around the vehicle. The driver rolls down the window, pokes her head out, and says, "Excuse me, but we're lost. Can you give me directions?"

I don't mind helping people; in fact, I enjoy it. But there are times when these lost people aren't so appreciated. Sometimes I'm taking a nice, leisurely stroll, and I don't feel bothered by an interruption. At other times, though, I'm tempted to ignore them. One day, I was doing a long (as in 14 mile) training walk for an upcoming half-marathon. I'd already gone about 8 miles, and I was definitely feeling the miles and starting to lose steam. A couple in a pickup truck slowed and then stopped ahead of me. I figured they were parking so I moved over on the sidewalk to give them some room and started to walk by. "Sir?" they called out. (It must have been the hat I was wearing, along with my short hair. But calling a woman "sir" isn't the best start to a conversation when you want someone to help you.) I gritted my teeth and turned around. "Me?" I asked. Sheepishly, they explained that they were looking for directions to the interstate. I paused, trying to think. Wait, that was miles from here, and meant lots of twists and turns on back roads. "Well..." I said. "It's kind of hard to explain how to get there from here." The man was clearly unimpressed, and said "you must not have lived here long." I informed him that I had lived in the area for more than 10 years, thank you very much, gave him a bit of a look, and stomped off. I was still fuming a mile later, but at least I picked up my pace for the latter part of my walk. (And I'll offer a tip to any direction-seekers out there: insulting the person you're asking a favor from will generally not endear you to that person.)

Another time I was doing intervals, which meant I was more focused on my pace than usual. I was wearing headphones and listening to up-tempo music on my iPod to help me. A van pulled up from behind, the driver honking his horn. I ignored him, hoping he would get the hint. He didn't. Instead, he honked more persistently until I took off my headphones and looked at him with a sigh. He asked directions to a place he was nowhere near, so I told him he was miles away, but he should head thataway and ask someone else for directions farther down the road. (All of which begs the question: why do these people always seem really far away from their destinations when they're hopelessly lost?)

To be fair, not everyone who asks for directions is like these people. But still, many of them have no reservations about stopping a total (and sweaty) stranger. And when I'm wearing headphones, I have to wonder: do I look like I'm out for a pleasant stroll, hoping for a bit of conversation with anyone who happens to drive by? Still I do what I can, and am usually able to help people get where they're going. In fact, on one memorable occasion a couple was wandering around the local college campus looking for a particular building, and I (somewhat sweatily) offered them a slightly soggy campus map I happened to have in my pocket. They accepted gratefully... and I don't think it was that wet.

It's funny, though, because it never occurs to me to ask for directions from random pedestrians. Do I just have one of those faces? Maybe I seem sort of approachable (although on days I'm out for a training walk, I would imagine my expression often seems grim). I've been wondering if there's some way I can cash in on this ability I have. Maybe I can get kickbacks from local businesses for steering these lost souls their way. Hey, I think this idea might have potential...

Celebrate Earth Day by Walking

As people around the world celebrate Earth Day (on April 22) and Earth Month (during April), they need look no further than their own feet for inspiration. Walking is a fantastic form of transportation that's low impact both on your body and the environment. Here are a few ideas for how to implement more walking into your day:

• Park your car farther away from the store when you go shopping. Instead of circling the parking lot multiple times looking for the absolute closest parking space, park at the far end of a row and walk.
• Rather than emailing a colleague at the office, get out of your chair and deliver your message in person.
• Take the stairs rather than an elevator or escalator. In addition to the extra walking, you'll get the extra benefit of raising your heart rate by climbing the stairs.
• Look for ways to get to work or school that don't involve driving your car alone. If you live close enough to walk, try it for a day or two to see if you can do it all or most of the time. If you live too far away to walk comfortably, consider walking to a nearby bus stop and riding the bus to work.
• Instead of driving a mile or less to run errands, walk to the grocery store or post office. It will save wear and tear on your car when you're not using it to drive short distances, and you'll improve your health in the process.

These are only a small portion of the many ways you can get more walking into your life. Here's the main idea: as you get ready to plan an excursion, think about whether there's a way to walk part or all of the way to your destination. Before long, you'll be walking more and more every day, and wondering how you ever got anywhere without using only your own two feet.

Earth Day

The Dangerous Things We Do

We hear a lot - and talk a lot - about distracted drivers. We see them all the time: putting on makeup in the car; talking or texting on cell phones; blasting the radio while doing their best impressions of Jay-Z or Beyonce. Pedestrians, cyclists, and even other drivers complain about these drivers who are so engaged in other activities that they don't pay full attention to their driving, and sometimes the result is an accident.

For pedestrians, the shoe is now on the other foot (pun intended). NPR reported recently about a group of Ohio State researchers who are studying the effects of electronic devices on pedestrian safety - except this time, the pedestrians are the one causing the problems. It's probably no surprise to hear that there's evidence that injuries are on the rise as more and more people walk while distracted by iPods or cell phones. Some have worn headphones and turned up the music so loud that they didn't hear a train approaching and were struck and killed. Others have stepped into the path of an oncoming car while talking or texting on a cell phone and were seriously injured.

