Transportation Survey: What's your primary mode of transportation?

[MADem]

Poll question: Transportation Survey: What's your primary mode of transportation?

If you care to comment, let us know if you live in the city, the suburbs, or a rural area!

[WeDidIt]

1. I use an automobile locally and for some longer trips

I use public trasnportation to get to work.

[LeftinOH]

2. City dweller here: Take the bus to/from work, but drive for many other needs..n/t

[Dappleganger]

3. Other

When I'm transporting kids (we have four, 3 of whom are teens) I use our minivan. For quick trips around town, if the weather is decent I use the motorcycle.

We live in the suburbs but everything we need is pretty much within a 4 mile radius (except the doctors). There is no public transportation in this area of the county.

[Kievan Rus]

4. I have a driver's license but don't use it

And I don't plan on driving until an affordable car that uses no fossil fuels comes out. With any luck, that could be 5-10 years from now.

[Mopar151]

18. Better buy some good shoes!

Electricity from the grid is largely generated from fossil fuels.

[dysfunctional press]

5. i have a 2001 chrysler mini-van that i bought from my cousin to pay for my aunt's funeral.

her casket was the exact same model that jack nicholson's wife had in "about schmidt".

my wife has a vw 'new' beetle.

i like the van because it gives me space to haul stuff. and it has a trailer hitch.

when we lived in 'the city', we only had one car, and i used my bicycle and public transport much more...but now we're in the 'ex-burbs', and a vehicle apiece is pretty much required.

[RT Atlanta]

6. Wish Atlanta were more commuter friendly

but "car" is the way to go - Marta is purely North/South & East/West and the drivers generally disrespect bike riders (you have to be extra vigilant when out riding).

[RebelOne]

27. Yeah, tell me about it.

I live up in Woodstock, so public transportation is not an option for me. The closest Marta station is in Kennesaw.

[Dulcinea]

110. Agreed.

I'm in Decatur. I have a minivan to haul around a family of 4.

[Lyric]

7. Bus, walking, and occasional rides from friends.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

8. Drive

I don't have the patience or need to wait an hour for the bus when it is 110 degrees outside.

[napi21]

9. There's no public transp available for me, or I'd use it! However,

we're retired and drive about 6 miles a week!

[MADem]

10. Unless I'm going on a long trip (which happens occasionally)

I drive about that much, too--often, even less! It's feast or famine with me!

[krispos42]

11. My kid lives 150 miles away

Each way.


It's a car or nothing.

[guitar man]

12. Motorcycle every chance I get

Pickup truck when I can't. The motorcycle gets a lot of use from about March through October. ;)

[reformedrethug]

69. Same with me

except this year as the bike needs new tires and a brake job. I can pull the tires and do the brakes, just gotta get up the cash for the tires and parts for the brakes.

[guitar man]

75. I know the feeling

I just put two new tires on and it wasn't cheap, had to scrape up the cash and tighten the 'ol belt a bit to get them. Still, with gas prices shooting up, I'm glad to have it on the road.

[flvegan]

13. Millenium Falcon, though it's a real pain in the ass to park.

[MADem]

20. ........

:rofl:

At least you don't have to wait in line at the gas station:

[votingupstart]

57. parking meters giving you hell too

;) very nice with the falcon refrence

[One_Life_To_Give]

14. Public doesn't go where and when

Technically it's only a couple miles walk to the commuter rail and then a couple miles walk from another commuter train station to work. And this evening I only need to be a couple miles from a third commuter rail station. But all three are on different lines coming out of the city. Requiring a trip into the city and back out each time. And of course by the time I am done tonight the trains will be down to last runs, not sure I could actually get home before they shutdown for the night. But the extra 12 miles of walking each day would probably do me some good.:D

[RoadRage]

15. 2006 Honda Pilot SUV...

In my city, the term "public transportation" is pretty laughable.. we have a bus that goes from downtown to midtown.. no place else - and you'd have to drive to get to the bus anyway.

Suburban sprawl is this town to a "tee".. and you have no choice but to drive everywhere. And, with two kids who need to be in car-seats, and it being over 4 miles to the local grocery store.. a car is a necessity.

