Are you considering using your car less? The first question that comes to mind is: what mode of transportation should you use instead? The answer is simple: you will need to consider your location—and your feet.
I live approximately ten minutes from public transit, from both of our city’s main universities, SAIT, and the downtown core. We chose this location for that very reason. It makes good strategic sense. Simply put, the less time and money one spends on traveling to and from work, school, and recreation, the better. Even on the battlefield, a major strategic goal is to keep one’s supply lines as short as possible. My current supply lines are very short, and my victory in the ongoing challenge to be in the right place at the right time is thus assured. However, where environmentally responsible transportation options are concerned, the location of one’s home—and proximity to places of work and essential services—is of paramount importance.
Not everyone can live in the inner city, but the considerations for responsible transportation are the same regardless of your dwelling’s location. If possible, consider multimodal transportation.
Multimodal transportation—combinations of bikes, trains, cars, etc.—requires that one reacquaint oneself with the art and effort of walking. You’ll need to assess your physical condition, as combining modes of transportation will have you relying on your ability to walk much more than you probably already do, even if you are committed to a regular fitness regime. Further, if you choose not to use an automobile, you will lose a great deal of storage and carrying capacity. Simply put, you're going to need a good day pack and will need to get used to taking your things for work or recreation with you on your back.
I won’t say that every trip in this context is an adventure, but you should start regarding every outing as though it were an outdoor activity or hike. Starting with good walking shoes and weather-appropriate attire, you’ll want to make sure your pack contains all the useful things you’re accustomed to taking with you on a day hike. If I’m heading out to work remotely from my home studio, my pack generally includes my iPad with keyboard, a bound paper notebook, sketchbook, small art kit, first-aid kit, city map, multitool, flip-style cell phone, camera, snacks, water bottle, weatherproof shell, hat, a novel, and a small chess set (it is wondrous indeed to consider the many places where a game of chess has been both useful and relaxing).
So why commit this much verbiage to walking when this is a discussion about transportation? Once again, the answer is simple: besides acknowledging the “you’re going to be walking a lot more” reality, we must remember that multimodal transportation is an outdoor game. “Outside,” in the city, means being in the street environment. The street is alive with many possibilities and opportunities not available to travelers in motor vehicles. Consider the potential for missed buses, flat bike tires, mechanical breakdowns, traffic jams, accidents, inclement weather, or even outright emergencies, if you need clarification on the point of preparedness.
On the street, a person on foot is small. If you are used to traveling in a car—and even a small car is many times the size of a person—moving about on foot can and will be, at times, disconcerting. To this, I can only suggest that you rely on your nose … and your eyes, ears, sense of touch, and your head to negotiate urban terrain. Unplug yourself from your earbuds or headphones. Ears tell eyes where to look, so allow yourself to hear the world around you, and let sound guide your vision. Your phone—hereafter referred to as a pocket computer—you must put away. Your eyes cannot help you if you’re mesmerized by social media, GPS, or other distractions on the glowing rectangle of your pocket computer.
Review information, communicate, or entertain yourself when you are seated somewhere comfortable with a beverage in hand (and no, I most emphatically do not mean when you are on the bus, train, or in the back seat of a taxi). Trust your feet. Your feet are in contact with the ground and will tell you much about the terrain and its predominant features. Your feet feel surfaces, warn you of difficulties, and tell you if you have dressed appropriately—cold feet are the equal of an exposed head every time. Also, think. When moving through the city, it is vitally important to keep your wits about you, largely because most of the other people you’re moving among are likely to be distracted or too preoccupied with the details of their lives to do so themselves. Carry a paper map of the city, and make time to familiarize yourself with your usual routes and their alternatives. The GPS in your pocket computer is fine, but the one in your head is far superior—and charges no data fees. Keeping your mind on the task of traveling will make you one of a rare few who are able, on the spur of the moment, to take advantage of an emerging opportunity or avoid a developing problem. This is extremely valuable.
Finally, rest. All this extra activity will make serious withdrawals on your energy levels, even after you become accustomed to the new routine. Sleep. Snooze. Catnap whenever possible to restore your energy and refresh your mind. You will be processing far more information when you experience your environment this way, so—once again—put away your pocket computer and embrace relaxation. You’ll be glad you did.