It saddens me to hear of incidents like these. For obvious reasons, of course, as no one wants to imagine the sadness of those left behind after an entirely preventable accident. But I'm also worried about the problems we pedestrians can create through our inattention. Those of us who walk share responsibility for our safety with our fellow citizens on the roads and sidewalks. It's easy to point fingers at those drivers who pay more attention to changing the radio station than on operating a several ton vehicle. But when we pedestrians step off the curb and into traffic without looking because we're distracted by a text message we have to send right that minute, we too are responsible for creating a dangerous situation.

So what's the answer? I've certainly used an iPod on my walks, and I'm not eager to give it up. But it's also true that it probably prevents me from paying full attention to my surroundings. Some answers are relatively easy: if you can't hear a car or pedestrian approaching, turn down the volume. As for the cell phones, that's easier for me than for others, I'd guess, because I rarely use one and haven't yet entered the brave new world of texting. Honestly, though, if you're walking for exercise, I can't see a lot of benefit in talking on the phone the whole time. I certainly understand the desire of some to carry a phone for emergencies, and I don't think most would have a problem with that. But is it really necessary to give your BFF the blow-by-blow about your disastrous blind date while walking around town? if it is, I won't judge (but I will reserve the right to shoot you a dirty look if your story interrupts my peaceful morning walk). But I beg you, put the phone down for the 15 seconds it takes to look both ways and cross the street. You owe it to the drivers, cyclists, other pedestrians, and mostly to yourself. You're doing a good thing for your body by walking, so you might as well do what you can to keep that body safe while you're at it.

Help in the Search for Walkability

A while back I heard about the website Walk Score and it intrigued me. The basic idea is that you enter your address, and the site calculates a walkability score for you. It maps out your location and whether you're close to things like grocery stores, schools, and parks, and uses that information to determine whether your neighborhood is walkable. It's something I thought about a lot when I was looking for a house, and I think it's a great concept. In practice, though, there seem to be a few kinks to work out. One is how the site categorizes locations; in my case, it considered Orange Julius to be a bar(?). (And apparently, being close to a bar is a good thing.) It also doesn't have a way to take into consideration things like sidewalk availability and how much traffic there is. Where I used to live was an area I considered highly walkable, both because I was close to lots of things and because there were plenty of sidewalks and trails. Yet walkscore.com gave it a low score and called it "car-dependent." Where I live now is pretty walkable too, in my opinion, but it's hampered by a lack of cohesive sidewalks and proximity to a set of busy streets without crosswalks. But the site gives my current location a high score for walkability.

The upshot: despite a few minor flaws, it's a great idea and a pretty good resource, especially if it gets people thinking about choosing where they live based on how easily they can get places by walking. Check out your own address and see what you think.

Walking for Transportation

As gas prices hover at levels I've never seen before in my driving days, I'm finding that I'm more and more interested in finding ways to get around that don't require me to use my car. Several days a week, I drive to a park and ride lot and catch a bus to work, saving me nearly 60 miles a day of driving. I deliberately chose my neighborhood to live in so that I would have the option of walking to stores and restaurants. But the thing is, giving up the car means giving up convenience, and I still struggle with sacrificing ease of use for a cheaper (not to mention more eco-friendly) method of transportation. The reality where I live is that public transportation is not the most efficient way to travel. We rely on buses here, because the funding for high speed rail hasn't garnered enough public support to get off the ground. Buses are okay, but they have to fight the same traffic I do in my own car, plus the schedules don't always make sense when you're trying to get from Point A to Point B. Then there's the functional aspect: if I want to go grocery shopping, for example, it's going to be tough to carry several bags plus cart home a gallon jug or two of milk, and juggle it all on the bus. It's a whole lot easier to just hop in the car, pile it all in, and drive home.

But I've been thinking more lately about whether it's possible to accomplish some of these errands on foot. Probably the biggest obstacle remains, though, how to contend with getting the items I've purchased back to my house. I've been exploring the idea of getting a personal shopping cart, which would help immensely in transporting the merchandise home. If it's a collapsible version, then I can take it on the bus. I've seen a few around town, and they look pretty useful to me. Problem is, does getting one of these make me a bag lady? :-)

Sidewalk Etiquette

It's one of my pet peeves: I'm out enjoying a walk, making my way along the sidewalk, minding my own business, when I see some people approaching. Sometimes it's a married couple or a pair of friends, or occasionally a group out walking together. Soon it becomes clear that there's not enough room on the sidewalk for all of us. Remembering what I learned way back in elementary school, I move to the right, making sure I'm taking up no more than half of the sidewalk. Those coming toward me, however, aren't moving aside. In fact, they continue to take up the entire width of the sidewalk. I think to myself, "It's common courtesy. Surely they'll make room for me in a few seconds." Yet still they come, headed straight toward me, making no sign that they'll allow me to pass. I look around and assess my options. Road to my right - no, that won't work; I'd rather not get hit by a car or bike today. Trees on the left. Nope, that won't work either, unless I'm someone who likes getting a black eye from an oak. I look forward again - why aren't they moving? I make a futile attempt to make eye contact; maybe they don't see me? They glance my way and return to their scintillating conversation. Maybe if I make myself really tiny I can squeeze by? But no, I'm not a miracle worker (and why oh why didn't I lose those last 20 pounds?). Finally, I turn almost sideways, one foot on the curb, and somehow slide by with only a minimum of contact. I manage a semi-civil "hello" as they pass by, and one glances over her shoulder, looking at me as if to say "where did you come from?"