[cliffordu]

16. Bicycle - I ride in a car about 5 or 8 times a year and I hate it.

Just got back from a ride from near Seattle to Portland, or....

Great fun at 65 miles a day....

[Adelante]

17. Feet, all my life

62 years. I've almost always lived on purpose where I can walk to where I'd want to go on a daily basis, though I will take public transportation when necessary.

[zipplewrath]

19. We walk alot

My primary mode of transportation is my car. But the wife and I walk alot on weekends. We walk to dinner, we run errands on foot, and we often go to hear music at a local pub on foot. On our vacations, we do "self guided" walking tours for about a week, and typically use public transport to get there and back. One year, we walked across England. I wouldn't mind living where I could do most of my "transport" by walking. But I haven't found that place yet.

[proteus_lives]

21. Walking/driving for me is about 50/50.

I try to always take the walking option if the weather's good or it's a distance under 5 miles.

[MADem]

22. Wow, you're good! I'd like to say I would routinely "go the distance" for five mile jaunts,

but I'm probably closer to the "under a mile" walk. Lazy, I know.

[proteus_lives]

25. I wish I could say it was for some noble environmental reason but...

I really just need the exercise! ;-) But I also loving walking. if I have a bottle of water, my ipod and a pack of smokes, I'll march till my feet fall off.

:hi:

[MADem]

30. I need the exercise, too--wish I had your discipline! nt

[proteus_lives]

62. Some days I don't...

I use my car waayyy to often! It's but it's worth fighting the good fight! (Against my gut, that is!)

[lefthandedlefty]

23. I live in a rural area and I drive a car and

make my living with a truck.I get 6 M.P.G. and haul around 25 tons,so I can move a ton of freight 150 miles not as good a freight train but better than a pick up that can move a ton about 15 miles on a gallon of gas.

[MADem]

24. In a rural area, if you don't own a horse (and go places where you can hitch 'em)

a car or the long, slow march are your only options, pretty much.

[galledgoblin]

26. bus, walk, bike: multimodal urban public transit advocate

just moved from Albany NY to Buffalo, and think my new hobby will be annoying the local transportation authorities to improve service.

[Phoonzang]

28. I walk to work. Drive everywhere else. nt

[deoxyribonuclease]

29. Live in the city, drive car to and from work

Southern California, 'nuff said...

The area I live in is very walkable, but the area my office is located in is not. I don't like driving and pretty much only use my car for commuting.

[HamdenRice]

31. I live in New York City. Fuggadaboutit

Do you gotta axe? Of course it's public trans.

[MADem]

32. I probably should have tossed taxis into the mix as well. That's "public" but it's a bit more

private than subway or bus.

In the Middle East and some other localities, you can hire (reasonably affordably, not like NYC) private cars with drivers for the whole or half day (or by the hour), or take a private taxi, or take semi-private taxis that stop at varying points along a set route.

[Stinky The Clown]

33. Consider me mixed modal

My daily commute is on human skin. I have to commute two flights of stairs. On busy days, there are two dogs, one cat, and two women.

When I need to visit clients, my transportation depends on where I am going ..... could be car, could be metro, could be train, sometimes an airplane.

[LeftyMom]

34. Car, bike, feet. I use transit when I travel, but our local system is a joke.

It's slow, it smells, and it's stuffy inside the light rail trans and buses. I'm not one to get car sick, but the miasma of warm air and BO on our local buses instantly has me ready to puke- I've never run into that problem anywhere else.

I live in an older inner suburb.

[Bucky]

35. I use a car, but it's Clinton's penis's fault!

Damn you, Clinton's penis, you got me again!

