Jay and Amy Shively

Week One:

The first night without our car.... and it rained. However, it wasn't too bad, from the Walk Ride Share Kickoff we walked to dinner and enjoyed El Vez for Dining Out for Life.

Friday I took two buses to get to my doctor's office. To my surprise, it only took 5 extra minutes compared to when I drive.... who knew? and I didn't have to search for parking. So maybe, the buses saved me time. After my appointment, I walked through the city enjoying the warm weather. Did you know there is a hidden garden on Chestnut near 18th Street. Very cool to explore.

Saturday morning, we used a Toyota Prius from PhillyCarShare. I enjoyed viewing our mgp average... lowest 41.2 - highest 46.2. Especially considering our Jeep Commander averages 14.3mpg... I thought I was having a dyslexic experience.

Saturday evening I experienced a glitch in my transportation plan. I am a night-shift nurse at CHOP. I start work at 7pm, but like to arrive by 6:40pm. I got on the #2 near our house and exited at Walnut St... in hopes to catch the #42. Only to discover, the Rittenhouse Street Festival was in-progress and Walnut Street was closed between Broad and 19th Street. I called my husband in a panic. It was 6:20pm - how would I get to CHOP on time. I asked the bus driver, but he had no idea how to help me. The dilemma: cab it or risk finding the bus - on time.... I opted to walk to 20th St.... where 8 minutes later I saw the #42 bus arrive. I made it to CHOP at 6:45pm. Not late, but out of my comfort zone.

Sunday morning, the Broad Street Run messed up my bus plans to get home in a timely manner, but I was prepared. I spent over 20 minutes on-line ahead of time figuring out the best way.

My lesson learned this week: preparation is the key to success.

 
Week Two:

So, our first full week sans car. We are really getting into a routine now. The first few days we did mostly walking because of our unfamiliarity with the bus schedule. Now we've gotten it down pretty well. The Transpass that we received as a part of our participation in this program is a great option. But once this is over because I utilize regional rail to get to my job in the burbs I think I'll go with a Trailpass. I wasn't aware that the Zone 3 Trailpass is good to go anywhere if you are traveling "off-peak". For me this means I'll be able to use it for my daily commute.

A weekly Zone 3 Trailpass is less than $40. This represents a considerable savings for me since driving one day cost me nearly $16 or more in gasoline alone. It does take me a little longer to get to work and I don't have the freedom to leave at any given moment, but the train schedule does allow me a fair degree of flexibility and would cost me less than $8 per day.

This week my colleague and friend, Tracy, from California was in town and stayed at the Marriott. I convinced her to ride on the train with me both days she was here. I grabbed the bus by my house to her hotel and walked over to Market East with her where we caught the 6:57am train. She grumbled a little at the early hour (she is from Cali after all), but overall it was simple and presented no hardship. While Tracy was in town we met our friends, Noe and Bob, at Mixto for dinner one night and had a decent meal but disappointing service at Devon on Tuesday. Wednesday Tracy and I walked from Suburban Station to Sabrina's Cafe on Callowhill (love it) and met Amy for dinner. All in all getting around the city was easy and hassle free. Luckily the rain waited for Tracy to leave. I don't think she'd have been down with the walking in the rain.

Amy worked Saturday, Sunday and Monday this past week and her commute to CHOP was uneventful. The bus schedule has forced her to adjust her preferences a little and doesn't allow her to get there exactly when she'd like but she's adapted well. On one trip she thought she was going to have to administer first aid right on Walnut Street when a cyclist took him self out on the mirror of the bus she was riding in. Luckily, he got up, dusted himself off and kept going.

Saturday we reserved our first PhillyCarShare car for a longer trip to Long Island for a wedding. It was great. We averaged 50 miles per gallon and had no problems with the car except when I forgot to reinsert the fleet card into the proper slot in the car at the gas station along the way. (The car won't start without it.) We figured it out quickly but I experienced a couple moments of terror that we'd be stuck on the NJ Turnpike. When we got back to town we ran a few errands and then I took the train to the airport for a flight out to Chicago. I didn't know that the Transpass was good for that trip, but it was super handy.

So far, getting around has not been difficult at all. I do sometimes get annoyed waiting on buses and have just walked from CC because of my own impatience. Also when it was raining, blustery and cold on Friday I really missed my car, but ultimately I didn't really get wet and once I dressed appropriately I was fine. Once this weekend I even mentioned to Amy that we should crunch the numbers and see if it is worthwhile for us to keep our Jeep. So far, she's not hearing that at all... I'll keep you posted.

