[*BCM*] ress

[Lee Peters]

I would like to avoid another petty quarrel like from last week. BUT,
the laughter is sarcasm and facetiousness, a subtlety that doesn't
travel well over the internet.  It is lifting to see what we all know
(in CM) brought to the mainstream, as in the Globe article.  I look
forward to an evolution from the automobile.

The pollution part of the automobile engine will go away, in 20 years or
so.  This will NOT be enough for our society and planet.  The bicycle
has a greater promise of mobility, low impact and social re-connect than
the auto.  So together, let's give out a loud sarcastic "Duh !"




-----Original Message-----
From: bostoncriticalmass-bounces at bostoncriticalmass.org
[mailto:bostoncriticalmass-bounces at bostoncriticalmass.org] On Behalf Of
Thomas John Vitolo
Sent: Sunday, October 17, 2004 5:51 PM
To: Boston Critical Mass
Subject: RE: [*BCM*] I digress



> Ha HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa......Ha
> 
>
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/10/17/commuting_troubles_
> get_worse_in_mass/


Seems to me that the lengthening (distance and time) of commutes is a
lot of
things; funny isn't one of them.  As the article pointed out, it means
more
pollution, more consumption of fossil fuels (from the Middle East too!),
and
less time that kids get to spend with their parents.  Oh -- it also
means more
tax dollars spent building and repairing roads that bicycles aren't
allowed
anywhere near.

The MBTA website has some great links to proposed enhancements to the
subway and
commuter rail lines, and some really interesting data on population
density, car
ownership, and property values as a function of distance to the nearest
commuter
rail stop.


You would think that increased automobile costs and travel time would
improve
the odds of more folks taking mass transit/carpooling/moving closer to
work/telecommuting/etc.  Maybe it has -- after all, ridership in Mass
has stayed
constant whereas other cities have seen a drop.


Still though, it seems to me that the MBTA could be better.  More money
would
certainly help, and extending lines/shortening trips would go a long way
toward
increasing ridership.  So, instead of just laughing at the problems, may
I
recommend:

 * Point family, friends, and coworkers to:
http://www.mass.gov/portal/index.jsp?pageID=mg2subtopic&L=4&L0=Home&L1=R
esident&L2=Cars+%26+Transportation&L3=Public+transportation&sid=massgov2
if cycling or walking is too great a distance / too dangerous / too
uncomfortable.
]
 * Contact Mass public officials (Romney, DiMasi, Travaglini, and your
state
senator & rep) by using the following page:
http://www.mass.gov/portal/index.jsp?pageID=mg2topic&L=4&L0=Home&L1=Stat
e+Government&L2=Citizen+Involvement&L3=Elected+officials&sid=massgov2

 * Encourage your peoples to stay/move into the city.  Closer to city ==
shorter
commute == more of your life back.

 * Lobby for more HOV lanes on highways.  It rewards the carpoolers, and
more
carpoolers means fewer cars to clog up the roads, and less wasted fuel.


Me, I'm a grad student who lives 150 yards from his office.  However, I
work out
at Lincoln Laboratory 1 to 5 days a week -- which is a 40 minute
walk/subway
ride to MIT, and then another 50 minutes to Lexington.  So, there's a
2.5 to 3
hour commute round-trip.  It's an awfully long time, and there's nothing
I can
do to shorten it except to buy a car.


Even if you're not the one stuck in traffic, you still pay some of the
costs. 
It's your air, your tax dollars towards the roads, your planet's wasted
fossil
fuels, and maybe your neighbor's kids who are neglected.




Thomas John Vitolo
Ph D Systems Engineering Candidate,
Boston University

Support a few technologists in Washington this election.  Go to:
http://actblue.com/list/stomv
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