I've bought a bicycle + helmet and U-lock ($200), a month-long transit pass ($63) and have several pairs of good walking shoes. I'm ready.

 

FYI: Your $63 bus pass can be bought pre-tax through your employer, reducing it's cost to about $40 a month. ;)

I don't want to bum rides. Family have called me up and asked "can I give you a ride..." No thanks. That goes against the purpose of this experiment and, more importantly, against my own beliefs that I will not burden anyone. I'll continue to do the Tuesdays-only carpooling with one of my co-workers, but I asked her if she would be willing to ride the bus on the alternating Tuesdays when it would have been my turn to drive.

Good luck!  Giving up my car would be harder than giving up drinking for Lent!!

 

 

I don't want to bum rides. Family have called me up and asked "can I give you a ride..." No thanks. That goes against the purpose of this experiment and, more importantly, against my own beliefs that I will not burden anyone. I'll continue to do the Tuesdays-only carpooling with one of my co-workers, but I asked her if she would be willing to ride the bus on the alternating Tuesdays when it would have been my turn to drive.

 

Ryan McKenzie, of City Wheels fame, likes to say that relying on public transportation often means you end up relying on the public to transport you. :lol:

Fantastic!  Make sure to deduct your insurance and car payments when you calculate your savings as you probably won't notice that adding up in just one month.  Also take note of the stress reduction you'll receive.  All that lack of looking for parking, getting cut off, waiting in traffic, and rushing to get there one minute earlier really adds up to a happier commute. 

Enjoy your new found freedom.

 

Yeah, all that wasted time waiting for public transportation, losing the freedom to go somewhere whenever you want!  Always being at the mercy of others!   :wink2:

 

 

Wasted time from what?  I maintain that you can get a lot more done on or waiting for a streetcar that you can in the few extra minutes you save by driving yourself.  When you're behind the wheel pretty much the only thing you can do is practice singing, or yelling.

I'm with you. I read, and with the time at home I normally would spend reading, I do other things. So I actually GAIN time in my day by using public transit.

I think it depends on your lifestyle and what you're using it for.  I used the bus yesterday for the first time to get to/from a doctor's appointment and while it went fairly smoothly, it took much, much longer than if I had driven there and back.  The place is literally a 5 minute drive away but the commute there took about 12 minutes with all the stops and with the wait for the bus on the way back plus the stops it took about 25 minutes.  Add on the hour I was at the doctor and it probably seemed like I was out of the office a really long time.  Many days I would not be able to be away from work for that long without getting really behind or getting into trouble.

 

I enjoy reading too and use my commute for that, but outside of to/from work, that is valuable personal free time that I'd much rather use playing basketball, working out, cooking, whatever that I can't do if I'm waiting for the bus. I think that's what the other poster was referring to - loss of personal time.

Tonight, I'm going out and taking the bus. We're starting out in Detroit Shoreway, which I'll take a bus to get to. I am hitching a ride downtown (though I could take PT there), where we'll spend a good portion of the night. Then we're going to a friend's house in ohio city, which I'll probably catch a ride to, though I could easily take PT there. I'll take the bus home to Tremont since the Abbey Avenue bridge and the area between it and west 11 can give me the creeps at 2 a.m.

 

I won't have lost any personal time. I'll leave a bit earlier for dinner and read on the bus, but I would otherwise be sitting at home.....and probably, well, reading.

 

ETA: I do drive to work when I need to run around for work or do something on my lunch break that's not walkable. Though it's not often MUCH time that I'd be spending on the bus/rapid compared to driving, it is SOME time, and that belongs to the employer. (Don't ask me why I make that distinction but on slow days check in on this message board throughout the day...)

Good for you KJP!  I hope it becomes much easier for everyone to be car-free in Cleveland as soon as possible.

Tomorrow is the start of the month-long (at least?!?) experiment.

 

And if you were planning to buy a new car, I wouldn't wait much longer. Otherwise you may not be able to afford one and you'll have to go car-free...

___________

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,16179.0.html

 

Thomson Financial News

ArcelorMittal to hike prices paid by automotive industry by 60 pct

06.29.08, 1:14 PM ET

 

FRANKFURT (Thomson Financial) - ArcelorMittal plans to hike prices paid by car makers by 60 percent in several steps over the coming weeks and months in response to surging raw material costs, auto motor und sport said in prerelease of a report to be published Thursday.

