One more day with a car.

For Lent this year I'm giving up driving.  There are a lot of things about driving that I don't like, but like most people who can afford to, I totally rely on my car.  I drive it when I could walk, and I don't plan my errands to combine trips efficiently.  Gas, car payments, and insurance add up - and for me and many of my fellow 20 somethings, that's one of the factors preventing us from being able to pay off student loans or put a down payment on a house.  I've also learned a lot lately while reading everything I can about New Urbanism - the movement in neighborhood development that promotes walkability, sustainability, and community.  I have lots to say about that, but we've got 46 days.  I'll give you a quick preview though:



I live in downtown Waukegan, Illinois and within walking distance of almost everything I need, so I don't think it'll be that difficult.  I'm going to keep a blog to chronicle my adventures on public transportation and to brag about all the cool stuff I can walk to, ride my bike to, take the bus to, and take the train to.

On Wednesday, for the start of my 46 days without a car, I'm walking to the Pace Bus ticket center at 1400 W. 10th Street, which is 2 miles away from my apartment, to see if I can figure out what kind of bus pass / train pass combo deal I can work out.  I did find a bunch of closer places to buy bus passes, which is cool, but I'm gonna see if I can get a map and try to decipher some of the bus routes.

For as much as I promote walkability and accessibility, I'm sure sometimes I don't know what I'm talking about regarding transit in Waukegan.  I make it sound more convenient than it really is and talk about it the way I remember buses and the subway when I was in college in DC.  There are tons of people in my neighborhood now who rely on public transit to get to work, church, stores, and to see friends and family and I know that for many of them, having a car would be a life changer.

So, here's hoping I learn a lot and figure out what I can do to improve public transit options, bike & pedestrian accessibility, and make driving less necessary in my neighborhood.  And on the Lenten note - I think Jesus would totally love a lot of the reasons for doing this.  My friends and I are doing a Bible study on the subject, on the book Sidewalks In the Kingdom.   The premise is that Jesus told us to love our neighbors, so why do so few of us know our neighbors?  I'm sure I'm going to meet more of mine at the bus stop this week.  I'll keep you posted.