200 Things: Transportation

By Sharon Astyk. Reprinted with permission.

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School buses are very inefficient - they only run 2xs per day - consider getting your community to make use of its existing buses to provide local public transportation.

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For families with young kids and the elderly or disabled, bicycles may not be an option. Consider a bicycle rickshaw, where passengers sit in front and able bodied people pedal behind. These are very expensive, but it is possible that one could be made by a handy person.

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If you live in a snowy area, acquire snowshoes or crosscountry skis to facilitate getting around.

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Consolidate trips whenever possible - do your grocery shopping, your library run, your errands ahead. This involves planning ahead what you will eat, where you will go, so keep records and record expected activities - if your mother’s birthday is next month, make sure you think about the ingredients for her cake and her present while on your monthly shopping trip.

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If you haven’t ridden a bicycle in a long time, recognize that it will take some practice before you can do it as well as when you were 14.

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If you have a bad back, recumbent bicycles are more comfortable than regular bikes. They can be purchased or made.

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If you have to choose between being close to family and community and being close to work, choose work only if you believe your job is quite stable in the long term.

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If you live within 2-5 miles of shopping, invest in one of those little carts that you drag behind you. There is no reason able bodied people can’t shop on foot at those distances.

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