 

Automotives vice-president Jean-Luc Maurange told the magazine that he is optimistic car-makers will accept the price hikes...

 

[email protected]

 

^I've gotten some offers in the mail from Honda dealerships wanting to buy my 2001 Civic.  Oddly its value actually might be going up or holding steady given the situation.

 

I mentioned in a post a month or so ago that I've noticed people with long commutes getting mad at people with short drives to work or people like me who mostly bike or walk.  But recently I've noticed people getting mad at my car simply because it gets better gas mileage than theirs.  There are a lot of know-it-all people out there (and I do mean out there) who are realizing that they made some serious purchasing mistakes and they're turning into babies. 

"I've gotten some offers in the mail from Honda dealerships wanting to buy my 2001 Civic"

 

this is a fill in the blank form letter. I have gotten those over the years regardless of what car I own. They want to sell you a new car. a few years ago we got one of those for our civic and decided to call their bluff. The dealer said he would buy it outright,and no we did not have to trade it in . Needless to say it was a scam, and we sold the car on our own.

 

Now Honda says they want to buy our CRV. We get a letter every few weeks about how desirable the model is (lol) it is not a gas hog, but hardly a sipper ether. The letters to buy are a sales tool to get people in the door. It this rate we do not even want to sell it. It is paid for, well maintained and we only put about 3,000 a year on it.

When you're behind the wheel pretty much the only thing you can do is practice singing, or yelling.

Not necessarily. Just yesterday, I saw a woman reading a newspaper and talking on her cell phone while driving. I've seen people reading, eating, drinking, fixing their hair and/or makeup, even shaving while driving.  :-D

 

It's terrifying! :-o

>The letters to buy are a sales tool to get people in the door.

 

Well they had me in the door last November when the transmission went out.  Actually I remember them asking me why I didn't just sell it.  But they probably made more money off me buying a new transmission through them ($2400) than buying a new or used car with cash.  I'm guessing most of those dealers make money primarily off financing and maintenance.  I've also heard numerous people say a lot of car dealerships are actually in the drug running business too (sending cars back and forth across state lines), but I don't have any first-hand knowledge of that. 

dear lord, what are we talking about?

 

Drug running honda elements?

Even though I haven't lived in Ohio for years, thought I'd chime in.  Hated driving in Columbus and never stopped hating being behind the wheel.  For me it is a task and never enjoyable.

Anyhow, when I moved to California was car free for about three years, but in LA it is a necessity.  Then in SF I sold my car, only to get another about 6 years ago.  In February I gave the car to my sister. Now I'm car free again!  In the last 2 years I only put about 700 miles on the car, so though she would make better us of it in Southern California, where cars are really needed. 

It can be inconvenient without wheels, but not overly so.  I walk to the grocery store, and lug back my purchases, up the g.d. hill but do get some exercise.  Otherwise I take public transportation.  Luckily we have buses, the metro (basically underground streetcars), regular streetcars, and BART.  For long distance traveling, I take the train or fly. 

I'm saving gas money, insurance money, parking money and parking ticket money.  Not that I've banked any of it, but theoretically it is saved. Several of my friends also have either gotten rid of their cars or downsized recently.  No more SUVs, screaming "feed me" at every gas station. 

The Zip cars are great as well if you really need a car for Costco or Home Depo, etc. 

I think it may be more difficult in areas where the public transportation is more spotty or non-existant.  If I lived in East Bugtussle I'm sure I'd have to grin and bear it and drive.

For those going "car-lite".......

 

http://www.ohioinsurance.gov/Newsroom/scripts/Release.asp?ReleaseID=5623

 

STATE OF OHIO Printable Version

DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE

 

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

 

Driving Less Because of High Gas Prices Could Lead to Lower Insurance Premiums

 

COLUMBUS — As gas prices hover around $4 a gallon across the state, many Ohioans are driving less, using public transportation or car pooling to get to work. Ohio Department of Insurance Director Mary Jo Hudson is encouraging Ohioans to tell their insurance agents if they are using their cars less, as it may result in a decrease in their auto insurance premiums.

 

“How much a person drives their car is one of the key factors insurance companies use to determine auto premiums,” said Director Hudson. “Changing your car’s designation from ‘work’ to ‘pleasure’ could result in a lower premium.”