[bigwillq]

36. Car (nt)

[KamaAina]

37. Transit-dependent here

so basically, 95 percent of the country is off-limits to me. :grr:

[Mopar151]

38. We try to be appropriate

Shoes by Nike, New Balance, Rockport,Georgia Boot and Drews
E&J manual, recycled electric wheelchairs
Hand tuck and garden flatbed wagon
Honda Elite scooter (49cc, legal moped in NH)
Carmine, the Mafia Staff Car ('89 Mercury - 22mpg)
Vanna ('O4 Ford Minivan - 18 mpg)
Homer ( 72 F-350 tow rig and car trailer 9mpg @ 12000 gcw)
The Cruiser (homemade race car - 2mpg "at speed" on 100 octane)

[MADem]

39. The Cruiser--it goes fast but not far? How big is the tank? nt

[Mopar151]

42. Kinda complex to explain

Visuals at <www.hillclimb.org>
Basically, in generic terms, it is a time trial car. Our hillclimbs are time trials, from 1.1 (Mt. Philo) to 7.4 (Mt. Washington), with 10-17% grades, numerous switchbacks and hairpins, narrow, bumpy, and crowned - a 60mph average is excellent, with a top - shelf car.
The fuel cell is 15 gallons, generally good for a day's competition.
I have done some track days and Solo 1 as well.

[MADem]

50. Wow, your race car climbed MT Washington?

I'm impressed! Neat!

It used to be sport in the distant past to drive up there in a decent car, but put one of those "This car climbed MT Washington" bumper stickers on the worst beater you could find! A bit of youthful foolishness!

[Mopar151]

68. 7.39, 94mph speed trap n/t

[Ocracoker16]

40. I am a city girl

I don't have a driver's liscense so I do a lot of walking on a daily basis. I can go to the gym, shop for groceries, get coffee, and eat lunch all on the same street which is a 15 minute walk from my house. I do take the metro or bus when I go downtown. My relatives have a car and we drive to the library and to the doctor.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

41. Subway/walking.

[Posteritatis]

43. Walking if it's less than an hour one-way, bus if it's longer or if time's an issue

I'm ostensibly urban, but I'm out on the edge of the city, which is fairly dense in the downtown core anyway.

[Sheltiemama]

44. I envy people with good public transportation.

Commuting on a train sounds wonderful. I could just sit there and read a book.

[taterguy]

47. Mass transit only works where there's lots of people

Move to a major metropolitan area if that's what you want

[Greyhound]

67. Portland, OR is a small city (~500,000) with the best public transportation I've experienced,

and that includes New York and Chicago, where I've also lived.

Phoenix (4.3M), and LA(13M), other former homes, have the worst in my experience.

It is more about will, not just population.

[ohheckyeah]

45. I live in a rural area so there is

no public transportation.

[TahitiNut]

46. Sedan chair ... carried by four VERY strong servants

:dunce:

[MADem]

52. ....

:rofl:

I hope your strong servants are happier than this crew....


http://tbn0.google.com/hosted/images/c?q=b6fce1731a409f03_landing

War correspondent Palmer Hoyt III (R) and his date Barbara Stephens (C), taking a hilltop ride in a sedan chair.
Location: Chungking, China
Date taken: October 1945
Photographer: Jack Wilkes
Size: 1258 x 1280 pixels (17.5 x 17.8 inches)

[TahitiNut]

53. Here I am on a recent trip to the grocery store ...

:evilgrin:

[MADem]

54. The guys with the fans are a hoot!!! Nothing like a ride with AC!!! nt

[MADem]

59. Did you see Will Ferrell on Conan O'Brien just now? He came onstage in a ....

SEDAN CHAIR!!!

Carried by guys who looked just like your buddies -- only he had no guys with fans!!!!!

[TahitiNut]

60. (lol!) Ya gotta have a "fan club."

:silly:

[surrealAmerican]

48. Almost everywhere I go is within 3 miles so I walk.

If it's farther, or I'm in a hurry, I'll take public transportation. I realize there are not many towns in this country where walking everywhere is possible, and that's a shame. It's a very good way to live.

[tabbycat31]

49. 1999 Subaru Forester

I'm applying for jobs, and I want one that I can walk, bike, or take the train to though. I want to keep this car running for a long time and not drive as much.

[MrSlayer]

51. I live in the city, I don't need a car.

Public transportation can get me anywhere I need to go in a timely fashion.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

55. small city/metroplex

have to drive if I go out of my immediate college town.

[votingupstart]

56. i have a combo

public trans for everywhere i can
car for where public trans dosent go
motorcycle for long weekends
bike for exercise - to far away from work to ride

[MADem]

58. I am still waiting for roller skates, and a SEGWAY! No joy, yet! nt

[Broken_Hero]

61. Car, live in SW Missouri(Rural). nt

[Ghost in the Machine]

63. Astral Projection...

.. it gets me where I want to be...

