US-centric commute conversations always seem to revolve around the primacy of the car. So, USA people reading this... Where are you, and could you commute by cycle or public transport instead of by car? What prevents you doing this?
> Where are you, and could you commute by cycle or public transport instead of by car? What prevents you doing this?
I'm in Michigan's second largest city. Technically I could commute via bicycle or public transit. Practically speaking though, almost no one ever actually does either of those.
Public transit is old diesel buses (exclusively), which run on poorly spaced and poorly timed routes, do not run reliably, and require long distances to walk to/from the bus stops. Walking 15-20 minutes just to get to a bus stop sucks, waiting another 15-20 minutes for the bus to arrive also sucks. They keep the buses reasonably clean, but a common subset of typical passengers are often...not. So having to deal with lice or bed bugs is not uncommon, which really sucks.
Bicycling is fine if the weather is nice, but for about 7+ months of each year, the weather prevents it. (It was 15 degrees below freezing this morning, for instance). It also sucks to arrive all sweaty to work.
Time is also a big factor. A public transit commute would take me about 110 minutes daily (if I time it perfectly, it's 150 minutes daily if I don't). A bicycle commute would take about 60 minutes daily. Driving takes just 20 minutes daily, in any weather.
The car is also flexible. I can leave to run errands and grab a meal during my lunch break no problem. If I took the bus, by the time I walked to the bus stop I'd have to immediately turn around and start walking back.
As an added bonus, my car is an EV that is effectively silent and produces zero emissions and zero exhaust (the electricity it uses is from 100% renewable sources too) where as public transit buses spews an awful lot of diesel exhaust. It gives me a crazy amount of freedom, with no additional harm to the environment.
EVs are not completely harmless in my understanding, even if powered by renewable energy. There's the production impact, for starters. But of course you're right, it's a far better option than outdated diesel transportation.
Arriving sweaty at work is soluble. Wear cycling kit, take work attire in a panier. Your workplace may have showers. Failing that, wet-wipes work wonders :)
Anyway, thanks for your detailed reply. I cycle in temperatures just below zero but -15 daily would indeed be hard.
Most US tech jobs are not in cities. They're in an industrial park somewhere. When I go into the office I'm probably about as typical as it gets. 25 top 30 minute car commute from an exurb to an office in another exurb/suburb closer to the city, but still pretty far out. No public transit options.
It's a very recent phenomenon that Boston/Cambridge have a lot of tech jobs in the city proper. As recently as 20 years or so ago, the remaining companies were still moving out.
I am three miles from my office. There is a lovely river trail running from my back yard to my office building. There is regular bus service from my front yard to my office building.
I drive a motorcycle to work because I damn well feel like it. Unless the weather is bad -- then I drive a car.