 

Most insurance companies divide drivers into three categories: pleasure drivers, those who drive 15 miles or less one way to work and those who drive 15 miles or more one way to work. Drivers who drive as part of a carpool may be eligible for pleasure driver status if they drive less than two days a week or two weeks in a five week period. Also, Ohioans who have recently moved closer to their jobs or have switched jobs to a location closer to their home may also be eligible for lower premiums.

 

A change in designation could save a driver anywhere from 5-15% depending on the insurance company. A quick call to your insurance agent will determine whether or not you qualify for a rate reduction and how much that reduction will be.

 

Ohioans with questions concerning insurance are encouraged to call the Department’s consumer services hotline, 1-800-686-1526. Additional tips and more information about insurance, including a link to the Insure U web site, can be found at the Department’s web site, www.ohioinsurance.gov.

 

# # #

Day One - July 1

 

It started as all Tuesdays have recently -- riding to work with my carpool buddy, fellow reporter Julie Kreuz. She lives four blocks away. We carpool only on Tuesdays since it's deadline day and we have no other assignments. My first day car-free was her turn to drive anyway.

 

I finished up early at 2 p.m. and was prepared to take the No. 75X bus home if Julie wasn't ready. But she finished up early, too.

 

I had errands to run. At my Lakewood condo, I jotted down the product number of the cyan toner cartridge for my computer printer and walked down to the corner of West 117th Street and Clifton Boulevard. The weather was sunny and 80 degrees. Lots of people out walking and biking. From that busy corner, I could take one of three buses, the Nos. 55 and 75X to downtown or the Lakewood circulator to the West 117th Rapid station, then take the rapid downtown.

 

But the first to show up was the No. 75X. It had eight people on board when it arrived, and 16 when it got back under way. A cyclist also put his bike on the front rack. I tried to watch and learn how to do it, since I just bought a bike, but there were too many people getting on to see. Four more people got on the bus by the time we reached the West Shoreway. I don't ever remember 20 people on a downtown-bound bus at 3 p.m. There was a wide mix of people on board, from a young white man in a suit to old Latino lady with a walker.

 

At Tower City Center, I waited in line at RTA's customer service center to buy my first-ever monthly transit pass. Cost was $63 for unlimited rides in July. I then used it to go through the turnstiles to board the Red Line west. Yep, the pass works! About 100 people were waiting for the 3:25 p.m. train which arrived about one minute late. About five to 15 passengers got on and off at enroute stations. I joined a larger crowd getting off at the West 117th station.

 

From there I walked a short distance to Staples where I ordered the new printer cartridge and bought a digital scanner. I thought about taking the Lakewood circulator home but since the weather was so nice I walked. It took about 20 minutes. My feet hurt. Clearly I am out of shape. But it's only my first day car-free.

KJP,

 

That just reminded me, I'm saying your out of shape, but you should weigh yourself today, and weight yourself at the end of the month.

When you see my article on Thursday, you'll see that I not only weighed myself, but I also got my body-mass index and my blood-pressure measured. I did an inventory of my costs of owning/using my car over the last six months, and what my costs are for going car-free.

 

Stay tuned. The first article will be in Thursday's Sun and I'll post it here -- though it may take until Monday since I'm on vacation until then.

I don't know how long your experiement lasts, but if it's for a limited time I'd love to see you repeat it beginning January 1.  When the weather is awful here it would be a completely different story/experience.

Take your pick, RnR:

 

1. No sh!t, Sherlock.

 

OR

 

2. She's back folks!

Be fair, that is a good point.  If summer were year round, the likelihood I would be car free is much higher.  Winter may be the best argument for a car in Cleveland.

Oh it's a good AND valid point alright, I wouldn't ever question that. Winter in Cleveland can be sh!tty, and it can force people to adapt.

 

However, I've spent four car-free winters (Dec., Jan., Feb., March, sometimes April) in Cleveland and sure, there were a handful of days that weren't entirely pleasant. You don't see me projecting my comfort (or DIScomfort) level as though it's gospel and applicable to all, and I think the "I'd love to see you repeat it beginning January 1.  When the weather is awful here it would be a completely different story/experience" comes across a little too much like schadenfreude.

Be fair, that is a good point. If summer were year round, the likelihood I would be car free is much higher. Winter may be the best argument for a car in Cleveland.

