Posts Tagged ‘transit’

A green, or sustainable, commute doesn’t have to be difficult, boring or uncomfortable. A bus ride with a good book and some nice music in the morning sure beats getting stuck in the stress of rush hour traffic right in the morning. But a green commute demand some kind of planning. Driving in general doesn’t. At least not as much.

One tip for the budding bus commuter is to read up on the ticket system. Not knowing costs, how it works, travel times, and so on can actually be a game breaker for many people who aren’t used to riding the bus. Let’s take an example, the ticket system here in Volvo’s home town of Gothenburg;

The system uses cards with magnetic strips loaded with money or an area charge, and you check in when you board the vehicle. If you travel over public transportation zones you have to press a button when boarding and remember to check out by holding up the card to the check in machine. If you are just traveling within one zone (usually a city/town) you don’t even have to check out. Sounds difficult, right?

There are a few more quirks to the system, but let’s leave it at this. The point is that this system have become heavily criticized at every turn. The checking out procedure seems to be what irritates most people, as they forget and have to pay more then they should if that happen on a bus/train line that goes over several zones (ie. through several cities/towns).

Granted that is NOT good design. Stuff like that shouldn’t be possible, but how difficult is it to remember to check out when getting off the vehicle? Very difficult apparently. But if you just read up on how it works and make an effort to understand the system, where information is available on several buses/trains, at the stations and in info huts as well as on the local public transportation offices homepage you can actually avoid problems. I personally have never had the problem lots of people describe with this system.

The ticket systems differ in between countries and between cities, but the same rule apply. Preparations and knowledge makes the commute smoother and easier. It isn’t that difficult, just be sure to know how you pay, what it will cost, when the bus comes and when and where you will arrive. Easy, right?

Public transportation is surrounded by lots and lots of superstitions. It is dirty, noisy, uncomfortable, filled with thugs that will rob you blind and it costs way more then simply driving to work. My experiences  tell me that this is wrong on so many levels. But you have to plan a bit more as you have times to follow, and has to have to be able to pay for the trip. It also helps to know alternative routes, but that is a bit overkill if you just want to green up your habits. And opting to take the bus saves a lot of CO2, as well as space on the roads. A buss will swallow some 50 passengers, which may mean 50 cars less on the roads. That means large amounts of CO2, particles, NOx, SO2 and noise are saved.

Climate change as well as local environmental problems are running rampart. You can help do something about this by simply taking the bus. That may seem like a daunting task for those who have never tried, but gather some friends/coworkers and do it together. Make sure you know the basics and enjoy the joyful ride to work with a good book and some nice music. Or the newspaper. Or some facebook time. And while you do that you are helping making the planet better. Sounds good?

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Fredrik

By the way, go ahead and try Commute Greener! and see that you really can change our habits and save a lot of CO2 in the  process.

Hi guys!

It has been a while since last time we posted some tips on what to do on the commute, and the old ones are still valid. So of course I decided to reblogg our last entry. Enjoy!

So, you have decided to try commuting by bus. To let the car rest and try out the public transportation everybody talks about. Hopefully you have already done your homework and know a bit about the pay system and which routes that are the fastest. You get up in the morning.  And quickly realize a couple of things.

1. You have to plan your mornings to get to the bus stop in time.
2. While on the bus, you have some 20+ minutes of downtime.

This scenario isn’t uncommon. I mean, of course you aren’t used to downtime when driving to work every day. Driving a car require constant attention if nothing else. Listening to music or making a phone call can kill the time in long ques.

But on the bus, or commuter train/rail you just sit there. Therefore it quickly gets boring. Right?