[marlakay]

64. I said car but I live rurally and drive scooter

in the summer. It snows here in the winter months. I also bike and walk a lot too.

[csziggy]

65. My vote was for a car or truck, but daily I use an electric golf cart around the farm

The truck gets started about once a week or less on average and is only for trips into town for feed, groceries, whatever.

Before my knees went, I walked everywhere on the farm, but my knees won't let me do that much walking any more.

[MADem]

70. Cool. I had a friend who lived in a "golf cart community."

They'd take the golf cart to the grocery, out to dinner, everywhere--they didn't do much golfing, either!

[csziggy]

89. I'm keeping an eye out for the new photovoltaic roofs for golf carts

It'd be nice to just park the cart in the sun and let it recharge rather than having to plug it in. One of the local golf cart place has some customers trying them out and I want to see what kind of results they get before I pay the money for one.
http://www.cruisecarinc.com/product-solar-roof-kit.htm

My cart has a utility bed on the back instead of racks for clubs or a seat. And I've got a hitch so I can hook my garden wagon to it and haul hay or other stuff around. Mostly, I use it to run over to the barn and feed. The horses now think any time the golf cart is driving around, they are getting fed. I don't even have to call them anymore. ;)

[MADem]

92. Pavlov's horses!!! Hee hee! nt

[Greyhound]

66. Car. No choice, public transit here,like most places, is nearly non-existent.

What there is, is completely impractical for regular use.

But, we do have a billion dollar monorail to get me from casino to casino if I ever decide to become a professional gambler.
:eyes:

[taterguy]

74. You have the choice of where to live

You also might be able to choose a bike, depending on your situation

But it's so much easier to blame others

[MADem]

78. Geez. In this economy, people don't have a choice. They live where the J-O-B is.

Many also live where their family is located.

I mean, really--who wouldn't want to live in a seaside town with 24 hour bus service, two blocks from the organic food store, a trendy restaurant, and the TARGET? Gee, let's all move there! Think there will be jobs for all of us?

And if you live in a desert with the sun baking down and the temperatures topping a hundred, or in a hilly, rainy area, and you're not nineteen, or you're disabled, you might not be able to "choose" that bike.

Way to pull out the broad brush and slap on that paint, without knowing the cricumstance of another! Not terribly "progressive" of you, either. If anyone's playing the blame game, it's you.

[taterguy]

87. I should let this go but what's this "Nineteen" crap?

Do you really think that only teenagers can/should use a bicycle for transportation?

ps: Cycling's very popular in Seattle. I hear it rains a lot there.

[MADem]

88. Sixty or seventy year old people living in Las Vegas can't bike to work.

Nor can ANYONE who lives in Blizzardville, Maine for the best part of the snow year.

You were very rude to that poster, with your "Fuck you, why don't you move?" attitude. Like everyone has a great big wonderful CHOICE about where they live. That was an asinine and deliberately rude post on your part, frankly. I responded to your unkind snark with a little snark of my own. In your world, everyone is healthy and fit--but in the real world, that's just not the case. You might try looking around at the real world on occasion.

I'll bet you can use one hand to count the number of people who commute to work by bike in a driving Seattle rainstorm. And I doubt that people just getting by, working those swing and graveyard shifts in that same city, hop on the old Huffy to go to their jobs in the gloom of night, because risking getting hit on a dark street is just SO much fun.

Your post was unkind, disrespectful, dismissive and clueless. The fact that you focus on a hyperbolic remark in my response, rather than your meanspirited approach to the poster in the first place, is a very unfortunate reflection on you.

[taterguy]

90. The "Fuck you" was your projection. It's not in my post

I wasn't passing judgment, just making an observation.

[MADem]

91. Not projection. Interpretation. Here, reread what you wrote.

You have the choice of where to live
You also might be able to choose a bike, depending on your situation

But it's so much easier to blame others



You start out making an assumption that the poster is free to move anywhere, not knowing if there's a mortgage, a sick relative, a job or other obligations tying the person to the area, then you tell someone that you know nothing about (and who lives in a state where the heat often exceeds a hundred degrees and the landscape is quite spread out--great biking weather, NOT) to "get on yer bike," and then you tell them that it's so much "EASIER to BLAME OTHERS."