 

thank you.  With all due respect MayDay, eat it.  :)  It's a reality that our weather completely sucks in the winter.  I don't think it's fair to just evaluate what it's like being completely car-free at the point in the year when our weather is most favorable for it.  To be a balanced article in my opinion (or series of articles, I don't know what he's writing), he should also be stuck out in a driving rainstorm, walking on icy sidewalks and experiencing sub-zero wind chills as part of his journey as that's part of the experience.

It is part of the experience, and something that I've been doing (well forever, but let's not count college) for the past year and a half. 

 

Yes winter can be certainly harder, but doable if you have a strong chin and don't choose to let it overcome your life with misery.  Also, with CityWheels, you can eliminate some of the hardest things (like carrying groceries home).  I know it's not completely car free, but it's not owning a car.

"To be a balanced article in my opinion (or series of articles, I don't know what he's writing), he should also be stuck out in a driving rainstorm, walking on icy sidewalks and experiencing sub-zero wind chills as part of his journey as that's part of the experience."

 

Or he could just ask those of us who have done it - and how different locations can make all the difference in the world.

 

Fantastically well-said, JeffreyT:

"Don't choose to let it overcome your life with misery."

 

 

 

It's not schadenfreude, but thank you for using that word, which is one of my favorites.  I too have soldiered on through several winters taking public trans, and the year when I was completely without a car was far and above the absolute worst.  There were days I was crying because I was so cold and the wind was blowing so hard when waiting for the bus.  I remember me and the other people I was waiting with actually hiding behind the sign in front of the business where we picked up the bus and another person trying to use a telephone poll to shield them from the weather. 

 

I happen to think that presenting a realistic view of taking public transportation,the good, the bad and the ugly would make it the best article.  It has nothing to do with wanting KJP or anyone else to feel miserable.  I think you have to give people all the information and pros and cons of all their options and then let them make an informed decision.  Even with the bad weather I think that taking public trans to/from work is easily the best decision, but using it here for all your lifestyle needs can prove very difficult and I just think that should be accurately represented.  Similarly, as KJP has pointed out, he doesn't have much of a social life.  So also missing from the article are attempts to get to weddings, birthday parties, cookouts or to dinner at other people's houses, dates, etc, which I also think would make for a more well-balanced article, but I don't expect him to alter his social life for the article, just accurately represent it at various times of the year when the weather fluctuates.  It doesn't matter because it's his article and he'll write it the way we want, I'm just saying what I'd like to see in the article.

Except when I didn't have a car I hardly paid any attention to the weather.  People's reaction to the weather is highly influenced by television news reports, and if you don't watch TV and don't actually know how cold it is you won't feel it as much.  Case in point, I went out for a walk one day in jeans and maybe a t-shirt under a flannel shirt under a coat and ran into a friend downtown an hour or so into the walk.  He couldn't believe I was outside because schools had been cancelled because it was 4 degrees out.  I had no idea schools were out or that it was 4 degrees, I thought it was maybe 25.  People love to exaggerate, and people really love to exaggerate how cold it is.   

Be fair, that is a good point.  If summer were year round, the likelihood I would be car free is much higher.  Winter may be the best argument for a car in Cleveland.

 

thank you.  With all due respect MayDay, eat it.  :)  It's a reality that our weather completely sucks in the winter.  I don't think it's fair to just evaluate what it's like being completely car-free at the point in the year when our weather is most favorable for it.  To be a balanced article in my opinion (or series of articles, I don't know what he's writing), he should also be stuck out in a driving rainstorm, walking on icy sidewalks and experiencing sub-zero wind chills as part of his journey as that's part of the experience.

 

so I guess every other city that has bad weather, (detroit, chicago, boston, philly, NYC/NNJ & DC) that are trying to improve their cities have the same problem, so your point is moot.

 

Again, we use weather as a crutch!  When you're walking and shopping going in and out of stores, the weather doesn't affect you as much.

I'd also like to add that I don't deserve your scorn because I continue to jump on opportunities to sell RTA's services to people.  I was just put in touch with a new reporter in town and over lunch I discussed her public trans options with her and after lunch I sent her a link to the awesome, long down coat I got from Land's End which has made tolerating the weather much better than having any kind of a "fashionable" wool coat.  Just last night my own husband was aghast at the article he had read about RTA raising their rates and cutting service and I explained everything to him about how fares only account for 20% of operating costs and how many millions RTA is over budget and, as best I can, why it's like that (govt has invested in roads, people don't want a tax increase, people moved to the burbs and now expect the faltering system they never wanted funded to serve their needs because gas is suddenly unafforadable, etc.)  He is actually going to discuss this with someone else at work with whom he was talking about the article.  I am a big proponent of their services and don't deserve catty remarks.