I am amazed of how crafty transit-commuters are when it comes to occupying themselves. My favorite things to do on the commute include reading, listening to music, work, chatting with the passenger next to me or maybe doing a bit of surfing the net. I think it’s time to update the “what to do on the commute” list from way back. So without further delays;

1. Play with your smartphone. There are so many apps, games and opportunities. You decide what you like best. A tip from Magnus (managing director of Commute Greener!) is this one. And this is no surprise either I hope:)
2. Read a book. I don’t know how many hours and books my commute have devoured. May I recommend the Millennium series by Stieg Larsson (the books “the girl with the dragon tattoo” movie is based upon)
3. Catch up on the news. Yea, let’s move on.
4. Eat breakfast or get the morning coffee. Only if it is allowed though. If you have a long commute you can save some precious morning time by eating on the train/bus.
5. For all the ladies out there who like to put some makeup on in the morning; why not save some time in the morning and do it during the commute? Quite common, and I’m amazed with how the ladies here parry the bumping bus all the time.
6. Facebook or twitter the time away. Most people have a phone that can take it, so why not? Just don’t miss your stop.
7. Get to know people. Many are quite friendly, so why not discuss the news, or sports? If you commute with co-workers, why not getting to know them better? Or team up with other green commuters with our Rideshare feature.
8. Watch some youtube-clips, if you have a laptop or phone that can manage it. Hey if we have to drag all this technology along, why not use it.
9. Count cars with a single occupant, and feel smug when you glide by long car lanes in the bus lane.
10. Get some work done. Yea, it is boring but it passes time and may let you get home a bit earlier. I have never heard anyone complain about that.

Basic stuff. I bet you can find hundreds of things to do to use all that free-time. So Once again get to it. Keep commuting greener!

Fredrik

Congratulation Mexico City! on the Commute Greener! certificate! (link in Spanish)

Employees in several organisations in the Mexico City administration started to commute greener late 2010. Experiences have been so positive that Commute Greener! is seen in the potential of the city’s Environmental Management System. The purpose it to get a measure on the CO2 footprint of the employees commutes as well as raise awareness and inspire change of transportation habits towards more environmentally friendly ones. And it works, even in a mega city like this. Large cities often have severe problems with air pollution, traffic congestion, noise and other traffic related environmental effects. The only real solution to that kind of problem, caused by too many vehicles is to reduce the number of them that are active on the roads. To do that, awareness of why one should change habits is vital.

The employees of Mexico City make impressive achievements. So well in fact that they will now be given a Commute Greener! certificate, the first to be awarded in the Americas. Departments have reached up to 40 % reduction of their normal commute footprints, a very good number, and on a yearly basis they could save some 75 000 tonnes of CO2 just by changing their normal habits. Think about it, it is huge. Still, Commute Greener! keep focus on the kilos and ounces that each individual can contribute with. Imagine as usage grows from employees to more community groups and individuals. If EVERYONE in all cities around the world would choose greener options now and then, huge amounts of CO2 could be saved. Hats off to you!

And they enjoy it too. The Secretary of Environment had this to say about Commute Greener! (from the press release)

“It is very valuable to work together with Commute Greener” says Martha Delgado, Secretary of Environment in the government of Mexico City. She continues, “Our city has an ambitious Green Plan and transportation is one important area. The opportunity to both measure and reduce CO2 emissions makes Commute Greener! suitable for integration with our Environmental Management System.”

How did they reach those results? Encouragement and directions. When an organization use a tool like Commute Greener! you get another solution then compared to being a lone commuter and makes it suitable for integration with the Environmental Management System (EMS).  //And as a side note on EMS:  For those of you who don’t know what an such a system is.  It is basically a way to organize the environmental work within an organisation. Believe it or not, but most larger businesses and organisations have one. //  Each one of us, as a single commuter, may after an initial period of insight fall into habits. Such a state of mind is what we want to avoid by combining the measurement and joy into delivering a positive climate change with Commute Greener! The first weeks are critical as well as to infuse sustainable change. Our experience is that lasting effects are achieved everywhere, but with higher certainty and to higher degree into the dedicated communities which run smart climate campaigns. The same is true when an organisation use a tool like this, so when you are encouraged to use Commute Greener! by your employer, you get richer solutions and will participate in something bigger. All your colleges are participating as well and incentives grows, for example through friendly competitions. Discussions becomes vivid and comparisons between different teams stimulate change, making the transition to a greener commute easier. The fun factor also increases!. And while you and other participants are having fun awareness is gained of the environmental impact and the chance to change for the better becomes obvious. In the end the organisation get hard numbers to report and use in the environmental improvement process. One of the better win+win+win situations ever seen.