That sounds, to me, like you are using a bunch of words to say "Fuck you." Certainly, the two specific words weren't there, but there's no mistaking your intent. You lack the ability to feel compassion for or understanding of the life situations of others. You blame people without any knowledge or questioning of their circumstances before you pass judgment.

That's your issue, though. I hope you never are in need of the milk of human kindness--you might find it in short supply.

[Greyhound]

95. Actually, I don't have a choice.

Rather, the choice was to stay in the nice city I lived in and let my MIL be murdered, or come back to this red-state hell hole and fight to save her.

Public transportation is about as likely to be funded by these morans as an arcology, and even if by some miracle it was, the contract would go to somebody's brother who would steal half the money and run off to South America and nothing would ever be said.

After all, "nobody but "niggers 'n spics" ride the bus, why the hell should I hafta pay fer them".

[Bonn1997]

71. In my house--travel by foot. Elsewhere--by car.

[depakid]

72. Curious, because I'm currently working on an aspect of a transportation assessment

looking at carrots and sticks alongside distances to public transportation nodes.

With respect to the results here -which are considerably worse than the data we're working with, it just goes to show the depths of the trouble Americans and their car dependent culture and built environments are going to find themselves in.

Of all the peoples in the world, I expect the US to will be hit the hardest with respect to their accustomed lifestyles, as gas prices inexorably rise.

[MADem]

79. I think we've got a lot of suburban and rural responders.

Where I live, we have spotty bus service, insufficient train service, and not even enough cab companies. AND we don't do as well as we could on sidewalks, either.

We need to come up with a better mousetrap for the short term, though--more fuel efficient engines, hybirds, that sort of thing. With the size and breadth of our nation, we're not going to be crowding people into urban areas any time soon--and the rural folk will need a way to get around without breaking the bank.

And on edit--speaking of transportation nodes, there's no way to take the bus to the train from most parts of town, so if you park-n-ride, you get abused by the cost of the parking before you even buy the not-cheap train ticket. The minimum wage earner has to work over an hour to pay for the commuting costs!

[depakid]

103. Non-response bias -and curiously, gender disparity is a problem in our dataset

We don't have a problem with park & ride costs, though capacity is another matter.

That's a trade off, of course.

As to cabs, LOL- try hailing one on most of the West Coast!

[MADem]

104. Capacity is an issue in my area too--which is probably why they crank up the cost.

The people who suffer are the working poor who are either killing themselves to afford the train pass in the first place, or who make so little that even an employer-subsidized pass doesn't make parking the clunker in the park-n-ride any more affordable. A lot of them try to park the car a not too terrible walk away in a neighborhood, but then, because they drive clunkers, the cars stand out, and some of the tightass neighbors call the cops about what's parked legally out on the street.

Cabs are "call" only in my community. You have to telephone for one and wait for them to come for you--they don't ply the roads looking for targets of opportunity. There aren't that many of them either.

The people who have the best transportation for their needs are the geezers in the senior communities--the downside is that they can't go when "they" want, but when the "grocery bus" or the "WALMART bus" or the "Uptown van" is leaving.

[depakid]

107. It's the usual "solution" to over utilization, but a rather simplistic one

and when it comes down to it, there are problems with inelasticity (as well as overflow) that leave us scratching our heads.

Some areas- LA is a good example, have neighborhoods near "destinations" where if a car doesn't have a permit to park, it gets ticketed. These of course are wealthy areas with TONS of space and pretty wide streets. Must be a pain to have to go out and pop a permit on every visitor's car- but I suppose it must be worth it to some in order to "keep the riff raff out."

Sad fact is- there really isn't a viable public transportation option, as there would be in Chicago or much of Portland- so it's either pony up the $20+ or guerrilla park.

That's a situation we'd like to plan ahead to avoid.