"The year when I was completely without a car was far and above the absolute worst."

 

Would you say the area you were living in was an area with *good* transit access/frequency? That's what I meant by "how different locations can make all the difference in the world." KJP lives in arguably one of the best areas to be car-free; his schedule seems to work well with being car-free. Cleveland weather will never be ideal to be car-free, and I don't think people need that spelled out for them. That's just me.

 

It's great that you speak up for RTA and their services, and I wish more people shared your sentiment. However, you think that all aspects of car-free living should be represented fairly? Consider how little media attention, infrastructure, public funding, etc. has ever been devoted to a car-free lifestyle (compared to living with a car), and then tell me what's "fair". Maybe in the past year with rising gas prices, there's been more attention paid, but until I can tell people I live in Cleveland (not Greater Cleveland, but Cleveland proper at least) without a car and NOT get this look :-o it's not enough.

 

"Using it here for all your MY lifestyle needs can prove very difficult and I just think that should be accurately represented."

 

Fixed that for you ;-)

 

 

 

"The year when I was completely without a car was far and above the absolute worst."

 

Would you say the area you were living in was an area with *good* transit access/frequency?

 

It actually had almost NOTHING to do with the area I lived in.  I missed out on so many social occasions I cannot begin to tell you.  I saw my Mother less because she got tired of driving to ME all the time, whether it was me at a rapid or bus stop or me at home.  My friends got tired of having to pick me up if I wanted to go to a party with them.  My foodie gatherings dwindled to almost none.  My regular group of girlfriends who meet all over town I could only meet if someone would give me a ride home (you can get most places during rush hour, but after that a ride is necessary).  It wasn't about grocery shopping or going to buy staples.

 

I think that most people's lifestyles in Cleveland don't revolve around a 1-mile square geographic area.  There are kids to take places and drop off, friends and family to socialize with, restaurants you want to go to, in addition to the errands that need to be run.  It's not just MY lifestyle, it's mine and most other people's who aren't YOU.

I love a spirited discussion, especially when something I wrote caused others to have it! ;)

 

I guess I'm one of those weird people that likes it colder rather than warmer. I hate sweating, get sunburn easily and I don't like wearing hats (hoods are OK). I can always put another layer of clothing on in winter, but there's only so far you go to stay cool and not get arrested for indecent exposure when its 90+ with humidity.

 

I also HATE driving in snow. Scariest thing in the world. I would much rather walk through heavy snow as well as let the bus/train driver deal with the snow than I. Now, riding the bike in snow? Not a fun idea. But, seriously, how often are the roads covered with snow that it prevents essential bike riding?

I don't know how long your experiement lasts, but if it's for a limited time I'd love to see you repeat it beginning January 1.  When the weather is awful here it would be a completely different story/experience.

 

It's not that bad: http://www.clevelandmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=E73ABD6180B44874871A91F6BA5C249C&nm=Arts+%26+Entertainment&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=1578600D80804596A222593669321019&tier=4&id=7746601AD81747B7A40A86A8733E64F4

I personally like the bad weather days because it usually result in more socialization while waiting for the bus (or Rapid.)  It's by far the easiest way to start a conversation without being intrusive.  And quite frankly, I'm not sure driving is that pleasant on bad weather days either.

 

KJP, I'm really excited to read your story (especially because you're factoring in weight, BMI, etc.) but is there an online edition somewhere?  I can't exactly read a print edition here.

It's not that bad: http://www.clevelandmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=E73ABD6180B44874871A91F6BA5C249C&nm=Arts+%26+Entertainment&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=1578600D80804596A222593669321019&tier=4&id=7746601AD81747B7A40A86A8733E64F4

 

Oops - I should have mentioned there are some wonderfully notable exceptions to my comment about the media's lack of representation :-)

I think RnR's point is...

 

When she points it would be foolish to paint a picture of public transport in Cleveland as entirely rainbows and butterflies - even coming from someone who would prefer public transit and uses it as frequently as possible - that she doesn't need to hear it from the peanut gallery because it's a valid point. 

