Green Streets Initiative

Notes From A Combo Commute On 1/25/08

My name is Stan Wohlfarth and I have been using a bicycle to commute since I was 13 or so. Along the way I've had a few bikes stolen, but fortunately I've never had any accidents with other vehicles or pedestrians, although I've had a few close calls. I always wear a helmet with a rear view mirror attached.

I currently live in Wayland, MA with my wife and three kids. My usual commute involves driving to Arlington via Route 2 and getting off at the last exit before Alewife station. I park my VW station wagon near Spy Pond and pick up the bike trail from Lake Road and bike to my office at 1734 Mass. Ave. I do this year-round and only occasionally drive into Cambridge when the weather is especially bad. I've been doing this combo-commute for 11+ years now.

Here is my description of a typical winter combo commute.

Thanks
Stan Wohlfarth

Car-bike Commute time 8:55am to 9:45am, Wayland to Cambridge.
Distance by car: 16 mi., distance by bike: approx. 4 mi.

Car traffic was definitely light today, no unnecessary idling or traffic encountered on routes 20 east, 95/128 north, or 2 east. Recorded trip mpg on car computer: 22.7. Temperature on car computer: 23 degrees F. Parked at lot on Lake St. in Arlington at minuteman bike path. Noticed 6 other cars, 2 had empty bike carriers on the rear. Frequently this lot is full (9 cars) and I will park in the front corner of the lot under a tree, or at friend's house nearby on Spy Pond.

I saw 4 inbound walkers on the bike path heading toward Alewife station. I saw one other biker. I also saw two other bikes in use on Cambridge streets on my way to work on Mass. ave. near Linnean St. One bike had a kid trailer and one was an older tandem, with two riders. I don't see tandems very often.

Green-colored items in use today: Army pants, t-shirt, sweater, day-glo green jacket, watch band, bike frame and VW Passat wagon. The ride was cold but not unbearable. The exercise felt great. I'd also like to comment on the maintenance of the bike path this winter; it's been great! It seems to be regularly plowed and sanded, unlike in years past where it would only be plowed/sanded near Alewife station. I wonder if this is a result of Mayor Menino's decree to make Boston a more bike-friendly town?

January 2008

Celebrate Walk/Ride Day next Friday, January 25, 2008, First Walk/Ride Day of 2008!!! *

Wear Green (shirt, pants, socks, whatever!)

Commute Green (walk, bike, bus, carpool, GoLoCo (.org), telecommute, walk 5 or 10 blocks, etc.!)
And then Celebrate (with fantastic freebies, great discounts, & raffle items from local businesses - see www.GoGreenStreets for details of our sponsors' generous offers!)!

Check in on the website, with the link to the right.

New sponsors: Please let us know in the next few days of any new sponsors. We will be printing a few thousand more cards to be used over the next few months, and would love to list as many names of sponsors on them as we can. Current sponsors: Please check to make sure your listing on our website is accurate for this month! Let us know if you need flyers, cards, or any other support materials. And Thanks...!

General membership/coordinator meeting: February 6, 6-7:45 PM pizza and meeting, childcare possible. Sponsors, coordinators, friends and others all welcome.

On the agenda:
Accomplishments to date
Ideas, plans, goals and roles for 2008
Awards and celebration: 2 year Green Streets Anniversary on Walk/Ride Day: March 28
RSVP walk-ride-days@comcast.net, so we can plan on you. Probable location: 166A Elm Street N., Porter Square.

If you cannot make the meeting, but would like to volunteer, please email us. We are welcome all sorts of help, from handing out our wonderful cards and checking in with sponsors, to bringing in new sponsors to grant-writing, fundraising, PR and marketing...

Bye, Paige!

We are sad to say that Paige Doughty, our wonderful Program Coordinator for the past 5 months, will be leaving for the distant hills of Boulder, CO at the end of January. Paige has done wonders for Green Streets - transforming our web site, introducing us to individuals and organizations all over the region, and working with and getting to know many of you. You are all invited to a goodbye brunch for her on January 26. (RSVP by January 22).

