STORIES FROM THE HEART

An Adventure in Busing to Work: By Terry Mayes

After participating in the Green Heart Community Initiative's Eco Audit and seeing the price of gas zoom to $4/gallon with no end in sight, I decided it was time to actually investigate bussing to Boulder for work. I had resisted this for a long time, knowing that the commute time would double for me. But in addition to the reasons mentioned above, I found that I was spending $500/year to park in the garages at CU where I work, as was my sometimes-carpooling co-worker. What a waste!

I waited until my carpool partner was on vacation so as not to disrupt her schedule and armed myself with a stack of bus schedules in Boulder. While there is only one bus route to and from Lyons, there are multiple options to catch connections to get to the University. In addition, I wanted to know the in-city bus routes to figure out how to get to and from doctor's appointments, shopping, etc., which I would typically accomplish during my lunch hours.

I determined that the most efficient route was to use the SKIP up and down Broadway and walk from Broadway and Regent to my building on campus - a distance of about 4 blocks. I also discovered that I could let my husband use my more efficient Subaru to commute, leaving his gas-guzzling truck at home. Bussing is not an option for him, given his erratic work schedule as a UPS man. However, he is able to drive me to the office in the morning, or if we run short on time, drop me at the Homeless Shelter to ride the SKIP down Broadway. Coming home I walk to the SKIP, catch the Lyons bus (Route Y) and we leave the gas guzzler parked in Lyons so I can drive the 1½ miles up the canyon to our home. Biking or walking is not an option along this busy highway!

While the commute time did indeed double, I found that I was meeting some other goals I had set for myself besides reduced energy consumption: I was getting more exercise into my day by walking to/from the bus; I was getting more reading time to help me keep up with Book Club assignments and the mail I receive; and I was getting more time with my husband as we ride to work periodically and spend some ‘quality time' in the car together.

When my carpool partner returned from vacation, she agreed to try riding the bus too and she has also discovered the benefits of doing so. She has decided to keep her parking pass at work for now, but we put it on a carpool permit so that on the days that I need to drive, I can take her to/from work and park with her tag. I gave up my parking pass, saving $500/year. The most challenging time to bus will be in the winter, as waiting at a bus stop in the snow and wind does not sound inviting. On the other hand, I won't be the one navigating the treacherous roads!

Written by Terry Mayes