 

If I was going to write an article about the RTA, I would talk both about how great it is to ride it everywhere - the benefits, experiences unique to public transport, etc - to encourage people who can (and might just be afraid to try) to ride it more often.  But I think it would be prudent to also discuss there are people out there who want to use it but can't...and I'm not talking about someone who lives in Strongsville and wants to ride the bus everywhere.  I'm talking about someone (like me) who lives downtown, works in an inner ring suburb, and attends Cleveland St but instead he's driving because getting between the 3 places is not practical using the RTA - even in the nice summer months.  Between Point A and Point B - it's good.  Add in Point C and it doesn't work.  Most lives have more than Point A and Point B in them.

 

We, as a community, need to figure out a way to address that and maybe an article informing the public - who would likely want to make this change but are either afraid, simply can't, or don't know what to do to help create change - would be a good start.

KJP, I'm really excited to read your story (especially because you're factoring in weight, BMI, etc.) but is there an online edition somewhere? I can't exactly read a print edition here.

 

Please see my earlier message about my posting of the articles here. Sun is a weekly paper ("The Sun Comes Out On Thursdays...") but I will probably not be able to post the first installment until I get back to the office on Monday (unless the fine folks at Cleveland.com actually get around to posting it over the weekend -- don't hold your breath).

Excellent points, all.  Of course, we are quibbling over the tone and depth of an article not yet written.  Let's give KJP a chance!

It's written. Just not out yet. Tomorrow.....

DAY TWO -- JULY 2

 

Pretty much a stay-at-home day to get caught up on work at All Aboard Ohio. The only time I ventured out was to run some errands, all of which I did on foot. Got lunch (a philly sandwich with fries) at Clifton Diner, three blocks walk east. Visited my bank's ATM for a balance inquiry and a cash withdrawal, less than a block east of Clifton Diner.

 

Then I walked across Clifton Boulevard to Giant Eagle to buy a dozen cans of cat food, some household cleaners, frozen foods and some ground beef to make sloppy joes. I didn't think the load would be that heavy, but the nearly four-block walk with those groceries made my arms about a centimeter longer. Actually, it wasn't that bad. I do like to over-dramatize.

 

That was the extent of my second day car-free. The third day proved to be more interesting.

DAY THREE -- July 3

 

Today was a day of transit overdose and learning lessons the hard way. It was also the second day of my working vacation.

 

I awoke to the sound of steady rain. I had a 9 a.m. breakfast meeting at the Hylander Restaurant in downtown Lakewood. After strapping on my backpack and popping open my pocket-size umbrella, I walk one block north to Lake Road to the Lakewood Circulator bus. Both circulators, the clockwise trips and the counter-clockwise, travel together on the Gold Coast leg of their routes. Usually one stubby bus is right on the other's bumper.

 

Sure enough, at 8:40 a.m. they're tag-teaming again. The lead bus is the clockwise trip, which first goes to the West 117th Rapid station and then west on Madison Avenue. But I want the trailing bus, the counter-clockwise circulator which heads west on Detroit Avenue. There's a half-dozen people on board, a count which grows to 10 as we near downtown Lakewood. The 20-seater looks almost full.

 

Breakfast and conversation break up at 10 a.m. Now I'm waiting in the mist in front of Lakewood Center North for either the circulator or the No. 26 big bus -- whichever shows up first to take me west. When I'm joined at the bus stop by 15 elementary school-age children and three adult minders, I'm quickly hoping the big bus shows up. The minders are showing the kids how to ride transit. But the boys are more interested in killing potato bugs and grossing-out the girls.

 

Unfortunately, it's a circulator that shows up first and there's already 10 people on board. Time to break out the shoehorn. Once our 20-seater gets moving with its load of humanity, a No. 26 big bus overtakes us.

 

What a 20-seat RTA Community Circulator bus looks like with 28 people on board. A pretty good load considering it's 10 a.m. on a weekday -- but the term "off-peak" doesn't seem to apply much anymore on RTA.

 

 

Thankfully I'm riding only to Wing's Hobby near St. James Church. There I buy a newly published book, "Railroads in the Rust Belt, 1957-1977." Back outside in the light rain, I have only enough time to put my new book in my backpack when the clockwise circulator shows up. Sure is nice to have a month-long transit pass, good for unlimited rides, and not have to think about having exact change.

