Going My Way? (Part 2)

Back in early April, I wrote a post espousing the value of carpooling in the wake of high gas prices. (Note: I got a chuckle as I re-read how it was $3.15 a gallon that day. Gas is up nearly $1.00 since that post just over three months ago.) Well, I guess carpooling is starting to get a bit cooler as more mainstream media start touting passenger tag-teaming.

This week NPR ran a story about the trend in social networking sites taking up the carpooling cause. This story leads you to goloco.org, a new start-up by the founder of ZipCar. While you might find the site useful for finding folks to share rides with, I found the accompanying blog much more interesting.

Every single post on the first page was eye-opening for me. From the silver lining of $4/gallon gas to some true cost of driving analysis (extrapolating the rough math, I’m shelling out way over $10K a year – I need to work closer to home!) to the real connection between carbon emissions and humanity’s fate.

Closer to home, I continue to see a small increase in the amount of cars parked at the Park & Ride on Fish Road. This past week – and on the heels of seeing No Impact Man – my thoughts drifted to how to do even better than just carpooling. I landed at riding my bike to and from the Park & Ride. The problem? No bike racks. Then I thought: I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a bike rack anywhere in town.


Hmmm. This is interesting. I’m going to drop a line to our town planner and DPW director to inquire. Even in the midst of suburbia, a bike rack here or there (and the physical and environmental benefits of riding a bike) couldn’t be a bad thing. Stay tuned on this one.

If anyone out there works in the Quincy, MA, area and is looking for a carpool opportunity, drop me a line. Happy trails.

[Images: A Google Image search popped up all sorts of things. I found these WWII propaganda posters to be slightly ironic given our current situation in the Middle East (Should we slide in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?). Also check out the one on the GoLoco blog. Credits: Wagon/Car -- Oregon State Archives image, Folder 9, Box 14, Defense Council; Ride with Hitler – EV World (original source unknown)]