We are looking for someone to fill Paige's position, along with funding to support it. If you have ideas or suggestions for either, please email us at walk-ride-days@comcast.net (Job description and organizational roles available) and/or pass this email on... And thank you.

Fun New Links/Events/Orgs:

For your viewing pleasure... Two videos worth seeing:
The Story of Stuff: http://www.storyofstuff.com/
and a high school teacher's "Most Terrifying Video You'll Ever See": http://www.switched.com/2007/12/19/high-school-teachers-global-warming-video-a-youtube-hit/ or  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zORv8wwiadQ

"The Power Of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil" next Thursday, January 24th, sponsored by Groundwork Somerville & Massachusetts Coalition for Healthy Communities. Green Streets is sponsoring a green transportation raffle there! http://masschc.org/PowerOfCommunity_012408.php 
CarbonRally.com: Excellent site with great ideas and fun competitive aspect to it. Create a team for your department or school and see how you do! Created by a friend of Green Street
GoLoco.org: Green Streets is collaborating with GoLoCo on a number of projects, including "school-pooling" and "work-pooling" and "activity-pooling" - arranging the sharing of car, mass transit, bike and walking trips within specific groups. GoLoco is for both those who have a ride to offer or are looking for a ride...

Our new and improved website!: www.GoGreenStreets.org This is really your website, so let us know what you think, need, want...

(Green) Vacation Invitation:  February 16-24 (or part of that time) A group of Boston/Cambridge/etc. area Green Street coordinators/friends are going to an inn on Peak's Island, ME, off the coast of Portland. It seems like a beautiful. quiet retreat just a 15 minute ferry ride from the city, which is accessible by Amtrak. Depending on the weather, we may bring, rent or borrow bicycles, take hikes, explore the city and other islands. We will also be hooking up with the organizer and others from Portland Green Streets. www.portlandgreenstreets.org. We intend to stay at The Inn on Peaks Island: http://innonpeaksisland.com/ (Rooms will be $125/night, and there are just 6 of them). We welcome you to join us!

* More thoughts on January 25 Walk/Ride Day: See website for coordinator or sponsors' materials. Feel free to email us for additional help or materials.

Examples of how some are spreading the word about Walk/Ride Day:

In addition to our tried and true ways of email blurbs, flyers, giving out cards, etc., we've heard the following:

Schools using new hand stamps which say, "Walk/Ride Day Friday!" - avoids paper waste while getting the message out!  Another school distributes small announcement cards with fun messages each month; this month's: "These boots were made for walking...!" 

Snacks, both green and otherwise, along with a musical performance on Walk/Ride Day.
Inviting people to use digital cameras and videos to record experiences and thoughts that day, to be posted online. This might be a good way to recognize many people's heroic efforts.
Surveys about staff transportation choices both before and on Walk/Ride Day, with movie tix and other incentives raffled off to those who participate.

What is your organization doing this month? Inquiring minds want to know!!! email us with any news!
Don't worry and have fun! Keep in mind that even gradual change and participation is excellent, so keep the faith, and just do what you can do!

Be as inclusive as possible... it will bring more people into the fold and lead to greater participation! Allow everyone to celebrate... If they didn't go green this month, they'll feel encouraged to try something different the next. Be sure people know their options for "going green", because anyone can do it!!!

I hope all's well with all of you.

With warm regards,
Janie

Janie Katz-Christy, Director
Paige Doughty, Program Coordinator
Green Streets Initiative, Inc.
www.GoGreenStreets.org
walk-ride-days@comcast.net

The Green Streets Initiative, Inc. is a grassroots initiative run by people who commute through, live, work, study, shop or send children to school in greater Cambridge, Somerville, Medford, Watertown, Arlington, Belmont, Boston MA and Portland, ME... so far! For environmental, health, safety, and community building reasons, we have created Walk/Ride Day which occurs on the last Friday of every month. On these days, we encourage people to wear green, go green, and celebrate! The idea is to hold a regional or city-wide party on that day, with each individual – and institution — celebrating and encouraging in its own way, giving us all a taste of what it could be like to live in a greener, safer, healthier environment!

Next Walk/Ride Day: January 25!
Wear green and go green on the last Friday of every month!