 

This time, I'm heading back toward home. But first I need to visit CVS at Clifton and West 117th to buy a newspaper and some paper towels which I forget to get the day before when grocery shopping. It's a short walk home from CVS. I walk in the door at 11 a.m.

 

At about 12:30 p.m., I get a call from Staples saying that the printer cartridge I ordered two days earlier is in. I can make the next circulator if I leave now, but I want to ride my new bicycle. It's still raining. I don't like getting soggy. A check of the radar online shows the rain will quit soon. So I wait. And I wait. Finally at 2 p.m. I give up on using the bike and walk back up to Lake to catch the counter-clockwise circulator to the rapid station. Staples is only a block farther south.

 

Problem is, only the clockwise circulator is in sight. The other is nowhere. So I catch this bus with the plan of taking it to West 117th. There I can transfer to either the counter-clockwise circulator or the No. 75 bus. The plan starts falling apart when the guy I got on the bus with doesn't have exact change. While he's digging through pockets and apologizing, the other circulator blows past us. Patience has its merits.

 

So I ride to the corner of Clifton and West 115th where I 'm off and walking east to Constantino's to get a huge chocolate chip cookie. By the time I finish the cookie, the No. 75 shows up. Mind you, it's shy of 2:30 p.m. But this 40-seat bus is standing room-only. I surmise many are gas-price refugees, like me. Good thing I get energized by crowds. A bigger one is coming.

 

I hop off at the West 117th Rapid station, forgetting that I could've ridden one more stop on the No. 75 closer to Staples. Another lesson learned. With the printer cartridge bagged, I'm hoofing it back to the West 117th Rapid station where I witness a transit spectacle as I wait for a No. 75 or a circulator. Within a few minutes either side of 3 p.m., two Red Line trains and three big buses for the Nos. 25, 75 and 50 routes all open up likes cans of people and unload their gas-price inflated contents on the environs of the West 117th station. Suddenly, there are pedestrians and cyclists everywhere. It's like a scene out of a European city or on America's East Coast. I didn't keep my astonishment to myself. The young man waiting next to me for the No. 75 was coming home from work at a retailer at Hopkins Airport. He replied he used to drive to and from work until gas prices got too big for his budget. I'm in the same boat, er bus.

 

Later that evening, I ride in a car for the first time in three days. My sister drove me to a store in Parma to help me look at carpet samples for my condo. She loves spending other people's money and was eager to drive. But I realize I'm now looking at route numbers on buses as they go by -- for future reference. On the way back, I buy her dinner at the Cleveland Grill. We stock up on some Middle Eastern groceries at the Sahara Supermarket next door and stop at Target on West 117th so I can get a new belt, socks, Diet Coke and milk. The Fourth of July is going be one heck of a party.

 

'Til tomorrow....

Get fenders for your bike and some rain gear.

Doesn't change the fact that I hate rain and getting any part of me wet.

KJP, dude you should start a blog for this, unless you already have one.

 

This is really good.  I feel like I'm traveling with you.

"Then I walked across Clifton Boulevard to Giant Eagle to buy a dozen cans of cat food, some household cleaners, frozen foods and some ground beef to make sloppy joes."

 

we need to get you a good sloppy joe recipe... that sounds awful.

 

My only comment in all this regarding winter riding is less about the awful winter weather and more about the unpredictability of the RTA. Will I wait 3 minutes or 45 for the bus? that is the problem.  I have spent a lot of time riding public transport in Chi, NY and even Scandinavia, and while it was as cold or colder, the buses and trains tend to be more in schedule so there is less time waiting in these conditions. 

"Then I walked across Clifton Boulevard to Giant Eagle to buy a dozen cans of cat food, some household cleaners, frozen foods and some ground beef to make sloppy joes."

 

we need to get you a good sloppy joe recipe... that sounds awful.

 

I wasn't mixing all those together! :) But thanks for pointing out that I need to write that differently for the paper.

 

And thanks, MTS. I rather thought UO was serving as a de facto blog.

DAY FOUR -- JULY 4

 

Slow day with the holiday. My friend Bill came up from Columbus for the weekend, but his experience showed some pitfalls with going car-free. He tried catching the High Street bus in his Clintonville neighborhood but waited and waited. He finally went back home, got his car and drove to the Columbus Greyhound station.