Week Three:

This week has really been fun. The routine is starting to set in and I am completely getting used to the lifestyle changes necessary to make this work. I figured out this week that I really can take the train out to my job in the burbs pretty easily. It requires me to get up a little earlier and takes slightly longer than driving myself, but I’ve been using the time to workout before work and it’s really been productive. For a while now I’ve been buying individual trip tickets because I figured the passes were not economical for someone who may or may not take the train everyday.

As a part of the “walk ride share” program participants are eligible to receive a free pair of Puma running shoes from Philadelphia Runner on 16th and Sansom. Amy and I were finally able to go by there and pick out our shoes. For those of you who haven’t been in there I highly recommend it. Brian who helped us with our shoes took a great deal of time explaining the different types of shoes and how to pick the best pair for your feet and gait. Going into a specialized store like that can be intimidating, but I found the experience to be very positive and gave me some motivation to start getting active again. So far, it’s been great.

This weekend was very busy for us. We needed to accomplish a number of things. On Saturday, we took the bus to Reading Terminal Market and spent a couple of hours shopping around the booths, especially for fresh produce and poultry. Later we walked down to Whole Foods and bought the remaining odds and ends we needed. On the way we spent a while at the Philadelphia Book Festival at the Free Library touring the booths and talking with the authors. We love to check out DVDs from the library and even saw Bernadette Peters signing autographs in the main hall of the library. It was a very interesting afternoon.

Sunday we both had things to do in the burbs so we reserved a Mini Cooper from PhillyCarShare. Amy dropped me off in Newtown where I worked most of the day and watched the rain fall outside my office window. Amy had a Jr. League meeting on the Main Line somewhere… The Mini was a lot of fun to drive and even accommodated my 6’2’’ frame. I recommend it for a fun afternoon. We had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Newtown, Oishi (Amy recommends the Shrimp Tempura Deluxe roll). We made a stop at Trader Joe’s on the way to returning our car and jumped right on the 2 bus to get home. Easy, fun and productive.

So far so good. No driving since May 1st. Our poor Jeep must be feeling neglected by now.

 
Week Four:

We spent much of this holiday weekend bussing and walking around the city running errands and enjoying the beautiful weather. I realized that experiencing the city more directly and engaging with people on the street enhances the quality of our lives. We found shops we might never have noticed (Evangeline and Hello World) and really got to experience the city and other people without the cocoon of our car diminishing our experience.

We really enjoy the discounts that go with PSC membership and that they are available at our favorite places (Juju Salon and Naked Chocolate Cafe).

Lesson of the week - Never expect the bus to be on time unless you need it to be late.

 
Week Five:

The walk ride share program over the last month has provided a great learning experience and an opportunity for serious contemplation about how our routines shape and qualify our daily lives. Breaking out of the normal patterns of my life and thinking not just about how I get from place to place but also the impact of my choices on the world around me and on the quality of my experience has allowed me a unique chance to change my perspective. I am proud of myself and of Amy. The fact that we were able to make it the entire month without driving our car gave us a sense of accomplishment and made us closer. The entire experience enhanced our daily experience in this great city.

I’ve said this before but experiencing the city on the street, face to face, directly and without a car insulating us from the world around us has allowed us to appreciate our neighborhoods and the people around us so much more. There are all kinds of great reasons to give up your car or reduce your driving, but beyond it being the right thing to do for the environment, I would argue that it will truly improve your daily experience to walk the streets of Center City and to talk to our fellow citizens. I saw shops and parks and sights I never would have noticed driving by at even twenty miles an hour.

In week two I think I alluded to the fact that I was trying to convince Amy that we probably could make it without our Jeep. That discussion continues. So far, I haven’t had much luck convincing her. The fact is though that with the price of gas and insurance, especially in Center City, going without a car is something I think everyone in CC should consider. I travel out to the `burbs for work and not having a car definitely limits my freedom, but still I make it work. I’ve found my coworkers and friends very supportive of my efforts and especially want to thank Pat Marks and Jean Madden for rides to the train station when I miss the RUSH bus. If more people took advantage of the bus and rail services then they could be expanded and freedom would be enhanced through broader more comprehensive schedules and reduced costs. If you live and work in CC, I would say that a car is practically a liability. I’ll continue to try and convince Amy that we probably don’t need our Jeep, but until then I think we will still be much more inclined to take the bus and walk than ever before.

I am so grateful for this experience. Not just because it’s made me rethink my ability to travel differently, but because it’s shown me that I can change myself and the way I think about “my” world. Doing this and becoming so comfortable with the change has proven to me that I can approach the world differently and that my change of perspective can have positive and lasting impact for other people and the city as a whole. It’s been inspirational – truly!