During the time of announcements at the 10:30 worship on September 3, Stuart Hobbes talked about his bus commuting, a good way to combat the climate crisis. Stuart and Jamie planned their last move so that they were on a bus route directly to his work. That means they only need one car, which is not used to commute. A great way to save money and care for creation at the same time! Our rector, Karl, also commutes by bus. To find out how to use the bus for your commutes, go to the Central Ohio Transit Authority Home Page You can download the COTA Connector app from Apple’s App Store or Google Play.
Plus, you can download the Transit app for public transit information in cities all over the country and the world.
Here’s a good internet site from the Presbyterian Church USA where you can explore more about earth-friendlier modes of transportation: Alternative forms of Transportation for Your Commute
If you would like to try bicycle commuting, read this article, and talk to our rector about how he does it.
If biking uphill turns you off from using pure pedal power, you might want an electric bike. Here’s an article on why it’s better for the environment. They are rather pricey, but way cheaper than a second car. Are there good lower priced ones? Here’s a list. But what about those battery fires? Read this for reassurance and safety instructions.
There is also “green” ride sharing available if you need it. Uber is expanding its green option, including in Columbus.
Finally, electric cars suitable for city commuting have come down in price so that they are competitive with gasoline powered commuter cars. The Chevy Bolt and Nissan Leaf are now under $30,000 for basic models. They offer 280 miles between charges and qualify for the federal incentive program. I bought a Bolt in 2022. I just love it! I welcome questions about my almost two years of driving electric.
Elliott
The Parish Administrator commutes by bus as well, and has been a bus commuter all of her adult life!
Roger and I both rode the bus downtown back and forth to work during our careers. We took the car out for errands or appointments once or twice a week at most. Since we both came from big cities this seemed quite normal to us. We never owned more than one car. The children had bicycles and used the bus.