[MADem]

108. We could double or triple capacity in some those lots if these little beauties suddenly

became fashionable and affordable (I like the enclosed nature of the cab--there's nothing worse than getting soaked with rain or snow on the way to work! They'd still need a roll down plastic side window or something, but it's a start):


Yeah, green in more ways than one. That abomination you see pictured above is unsurprisingly kind to Mother Earth, but we'd venture to say that most Americans wouldn't be caught dead driving it... until gasoline hits $10 or so per gallon, that is. Designed by pioneering students at Saint Thomas Academy with the help of a $10,000 InvenTeams grant from the Lemelson-MIT program (among other donations), this enclosed motorcycle hums along courtesy of a battery-driven Briggs and Stratton ETEK electric motor. Currently, the bike can scoot about for 40 miles and reach 60 miles-per-hour, and there's even a GPS unit thrown in to keep you headed in the right direction. Heaven only knows if this thing will see production, but given the way things are trending, we'd place our bets on yes.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/22/enclosed-electric-motorcycle-is-green-and-ghastly/

I really do think that there's some call for something along these lines--sort of like a smart car, only cheaper. The Piaggio truck is a staple in Italy--and all they are is a motorbike with a cab on it, and a truckbed behind. It keeps one out of the rain and snow, and keeps the sun off your head, and that is a real issue for a lot of people.


The Ape is a landmark of the Italian roads. Built by Piaggio, the same manufacturer of the Vespa scooter, it's still a fairly popular transportation vehicle for light cargo. Compared to the gigantic US and Japanese trucks, the Ape with its 50cc engine is a far economical option ... and easier to park too.
http://www.italyfromtheinside.com/2005/11/ape-italian-truck.html

[depakid]

109. That top pic would be a big hit in PDX if only it were cheap!

Portland has the highest rate of bicycle commuting in the nation- though you're right, the climate's mild and one only has to worry with getting a bit wet and chilly.

What some of us "radicals" are thinking about down the line (not with respect to the current dataset) is that electric vehicles will be useful to get to public transportation nodes- as opposed to those we refer to as cornucopians, who think that they'll be driving up and down the highways willy nilly on a charge or two. Can't wait to see how AAA deals with that!

Little trucks, btw, they're common abroad. Not exactly macho, they get the job done- and are damn practical for narrow streets.

Another efficient curiosity from down under:

http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,6579802,00.jpg

The mailman.

[MADem]

111. Makes total sense to me!!

I always got a kick out of the electric milk floats in the UK--many are more modern and smaller than this one, but it's a classic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPDHX-aI8mw

[Mopar151]

81. We know some of the easy ways out

But there's some financial/regulatory barriers we otta demolish - like heavy insurance surcharges to add an economical "commuter" car - or the fees, taxes, and costs of moving closer to work.
"I can't afford to live where I work" eats gas like a squadron of Escalades, and It won't take a major reinvention of the wheel to find ways to ease that.
And it sure as hell would'nt hurt to pound on lots of employers to be more considerate of commuting costs when structuring work. Why should anybody drive 100 miles to do desk work on a computer in this day and age? The bonehead boss that' can't be bothered to set up appropriate telecommuting needs to start seeing the cost of their intransigence.
:rant:
Especially in a friggin' nor'easter, when the commute turns into a 5-hour hell ride:banghead: :wtf: :nuke: :hurts:
rant off

[MADem]

85. Good rant! nt

[armyowalgreens]

73. I harness the wind currents from limbaugh and hannity, the wind bags/blow hards..

I just set up my car sail and off I go.

[RadicalTexan]

76. Walk to work, most errands

Drive to grocery store sometimes, to friends' houses that are more than a mile away. I use about a tank and a half of gas a month. Sometimes I ride the bus. But walking to work is the main thing. I hope I never have to live where I have to drive to work ever, ever again. Ever. It saves so much money and, more importantly, TIME. It takes me ten minutes. Why would I spend an hour or two a day sitting in traffic to go to someplace I don't really want to to be, to stare at a screen all day?

Ah, capitalism.

[jeffrey_X]

77. Public Trans...24 x 7. I live in Chicago and NYC so it makes my life pretty easy.

However, I do use Zip Car and IGoCars when I need to load up on groceries.

[MADem]

80. How does that zip car work out? Do you have to park them in specified areas, or

in the same place where you took them? How much does it cost?

[tammywammy]

82. VW Beetle TDI

I live in the largest city in the US without any public transportation.