I personally don’t know the Mexico City area or its commute options, but having results go up to 40% is a great result in such a short time. Good job, keep it up and become the greenest commuters in Mexico!

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Fredrik

The commute, as well as all the shorter and often unnecessary journeys, can make up a huge part of a households energy budget. If the store is far away, there are no bike paths or mass transit options, driving is kind of natural for most people. And driving can be quite pleasant in the suburbs, but how about  in the city center? I don’t think anybody really like to drive in congested areas. Especially if you will have to drive a long distance to get to those areas in the first place.

To get around this, many cities now have commuters parking at major bus stations and rail transit points. The point is to simply drive to the transit point, leave the car and ride the rest of the way. Especially if you live a bit outside the city you can save lots of energy this way (at least if the transit point is way closer then driving to work…). Not only that, but e bike parking lots are getting more and more common in Europe.

Remember the concept of commute chains? We made some calculations at the office a while ago, and found out that if the commute is long, you will only loose a few minutes on a bike – train- bus/walking chain in many cases. And all the while one can get some exercise and then time for breakfast, some preparations for the day, time to read the news or a few minutes of sleep. And as moving one person at a full commuter train takes way less energy then driving all the way. In other words; by only driving part of the way you solve your transportation in a more energy efficient way, thus helping to make the commute sustainable.

This is mostly a viable advise on longer commutes, I would say an hour or so one way. On shorter commutes it might not be worth the hassle. An hour by train is a quite common commute, at least in northern Europe. Distances are longer then one might believe when looking on a map, and many are forced to commute long distances since work closer to home, especially in smaller towns, often are scarce. The Swedish unemployment office even say that a 3 hour commute, one way, is acceptable… I’m not sure who could do with a 6 hour commute/day, but hey (I commute for one hour/da x2/day and doesn’t think it takes to long time)… Under these circumstances, a train ride is a godsend. While it can get boring, you get to work in good condition. You save money, especially with how expensive fuel is.

So if you want to try other commute options, but doesn’t have transit close by, then try to chain the commute. Driving a short way and then using greener transportation sure is better then driving the whole way, especially if the commute is a long one. Bring a book, your phone or some other entertainment, get to know some other commuters and make it as easy and comfortable as possible. Who knows, you may find the extra free-time a nice end/start of the day! Oh, and calculating the CO2 impact from this is very easy with Commute Greener!. Try it out.

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Fredrik

btw, We have a new release of Commute Greener!. As far as I know the web version (usable on any phone with internet access) and on a computer is up, and the iPhone version is on its way. The new version features new zero emission activities, indexes and should make a green commute even easier. Register at www.commutegreener.com

With all the tension in the middle east it is no wonder that fuel prizes are increasing. I have no idea how expensive it has gotten in the rest of the world, but here in Sweden it costs almost 14,5 SEK/liter, ie about 50 SEK/gallon, about 6,3$/gallon (take that transformation with a pinch of salt, I am using a lot of averages and rounding here). The point is, driving is getting expensive right now. But everybody still need to get to work every day. There are however a lot of ways to save a buck on the commute, while greening it up as well!

