Leading the Great Social Transportation Movement

Written by James Foreman Wednesday, October 21 2009 12:33

Imagine driving, or riding as a passenger, down the road thoroughly enjoying the company of someone you may have seen in the area but never knew very well. Imagine waking up one day and realizing that you have saved enough money over the past month to enjoy a night celebrating life with your friends. How about being young and working to create a life here while not owning a vehicle, but still able to get around, do your errands and all else.

This and much more is possible if you begin to carpool, vanpool, take a bus, bike or walk to any of your regular or periodic destinations. Though these are not new forms of transportation, their importance has increased with the onset of global warming, an economic downturn, and the desire for more people to live healthy, co-creative lives with others in and around their community.

In Vermont there is a renewed energy for alternative transportation. The State of Vermont wanted to lead the way with GoVermont, but after 2 years of waiting and realizing that small communities needed to start taking action, Hinesburg decided to go for it, get a grant and develop this website. We are now on the forefront of what is being called the “social transportation” experiment.

It is evident within our society that transportation has become an inefficient, oil consuming, polluting, and in many cases a single-minded experience. We lost our collective perspective many years ago with the development of the automobile and individual desires to “get there when I want to get there”. We now find ourselves burdened by car debt, gas prices, insurance costs, and pollution or green house gases that are altering the world ecosystems.

The statistics on how our current forms of transportation are effecting our lives and environment are staggering when you consider the following information.

Think traffic congestion is just a big city problem? Think again:

• People in small and medium-size cities spend five times as long stalled in traffic as they did in 1982.
• Traffic congestion in those areas is growing at a far faster rate than congestion in big cities. This includes Hinesburg, Burlington and all other areas of Vermont.

Why try some new ways to go? Consider these statistics:

• The U.S. population grew by 33 percent between 1970 and 1999, while the number of vehicle miles traveled grew by 143 percent!
• Traffic congestion alone costs U.S. travelers $102 billion in lost productivity, delays, and excess fuel consumption.

A typical Vermont car is driven 17,000 miles annually and produces:

• 13,600 pounds of carbon dioxide
• 935 pounds of carbon monoxide
• 114 pounds of hydrocarbons
• 68 pounds of nitrogen oxides.

There is a way to cultivate a new system of transportation and it all begins with how we think about getting from point A to point B. This new way of thinking will change how we live, who we know and give many people a better quality of life. It is not going to be easy, but it will only become more difficult if we continue to delay this new journey towards cooperative social transportation.

To begin this societal adventure everyone can be involved. The first step is to begin thinking about carpooling, vanpooling or car sharing. Write down all the times over the past week or month you could have shared the drive/ride with someone else, then think carefully next time how you can share the ride.

Imagine the dialogue you will have as you enjoy scenic Vermont on your way to work, the Co-op or maybe the Dentists office. Whatever way you travel you are assured of less wear and tear on your car, saving money, preserving the environment and helping people in your community or Vermont in a special way. This website and other local programs will usher in a new era of sharing that can only work if we decide to change the way we think about commuting and begin to take action.

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Leading the Great Social Transportation Movement

Written by James Foreman Wednesday, October 21 2009 12:33

Imagine driving, or riding as a passenger, down the road thoroughly enjoying the company of someone you may have seen in the area but never knew very well. Imagine waking up one day and realizing that you have saved enough money over the past month to enjoy a night celebrating life with your friends. How about being young and working to create a life here while not owning a vehicle, but still able to get around, do your errands and all else.

This and much more is possible if you begin to carpool, vanpool, take a bus, bike or walk to any of your regular or periodic destinations. Though these are not new forms of transportation, their importance has increased with the onset of global warming, an economic downturn, and the desire for more people to live healthy, co-creative lives with others in and around their community.

In Vermont there is a renewed energy for alternative transportation. The State of Vermont wanted to lead the way with GoVermont, but after 2 years of waiting and realizing that small communities needed to start taking action, Hinesburg decided to go for it, get a grant and develop this website. We are now on the forefront of what is being called the “social transportation” experiment.

It is evident within our society that transportation has become an inefficient, oil consuming, polluting, and in many cases a single-minded experience. We lost our collective perspective many years ago with the development of the automobile and individual desires to “get there when I want to get there”. We now find ourselves burdened by car debt, gas prices, insurance costs, and pollution or green house gases that are altering the world ecosystems.

The statistics on how our current forms of transportation are effecting our lives and environment are staggering when you consider the following information.

Think traffic congestion is just a big city problem? Think again:

• People in small and medium-size cities spend five times as long stalled in traffic as they did in 1982.
• Traffic congestion in those areas is growing at a far faster rate than congestion in big cities. This includes Hinesburg, Burlington and all other areas of Vermont.

Why try some new ways to go? Consider these statistics:

• The U.S. population grew by 33 percent between 1970 and 1999, while the number of vehicle miles traveled grew by 143 percent!
• Traffic congestion alone costs U.S. travelers $102 billion in lost productivity, delays, and excess fuel consumption.

A typical Vermont car is driven 17,000 miles annually and produces:

• 13,600 pounds of carbon dioxide
• 935 pounds of carbon monoxide
• 114 pounds of hydrocarbons
• 68 pounds of nitrogen oxides.

There is a way to cultivate a new system of transportation and it all begins with how we think about getting from point A to point B. This new way of thinking will change how we live, who we know and give many people a better quality of life. It is not going to be easy, but it will only become more difficult if we continue to delay this new journey towards cooperative social transportation.

To begin this societal adventure everyone can be involved. The first step is to begin thinking about carpooling, vanpooling or car sharing. Write down all the times over the past week or month you could have shared the drive/ride with someone else, then think carefully next time how you can share the ride.

Imagine the dialogue you will have as you enjoy scenic Vermont on your way to work, the Co-op or maybe the Dentists office. Whatever way you travel you are assured of less wear and tear on your car, saving money, preserving the environment and helping people in your community or Vermont in a special way. This website and other local programs will usher in a new era of sharing that can only work if we decide to change the way we think about commuting and begin to take action.

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