 

Greyhound oversold the 8:30 a.m. bus by 150 percent so they had to summon a second which broke down at the station. It was repaired and he was underway an hour late.

 

Two hours later Bill called me as the bus went past Medina on I-71. I had a few minutes to catch the No. 55 from the corner of Clifton and Fry Avenue in Lakewood to get downtown. There were only 10 people on board, likely owing to the holiday. At Public Square, I had 13 minutes until the No. 3 showed up to take me to the Greyhound station. I decided to walk.

 

Bill was already at the Greyhound station, so we met up at the corner of East 13th and Chester Avenue. We strolled down to Euclid, checked out the construction work. After a few minutes of waiting, we hoofed it east on Huron, stopping at the Huron Square Deli for lunch.

 

Strolling east on Euclid revealed numerous buildings undergoing renovation and a healthy scattering of gawkers checking out the buildings, too. We came into Tower City, surprised at how active it was consider the holiday. RTA staff were much in evidence though their customers were not. Apparently they were on hand for expected throngs later in the day to take in the holiday festivities planned.

 

Passenger loads were light on the Red Line west to West 117th. From there we walked to my Lakewood condo. He crashed from the stress of the trip. I zonked out on the sofa. What a couple of party animals...

 

A couple hours later we went for coffee at Starbucks, a few blocks east on Clifton. Then we caught the No. 55 to Edgewater Park to stroll around and see all the picnicking people. It was a pleasant mix of people, all having a good time. We pondered taking the No. 55 back, but decided on admiring the homes along Edgewater Drive back to West 117th. The 1 1/2-mile walk took a little more than a half hour. A quick pit stop at CVS helped us load up on pop and snacks for that night's party.

 

My parents and sister stopped by to help devour delivered pizza and snacks. Next we headed up to the seventh-floor sun deck to watch fireworks displays of Lakewood, Cleveland and numerous other fireworks displays, including some impressive backyard-based shows.

 

Pretty quiet day overall....

DAY FIVE -- JULY 5

 

After breakfast at My Friends Restaurant (a 24-hour biz on Detroit Avenue near West 117th), Bill and I crossed the street to wait on the eastbound No. 26. I decided I'd better hit the restroom first. While I was in the restaurant, an eastbound went by. It was a nice day so we sat on the grass next to Pizza Hut while I told Bill about the ornate Grenada Theater that once occupied that corner.

 

About 20 minutes later the next No. 26 showed up, which we took through some troubled neighborhoods to the corner of West 25th and Detroit. Despite the rough neighborhoods and the unfortunate stereotypes of their residents (fostered mostly by suburbanites who are pretty ignorant about city life), everyone on the bus was well behaved and kept to themselves.

 

I also found the automated bus stop announcements fairly helpful. A Global Positioning System and a computer-generated voice combine to tell riders where they are. The only glitch was at the West Boulevard Rapid station, which was announced after the fact. The bus was fairly busy, with anywhere from 15 to 25 people onboard at any time.

 

Bill and I arrived at the corner of West 25th and Detroit to join with lots of other pedestrians and a few cyclists. Most were headed our way, to the Detroit-Superior Bridge subway tour. We'd both taken the tour several times before, but we can't get enough of experiencing this ruin of America's pre-petroleum-based lifestyle. After walking the subway deck to the downtown side, I submit a comment card "Bring back the trolleys. And accept donations for that purpose."

 

Bill and I spend the next half hour figuring out how to bring the trolleys back to the subway deck. We needed a rail fix after that, so we got on the Blue Line at Tower City and rode it to the end of the line at Warrensville. Starbucks served as pitstop and refueling depot -- my fuel was a chocolate chip cookie; Bill's was an iced tea. The Blue Line returned us to Tower City where we transferred to the Red Line for Lakewood.

 

On the walk back home, I stopped in at Aldi's and then at Walgreen's to stock up on Diet Coke and a few groceries. That was the extent of my travels, except for having a huge and wonderful dinner that evening at El Jalepeno's on West 117th. And, after all that walking, the growing callous on my right heel didn't even hurt.

 

 

Peds and cyclists cross West 25th at Detroit.

 

RTA's Blue Line light-rail ends at Warrensville in Shaker Heights.

 

Yep, I'm saving money and liking it.