• Let’s start with environmentally friendly driving, or eco-driving. If you are good at it you can save some 15% of fuel over a year. I know, we have covered this before, but if everybody learned and followed this scheme we could get a long way towards making the traffic flow more even and reducing emissions. Basically, keep an even tempo, avoid starting and stopping (for example roll slowly toward red lights so you don’t have to stop), drive at the highest gear possible and skip gears (ie 1-2-4 and 1-2-3-5) to keep the motor from working to hard. There is of course more to it, but I am sure you can find better explanations from someone who are better at cars and driving then me.
• By removing stuff like ski-boxes and making sure the tires have a bit more pressure then is recommended in the manual you reduce resistance and thus reducing the fuel consumption. Check with a mechanic before, but many tires can take it, and it can save some fuel as well.
• Carpool/rideshare, and divide the fuel cost… enough said.
• Greener commute options are usually not that expensive, and doesn’t take to much time either. Trains and buses are more efficient then one might think, as long as the system is well maintained, and it is very possible to make commute chains with bike/train, or to just drive to the train station and then park the car/bike. This is getting more and more common over here, and it actually works.
• A bike commute is free when you have the bike and a backpack. And guess what, you save some cash on that pricey gym card as well.
• A telecommute removes the travel costs. How many turns the thermostat/AC/radiators down when leaving home? Not to many. While the electricity bill might be a bit higher, you should save a bit anyway if you don’t go out of your way to turn all lights and appliances on. And having a meeting with you boss while wearing a pajamas might be a new experience:P
• Not buying fast-food on the way home can save a lot. Well not in places where it is actually cheaper, but you get the idea. And home cooking is healthier anyway.
• When you are at it, instead of sport drinks, have some lemonade/lemon-water in the water bottle on the bike commute. Sport drinks are mostly sugar anyway, so home made stuff will probably taste better anyway.

In these times, even a small saving can be important. Why not try to green up the commute in one way or the other and save not only some money but our environment as well. Especially eco driving is something everyone should always practice. And when we are at it, why not take the opportunity to contribute to reducing the oil dependency by using zero emission alternatives!

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Fredrik

It is difficult to get people to think in other directions. Nothing new about that. But it is sad when the plan for a new “transit friendly” suburb more or less fall because the inhabitants “don’t see any value in it”.

Have you heard about King Farm? It is a neighbourhood built to be transit friendly with light rail and easy to access to transit points and further transportation to the city centre on the outskirts to Washington DC. When reading about it, I found it quite nice; easy to walk in, comfortable access to light rail, stores within easy reach and so on. In other words, a really good neighbourhood that doesn’t require full access to a vehicle. US EPA had this to say about the neighbourhood.

But now it seems like the plans for the public transportation options have run into a speedbump. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, and several other green Internet sites, the residents of this public transportation orientated suburb see no or limited value in public transportation as most people will drive anyway.

What could a transit system give the local area. ANY local area (let’s not harp on Kings Farm but look at the bigger picture). Greater mobility is one thing. Not having to be restricted to driving, or being driven, people of all ages could easily move around. Commuters would have easy access to the DC area, and metro transit points. Wouldn’t that be good? Light rail and buses are also both clean and safe, and not to expensive. That it would be unsafe for pedestrians and drivers is false. If cities all across Europe and many places in Asia can handle this kind of system, why wouldn’t it work in the US? Gothenburg is a shining example with rail AND buses everywhere, and few accidents (The picture shows how a normal stop looks here. Safe and effective). Drivers and pedestrians have to be responsible and watch were they go/drive, but they should do that anyway. In my opinion this argument, so often heard, is just another lazy excuse.

Habits are difficult to break. It is no wonder why some of the people of Kings Farm see little value in other options. Driving is what they have always done. It is what they are used to. Having the possibility to walk is one thing, but why use the BRT or light rail when it is dirtier, cost more and are less comfortable then the family car. If you have never tried taking the bus or light rail it is difficult to consider other options. After all, why change a winning concept? Especially if the ones who WANT to commute greener have access to the metro a bit away. It is possible of course that this is a loud minority speaking, those living close to the rail who don’t want to have the inconvenience of a construction site and then loud and noisy vehicles 24/7. But let’s disregard that for a moment.

Good planning with the consent of the residents, as well as openness and simply sticking to the plan is vital. By adding a green boulevard were the rail is to be drawn you give the resident’s a green haven. Removing it to build another brown path will never be popular, even if mass transit was the norm. But habits  will have to be changed if we shall ever reach a sustainable society. People will have to start to commute greener, by train or buses, or even better with muscle operated transportation sooner or later. This project was a good try, and hopefully something to learn from. The transit system will hopefully get more accepted with time, and who knows, it may even become a norm when people get used to it.

