4.24.2012

"You need some car free days"

Since moving to Dallas I've been driving to work every day. It has been taking its toll on me - until this past Saturday, that is. Saturday was the first day that I've commuted to work without a car since coming to Texas. I biked to the train station, hopped aboard for 15 miles ($1.75) and biked the rest of the way to work. On the way home I missed a train by less than a minute, causing my return commute to take 80 minutes.

Overall, it was fun. Tons of folks on the train talked to me because of how different my bike is from things they've seen. Everyone seemed to strike up conversation about it. The train did get crowded though.

Today, I'm armed with more experience. I know what to expect, how & where to pay for the fare, how to hang my bike on the DART, and a knowledge that it's less taxing psychologically on me than driving is. I'll be saving a bit of cash, too. My driving commute was costing me a gallon of gas each direction ($8 total), plus wear and tear on the car. My roundtrip now costs me less than $4, and I'll be getting some exercise and sunlight at the same time.

Today will be bike commute #2.

3 comments:

  1. How far is the shop from your house?

    ~Chris

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    Replies
    1. The shop is about 17.5 miles away. Right now I travel the majority of that by train. However, in the future I plan to lengthen the bike ride and shorten the train ride by using different train stations. The hardest part of cycling here is the frenzy of motor traffic. The most feasible routes are 3 lane 45mph roads. I hear Dallas has passed a big bike plan in the past year, so I'll see if there is some infrastructure I'm missing...

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  2. Way to go, finding a way to get there without your car, even in the big D! Have fun, and be safe.

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