I’ve long had a contentious relationship with my car. I never liked driving very much. I’m also acutely aware of the negative environmental impacts of cars on the environment, both in terms of their production and use. And like many drivers, there are few things I hate more than sitting in traffic.
Until recently, I accepted my daily need for driving as a fact of life. But once I realized three bus routes come within walking distance of my house, I decided I should give transit a try. I had three motivations for this: First, I felt this was a good way to model sustainable choices given that sustainability is a part of my job. Second, as someone who doesn’t like driving, I thought driving less would be a win. Finally, as Christian who observes Lent, I was inspired by the Autofasten (“car fasting”) practiced by communities in Germany and Austria and thought this would be a meaningful Lenten practice.
I set some rules for myself: I would rely on public transit, my bike or my own two feet, making exceptions only for absolute necessity or if a friend offered a ride unsolicited. As I began this experiment, I wondered: How many times will I be embarrassingly late to work? Will I feel safe? How exhausting will it be to turn my 15-minute drive into an hour-long trek by bus, train and van or bike?
I made very few exceptions, and I was meaningfully late to work twice, once when my train was delayed by a medical emergency and once when my bus to the Frontrunner station was inexplicably 15 minutes late. Overall, I was surprised to find that I was more timely than usual — probably because I had to plan each trip well in advance. While I experienced a substantial delay (more than five minutes) in about 25% of trips and found minor delays (30 seconds to five minutes) extremely common, the system always got me where I needed to go. I also felt safe, with the two concerns I ever had stemming from happenings in surrounding neighborhoods and occurring just as my bus was about to arrive.
There were two things I found surprising during my six-week test run. First, as a lifelong night owl, I was surprised that I was more energized when I arrived at work after waking up early to take transit. I attribute most of this to the added exercise and a bit to the train itself, as I’ve loved trains since childhood. Second, I was surprised at the connections I forged with people I wouldn’t have otherwise met — students, refugees, unruly teenagers, people without shelter and, perhaps most strikingly, a lot of people unable to drive due to medical conditions. Prior to this, I’d met one blind person in my life; I met two blind people in my first week of this experiment.
I also have some recommendations for the Utah Transit Authority, lawmakers and other local officials:
Set traffic lights to change with the train: One of the most striking differences between TRAX and similar systems I’ve used in other cities around the world is that TRAX has to stop for traffic downtown, while other cities ensure lights change to enable the train’s unimpeded passage. Making this change would allow the train to move faster, enabling shorter travel times and perhaps even increased frequency with the same number of trains and operators.
Increase frequency: My most traveled routes come only every half hour on weekdays and every hour on Saturdays. To give up my car entirely, I would need service at least every 15 minutes.
Rethink routes: The current system facilitates travel from suburban park and rides to the University of Utah, downtown and to the airport. Transit would become more viable if it were designed to take anyone between any two points within the service area with no more than two transfers and minimal transfer times.
Offer 24/7 service: This would be a boon for both public safety and social equity, as it would offer those patronizing bars, working night shifts or who are simply tired a safe and affordable option.
Plan for the future, not the present: When reviewing UTA’s Long-Range Transit Plan, I was disappointed to see that the plan works to address current needs, not the needs anticipated to arise in the next 30 years.
Based on my experience with this experiment, I’m not ready to sell my car, though I do plan to ride transit more. It started my day on a better note, helping me avoid traffic and made me more punctual, while saving me $362 in driving-related costs — this is based on 606.8 miles that would have otherwise been driven, the federal mileage rate of $0.67 per mile, and $45 in payroll deductions for my transit pass during the experiment period.
I look forward to donating the savings from my experiment to organizations fighting poverty in Utah and to many more UTA trips.
(Photo courtesy of Elise Armand) Elise Armand
Elise Armand is a Salt Lake City resident and a public transit enthusiast. Her transit ridership experience includes extensive ridership in Atlanta, London and Barcelona, as well as shorter visits to cities across the United States and Europe.
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