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Fredrik

Hi

Hands up if you’ve never been exposed to traffic noise! Go on, I’ll wait.

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No one? I thought so. When traffic is discussed it is so easy to get bogged down with CO2, NOx, Smog and particles. The fun stuff. But noise pollution seems to slide under the radar in several articles and blogs around the Internet.

What happens when you are exposed to loud continuous noise for long periods of time? You get tired, nervous, irritable and you may get high blood pressure as well as cardi-vascular diseases, especially when combined with overweight problems. One may also get stress related diseases as well as hearing impairments if working under those conditions (like road workers). In other words, this is important.

Wikipedia Uploader Kantor. JH

Cities around the world as well as many landloards are doing what they can to reduce the problem of indoor noise pollution from major roads, but we as private persons can do a lot as well. First of all, as long as we drive faster then 30 km/h, the tires are the biggest noise source. Below that speed the exhaust system and engine is the largest contributors.

Why are the tires so noisy? Friction. It gets even worse when driving with studded winter tires that rip into the asphalt. By using un-studded Mud and Snow tires you can save some decibels. A quiet car can save some as well. Good windows and walls placed along the noise source (the road) may make the problem less for inhabitants of nearby buildings. And so on.

Next time you get to a town hall meeting (or whatever the local political gatherings are called), why not proposing to try some road strips with quiet asphalt. It doesn’t save a lot but goes easier on the tires and is generally nice to drive on. It is an asphalt type with smaller stones in it, making the road smother and giving less friction. A quiet ride is important to ease the stress of the commute.

Noise is of course not just a problem for cars. Trams and buses are very guilty of this. This is unfortunate, but regular maintainence and good tires can solve some of the problems. Interesting enough, in Gothenburg it is the buses that are noisiest, while rail transportation runs very quiet.

A quiet ride is important to ease the stress of the commute, as well as for our daily life. So next time you switch tires, go for low noise alternatives, if available. Take rail transportation instead of buses in town. This is a real problem, and one that is even more difficult to solve then the common traffic related problems. But not unsolvable.

Commute Greener! everyone!

Fredrik

Commuter trains are often at least somewhat clean and well repaired, at least compared to buses. Both transport lots of people over large distances at high(ish) speed. Buses are often available at central transit stops in the heart of the city, allowing easy mobility throughout the city.

In the ideal world anyway.

It is sad to say, but buses are often dirtier, smellier, noisier and more often then not broken in one way or the other. Why? Because more people use them over the day, and because a bus company have a higher frequency in their journeys then a train company. That is a theory at least. Reason aside, clean and well maintained vehicles are a must for bus commuting to become an attractive option.

Bus lines tend to be run by the city or by the order of the city. Money is often tight and as many drive anyway, why bother pushing money on this worthless service. Right? This kind of thinking leads to a downward quality standard, which means that the time schedule will be broken due to poorly maintained vehicles and accidents. Not investing in dedicated bus lanes in bigger cities means that the buses will get stuck in dense traffic. And the drivers will be stressed, angry, rude and unpleasant. Not everyone, but I am sure every giver person has encountered a rude bus driver at least once. Let’s illustrate this with a short movie, taken from Volvo Buses youtube channel.

The driver is clearly not happy. He is driving a broken down old bus and have probably been doing this for way to long. He also has a lovely Swedish accent

This video is meant for promotional purposes, but it does raise a point. If city planners want to reduce congestion they will have to make sure to put down enough money to make the public transit system good. Preferably as good as the trains are. The buses need to be on time, the seats comfortable and free of filth and graffiti.

What we, as  consumers can do is to demand better services. To keep using public transportation but make sure to tell the politicians and planners clearly that you want  good service. Getting a politician or opinion maker ride the bus can be a huge win for a better bus service. Something we all gains from.

Well, that’s it for today! Be sure to visit us on facebook, and to try the Commute Greener! facebook app!

I’m out

Fredrik

So, you have decided to pick up on yesterdays advise, to try commuting by bus. Hopefully you have already done your homework and know a bit about the pay system and which routes that are the fastest. You get up in the morning.  And quickly realize a couple of things.

