Green Transportation
Posted on August 13, 2007
Filed Under Personal |
As most of my regular readers are aware, I live in downtown Edmonton. This means that almost all of the places that I like to go are within a few blocks of my apartment.’
It’s true that I live on sort of the north-western fringe of downtown. Some people wouldn’t even consider my neighbourhood of Queen Mary/Oliver to be downtown. Regardless of whether you consider my neighbourhood to be part of the downtown core, the fact remains that I live in a pretty central part of the city.
There are about 5 things that aren’t within close walking distance of my apartment:
- My job - I work on the south-east side of the city, pretty close to Millwoods.
- My parents’ house - They live on the north-east side; it’s not a long drive, but it’s far enough that I wouldn’t want to walk it, especially in the winter (although, when I still lived at home, there was the odd night where I’d walk all the way home from one of the downtown bars that I used to frequent).
- My friends’ places - Most of my close friends live downtown, but I have a few who live in other areas. Westmount, for example, is far enough away that I’m not likely to walk to my friend Rosemary’s house any time soon.
- The grocery store - There is a grocery store very close to my house, but Safeway is pretty expensive. I go there for everyday items, like milk and bread, but I do most of my shopping at Superstore. The closest Superstore to my place is on the Northside. It’s definitely not within walking distance, especially when I’m carrying 6 or 7 bags of groceries.
- Whyte Avenue - The infamous Avenue is a big part of life for most people in the city. I am no exception. The Raving Poets congregate on Whyte. The Fringe is on Whyte. My favourite cigar shop is on Whyte. Basically, I can’t avoid Whyte. I have walked to Whyte Ave on occasion, and it’s not a bad walk on a nice day, but it’s a long walk. I might walk down there on the occasional Saturday afternoon in the summer, but that’s not a typical thing. In the winter, I will definitely not be walking to Whyte. I’ve crossed the High Level on foot in the winter many times and, let me tell you, it’s not something I enjoy. If the weather is warm enough, it can be a pretty beautiful sight to cross the bridge at night in the winter, and look at the snow falling on the river. But, most of the time, it’s a cold, windy experience.
Now, you might wonder what I’m going on about this stuff for. The reason is this: with the exception of these 5 places, nearly everywhere I go in Edmonton on a regular basis is within walking (or cycling) distance of my apartment. That’s why I’ve decided that, at least of the summer, I’m going to try and use my bike for most of my transportation, instead of my car.
The exceptions to this rule are as follows:
- If I am travelling to any of the aforementioned locations.
- If I am (or will be on the return trip) carrying anything that is too large and/or heavy to be easily transported on a bike.
- If I am (or will be on the return trip) travelling after dark (though, I could eliminate this condition by picking up a couple of good quality bicycle lights).
- If I have been, or will be, drinking significant amounts of alcohol. In this case, of course, I won’t be driving. I’ll either be walking, taking a cab, or getting a ride with a sober person.
And, really, that’s about all I can think of. So, unless I’m in an emergency situation, I’m going to try and ride my bike (or walk) pretty much everywhere this summer, with the exception of the aforementioned places/exceptions.
I’m pretty lazy, but I hope that making this announcement public will help me stick to this decision. Plus, it’s good for both the environment, and my own physical health. Anyone else want to follow suit?
PS: For more on this topic, see my post on River City Writer.
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Sounds fantastic! The sad thing is, I have a bike and I just don’t use it. I’ve wanted for a long time to get in the habit of walking and biking more, but that damn car still sits outside of my apartment and it calls to me.
And there’s no reason for me to drive, except my city is not biker friendly.
Where I live though, within walking distance is a grocery, fuel station, drug store, shopping centers, my university, restaurants, liquor store (woo), and pretty much anything else one would need.
But I just don’t take advantage of these conveniences unless my car isn’t running.
The only thing I can’t access easily by walking or biking is friends’ houses (except one) and my family. My family lives hours away so that’s a driving trip anyway you look at it.
Anyway, what I’m trying to say is I’m going to try and make myself take advantage of this stuff more! Thanks for posting. It’s encouraging.
I understand how you feel, Seleena. My city is not particularly bike friendly, either. I’m just lucky enough to live in one of the few areas where everything is close enough together that I can get around without a car, if I so choose.
Of course, it’s difficult to leave the car parked. Even if I’m only going a few blocks, driving is so much easier. Plus, I really enjoy driving.
At the moment, I live in a small town so getting to places is easy and I spend most of my travel time walking. This will be changing in the near future, so maybe I will invest in a bike then. The exercise would be good!