Fortunately it doesn't happen all the time. But it's often enough that I wonder: are these people that oblivious? I'm no physics major, but even I can figure out that people headed toward each other in a limited space are destined for a collision. It's a giant game of chicken, and I'm almost always the one who blinks. Some days, though, either because I'm irritated enough or just too tired to care, I stand my ground. I move over as far as I can, and then I don't move any more. Sometimes, they move at the last minute. Other times, they bump into me (usually with an accompanying glare). But I feel better somehow that I've stood up for myself (it's the small things, I know). But what I really want to know is, do they honestly not see me? Are they so engrossed in conversation that they don't notice me standing right in front of them? Do they really not know what to do? Or am I the only one out there walking whose parents taught her some manners? Maybe I need to start a safety campaign. I'll print up brochures and bumper stickers, and make T-shirts. Come up with a catchy slogan. March on Washington. Today, my sidewalk; tomorrow, the world. Hmm, on second thought, I think I'll keep moving over - and sometimes muttering under my breath. So if you see someone out there walking who looks like she's talking to herself... well, maybe it's merely a friendly walker who's just had one of these encounters of the too-close kind.

The Search for Walkability

I recently bought my first house, and I found the househunting process to be a challenge. Everyone makes their list of must-haves, and at the top of mine was location. No surprise there, but my criteria were different from some. Specifically, I wanted a location that was walkable. Sure, I wanted a neighborhood where I could take my daily walks. But I also wanted an area where I could walk to things: the grocery store, shopping, restaurants. In short, a place where I can get around on foot - and without a car - if I need or want to.

Finding that neighborhood turned out to be harder than I thought. First was the task of communicating to my realtor what I wanted and why. It's not the most typical request, so that took some doing. We looked at several homes in areas with walking trails and greenways. I could walk for miles around the neighborhood, but if I wanted to go to the grocery store, I'd have to cross a 5-lane road or a highway with no crosswalks. I know that other areas of the country are more pedestrian-friendly, but where I live (as in many places), it's a car-centric culture. The only way to get to many places is by automobile.

My desire to walk around town is a foreign concept to many. The good news it's that it's not impossible: I found a house that fits the bill, and I moved in last month. The process, though, was enlightening for me, and it's made me more interested in pedestrian safety and walkability. We have a long way to go around here if we want to be welcoming to walkers. But I think it's ultimately worth it.

Walking to Work

My car broke down last week, 20 miles from home. Long story short, I was without wheels for 2 days. The good news is that I live 1.5 miles from my office, so I was able to walk to work on Thursday. (I was off on Friday.) It got me to wondering why it is that I don't walk to work more often. It's crazy that I live so close and drive nearly every day. I can make a million excuses: I need my car for errands during the day or appointments after work, it's too hot, it's too cold, it's raining, I don't feel safe walking home at night (the office is downtown), and on and on. And maybe some of those reasons are valid. But as I see gas prices going up and up, and think of how high they were last summer, I've been thinking that maybe I should consider walking to work more often. In addition to the money I'll save, I'll get a little more exercise and maybe do a small thing to help the environment. So I walked to work yesterday, and I'm hoping I can do this at least 1 or 2 times each week, maybe more, depending on my after-work commitments.

So what about you? How do you get to work? And are there ways to get more walking (or biking) into your commute?

Daylight? What Daylight?

Whenever daylight saving time rolls around every year, I dread it. And it's not just because I lose an hour of sleep. As someone who walks in the mornings before work, I hate this time of year, because it means that just when it's gotten to the point where it's light for at least some, if not a good portion, of my walk, I go back to walking almost completely in the dark. And because DST started even earlier this year, it's dark almost until it's time for me to leave for work.

So what to do? Well, it serves as a timely (pun only partially intended) reminder to pay attention to safety while I walk. In particular, I try to be more deliberate about choosing light colored clothing to wear when I'm out on the streets and sidewalks. I also walk defensively, meaning that I generally assume that drivers can't or don't see me. I get off the road as I see drivers approaching when it's possible, and hug the shoulder when it's not. Plus I use sidewalks where they're available. A couple of other things to consider are wearing reflective gear and/or a light. And I'm reminded that it's probably about time for me to buy some ID to carry with me, just in case something should happen to me while I'm walking. For safety gear, my favorite site these days is www.RoadID.com.

If you're looking for some more ideas of ways you can stay safe while you walk, please visit my Walking Safety page. And be careful out there!