1. You have to plan your mornings to get to the bus stop in time.
2. While on the bus, you have some 20+ minutes of downtime.

This scenario isn’t uncommon. I mean, of course you aren’t used to downtime when driving to work every day. Driving a car require constant attention if nothing else. Listening to music or making a phone call can kill the time in long ques.

But on the bus, or commuter train/rail you just sit there. Therefore it quickly gets boring. Right?

I am amazed of how crafty transit-commuters are when it comes to occupying themselves. My favorite things to do on the commute include reading, listening to music, work, chatting with the passenger next to me or maybe doing a bit of surfing the net. I think it’s time to update the “what to do on the commute” list from way back. So without further delays;

1. Play with your smartphone. There are so many apps, games and opportunities. You decide what you like best. A tip from Magnus (managing director of Commute Greener!) is this one. And this is no surprise either I hope:)
2. Read a book. I don’t know how many hours and books my commute have devoured. May I recommend the millennium series by Stieg Larsson (the books “the girl with the dragon tatu” movie is based upon)
3. Catch up on the news. Yea, let’s move on.
4. Eat breakfast or get the morning coffee. Only if it is allowed though.
5. For all the ladies out there who like to put some makeup on in the morning; why not save some time in the morning and do it during the commute? Quite common, and I’m amazed with how the ladies here parry the bumping bus all the time.
6. Facebook or twitter the time away. Most people have a phone that can take it, so why not? Just don’t miss your stop.
7. Get to know people. Many are quite friendly, so why not discuss the news, or sports? If you commute with co-workers, why not getting to know them better?
8. Watch some youtube-clips, if you have a laptop or phone that can manage it. Hey if we have to drag all this technology along, why not use it.
9. Count cars with a single occupant, and feel smug when you glide by long car lanes in the bus lane.
10. Get some work done. Yea, it is boring but it passes time and may let you get home a bit earlier. I have never heard anyone complain about that.

Basic stuff. I bet you can find hundreds of things to do to use all that free-time. So Once again get to it. Keep commuting greener!

Fredrik

Guess what, that Chinese straddling bus is STILL in the news. When I first saw this invention, I thought it would fade away over all the shouts of how impractical and possibly dangerous it could be. But you still see it mentioned in the social media now and then. That of course gets me thinking, why is this kind of technical inventions hyped, while new information systems for the mass transit systems, or even newer more fuel efficient engines for buses are forgotten by all but the technically inclined people?

The answer is probably spectacle. This… thing… is something we aren’t used to see. I mean, this is probably not a new idea in itself but to actually starting going from thought to action is something.

Another answer may be accessibility. This monster is easy to understand. It has the coolness factor a regular bus with a better motor with a different fuel lacks. A bus is a bus. This is interesting even if you usually find technical innovation dull.

Perhaps the problem of science being boring can be solved, in part, with this kind of presentations of finds and inventions too. A wow factor now and the may really spice up the whole environmental debate. And not a “Wow we are all doomed in 20X0″ wow factor. Its all about presentation and good results and inventions with a possible big environmental impact needs some more attention as well.

Take bio-gas for instance. Many cities in Sweden has buses that runs of Bio-gas from garbage or sewage sludge. A very good if not a perfect system, but do we hear about THAT kind of fuel in the green news? Not often, and when it does it is usually some small thing that is easily forgotten. Yet it may be a great way to reduce our addiction to oil. Bio-gas is only one example. Solar and wind power are two very hyped sorts of green energy, but what about wave power and geo-thermal heating? Water power? There are many green options that would need a wow factor now and then, as they tend to be forgotten.

The commute seems to be one of those areas, and that is why I am really glad about that straddling bus as well as all the different mass transit and bike initiatives out there. They lift an otherwise boring subject out of the fog, makes it sparkle a bit and catches attention which in turn raises awareness with the public. Which is great.

That’s it for today. Puh!. Remember to take a look at our facebook page, twitter and of course the facebook app!

Fredrik