Green Streets Initiative

November 2008 Walk/Ride Day Update

Click here to read our November news!

Across a couple of cities every day, never by car: "It's all about the equipment..."

Our nine year old daughter and I use public transportation daily for our trip to school and for any shopping and chores we have.  I would like to say that we began commuting this way because of our commitment to the environment, but in truth we started commuting this way because of my fear of driving in the crazy Boston traffic.  However, the personal advantages began to far outweigh just avoiding traffic.

The time we spend walking has become an important way for my daughter and I to catch up on each other’s day.  And for both of us the ride on the T and bus is reading time.  My child is now a voracious reader, and this in no small part can be attributed to our time on public transportation.  Finally, when we walk through a park on our last leg of the journey to school and we stop and identify birds and nests and plants I think it is a perfect way to begin a busy school day.  We are glad that our way of getting around the city is good for the environment, but it is also good for us.

People often wonder at our choice to rough it this way.   “It’s all about the equipment.”  That is my current answer to friends and acquaintances who ask how we can stand to walk and take only public transportation to Cambridge Montessori School in Cambridge from our home in Boston every school day.

By equipment I mean the right gear for the right weather, and this has been a steep learning curve.  The first year we lived in Boston (after relocating from the balmy west coast) we discovered that human legs can turn an incredible shade of purple in the middle of winter.  This was until a friend told us about silk long underwear and snow pants and jackets.  So with lots of layers, hats, and gloves we are comfy for the entire time we are walking- and we walk a lot!

The next lesson we learned was that umbrellas do not keep you dry when the rain is coming in horizontally.  But that problem was solved as well with rain boots, rain pants and rain jackets.  Now we can withstand rainstorms no matter how severe.  However, it is always wise to carry an umbrella to use as a shield when cars speed by and hit deep puddles right beside you.

We have also become big fans of ziplock bags.  They are reusable and hugely effective at keeping books, homework and other soakables dry in our backpacks.

So the next time you think you could never walk or take public transportation to school or work when the weather is miserable, remember you really can.  You just need to make a small investment in the right equipment.

You may find, like we often do, that you are moving faster than the traffic which is backed up for blocks, and that you are really comfortable doing it.  You may also find that there are advantages you never thought of before you tried it.