[Ron Green]

98. That's gotta be Arlington.

Built by a car dealer.

[City of Mills]

83. I walk mostly everywhere, too lazy to drive

I'm fortunate to have moved within blocks of my job, so I also get to walk home for lunch everyday and hang out with my cats :) Everything I need is within walking distance, grocery store, post office, etc. I have an SUV which sits in the city parking garage most of the time, I fill it up about once per month. It's extremely liberating to be able to get everywhere on foot, and I realize that many people simply don't have this option. There's also plenty of public transportation available, buses and trolleys run in the city and out to the suburbs but most of the time i'm walking to where I need to go.

[MADem]

86. You are in a wonderful and enviable circumstance!

I'll bet you're in decent shape, too!

[madmom]

84. I live in NW Ohio, called "the other Ohio" around here because we see very

little in the way of gov't money (except farm subsidies of course). We have not public transportation and have to go at least an hour away if we want to use Amtrak. This is a topic of contention for me, we desperately need public transportation of some kind. I drive where ever I want to go as does everybody else around here. Two cars in every garage, at least.:grr:

[havocmom]

93. Shanks mare and a bike for the most part

We put less than 5000 miles on car per year, which is pretty decent, considering we live 90 miles from any shopping save a mom & pop tiny grocery.

[MADem]

100. Sounds like you're good planners, too! nt

[JustJeking]

94. I drive - Tampa Bay isn't exactly

public transportation or pedestrian friendly. My husband and I do try to use our motorcycle as much as we can on the weekends.

[BlooInBloo]

96. Bus, cab, train.

[MADem]

101. You're the first "cab" person, I think! nt

[BlooInBloo]

112. (shrug) I live in a city. A car's cost and hassle significantly outweighs its benefits - in my case.

Other cases can differ.

[MADem]

114. I had an elderly relative who gave up her car in the 'burbs, and managed to

fit cabs into her lifestyle (along with calling me up and getting me to drive her around) along with the "senior van" and the odd bus ride. I was surprised that you were the only one who mentioned the cab option, is all.

I agree that people who live in reasonably dense cities with some public transportation can get by without a car. And if you combine cab useage with walking and the odd public transportation, you probably do save a bundle -- no car note, no insurance, no paying for parking!

[carlyhippy]

97. Nissan Xterra for the few miles a day I drive, unless it's nice out, then it's walking shoe city

long trips we use the xterra, the other vehicles are too old and not reliable.

[cmf]

99. It's a mishmash

I take at least 10 one way trips on a ferry boat per week to get to work. If I need to go somewhere in the city farther than I'd like to walk, I take the bus (if it's to a construction site for work, I take a pool car). Near my home, I walk for most errands, but usually end up taking the car if it's more than a mile or if I have to haul heavy things. I probably ride in or drive a car once a week (not including site visits for work, which varies). I'd like to get a nice lightweight bike for those errands over a mile, but that are still within town. My current bike sucks. It's a 3-speed and so heavy it's a pain to ride it up even minor hills.

[MADem]

102. You're the first boat commuter on this survey! NT

[baldguy]

105. A car getting 30 mpg is very different than a truck getting 10.

[MADem]

106. My question wasn't "How small is your carbon footprint?" -- though if you'd care to

elucidate on that aspect, it certainly aids the overall discussion.

I'm simply trying to get a sense of how people on this board get around on a daily basis. These little survey things are snapshots, anecdotal.... not scientific.

Cars and trucks are similar in that they involve getting behind a wheel in a closed environment and putting a foot on an accelerator. A lot of rural folk only have a truck--they use it for their work and for their transportation to shopping, dropping the kids off, that kind of thing.

A few of the "big truck" people have chimed in with additional information as to their mileage and load capacity, as well. Some of the trucks carry so much stuff they're getting less than ten MPG.

[dixiegrrrrl]

113. Electric golf cart ( we do not play golf)

for neighborhood errands. It is too hot to walk most days.

Grocery store run once a week in a car. I fill car up every 3-4 months, sometimes longer.
So far this year I have driven under 200 miles.

[MADem]

115. I wish I lived in a place where I could tool around in a golf cart.

I think you're the winner in the low usage category, of those who have cars!