The Happy Commuter

July 2023 Over the last few years, micro mobility has gone through ups and downs. During the pandemic, cities grew their bike lane infrastructures, and people embraced micro mobility for recreation and virus-free commuting modes. Post-pandemic, as commuting to work returned, urban area citizens have started to lose patience with micro-mobility and its crowding out – and in some cases endangering…

Some Thoughts on Juneteenth, 2020

It’s Juneteenth (June 19), a day commemorating the end of slavery 155 years ago. I personally had not given much thought to this day in years past. This year, however, Juneteenth has entered white consciousness as we have recently witnessed and felt the pain black and brown people experience daily. Many corporations in America are encouraging employees to take the day off. I’m taking this time to…

From Vox: eScooters Forcing Cities to Re-think Street Design

I enjoyed reading this in-depth piece from Vox about the rapid rise of dockless escooter companies and their current and potential impact on city mobility and street infrastructure. It covers how they work, how cities are responding and suggests that they are challenging cities to re-think urban street design.

“Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of scooters will be that they will force a larger…

Barcelona’s High-Class Bike Lanes

I recently returned from a visit to Paris and Barcelona. Both cities are ranked in the top 20 most bike-friendly cities on the planet by Copenhagen Design Co. As a first time visitor to Barcelona, I was incredibly impressed with its cycling infrastructure. As a recurring visitor to Paris, I noticed more bike lanes than on my last visit a couple of years ago. Paris declared 2017 the year of the…

Commuter Rewards Programs: Why Cambridge-based Green Streets Rocks

  Is your workplace looking for an employee rewards program that encourages healthy/sustainable commuting? I’ve looked into different rewards programs in search of a partner and Green Streets Initiative’s (GSI) Walk/Ride Day Workplace Challenge is, by far, my favorite. Before I share why I think they’re superior to comparable programs, know that GSI runs a seven month Workplace Challenge…

A change in Boston’s default speed limit and increases in parking meter rates should improve commuting conditions for pedestrians, bikers, and drivers who need parking. On January 9th, the default speed limit drops to 25 mph from 30mph. This change should have a meaningful impact on pedestrian and biker safety. Based on WalkBoston, pedestrians have a 40% chance of getting killed when hit by a…

Cape Cod Vs. The Hamptons

  As a Boston resident, I’ve frequently visited the Falmouth area of Cape Cod. As a New York native, I am in the Hamptons every summer for a week or two. In both cases, we visit family and don’t have a place of our own. We don’t want the hassle of owning a second home, but, occasionally, I might day dream about the type of location I would pick for a “country home”. I would start to think about…

Boston’s Parking Congestion Problem: There’s an App for That

Boston’s population growth has brought congestion and parking problems. But, where are the cars coming from? Suburbanites commuting to work, or city folk who prefer driving to alternatives and take advantage of free and unlimited residential parking permits. A transportation study is coming out in late fall that should shed some light. But, local representatives aren’t waiting for the results to…

Self-Driving Cars Will Change More Than How We Drive

Last week I attended a fascinating conference on the future of transportation organized by Transportation for Massachusetts or T4MA. The organizers assembled an impressive list of speakers, including Robin Chase, CEO of ZipCar, Jackie DeWolf, Director of Sustainable Mobility at MassDOT, and Julian Agyeman, Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts. Robin shared her…

Skedaddle to Gillette Stadium and Beyond

Last week my husband and I went to a Patriots home game at Gillette stadium. I had a fun time eating popcorn, drinking ONE beer, and watching the Patriots clobber the Texans. Getting there by car late at night and driving back at midnight were not as pleasant. I know now that we could have taken the commuter rail that offers service from South Station to Gillette on home games. The $20 round-trip…

Get Rewarded for Your Green Commutes for #MACleanAir Week

Its Clean Air week in Massachusetts, a week during which we should think harder about our personal transportation choices and try out environmentally friendly modes. Among my circle of friends and acquaintances, no one seems to know much about this special week. There are personal benefits to obtain from participating in the Clean Air challenge: check out http://www.commute.com/CleanAir for more…

Reduce Commute Friction with Kick Scooters (and hatch more Pokémon Go eggs)

The technology industry is abuzz with new companies promising to remove the friction of traditional ways. Transportation tech is no different. Uber and Lyft reduce the hassle of hunting down a taxi. Paying is automatic and requires no time wasted entering a credit card or managing change. New technology-based transportation services are reducing obstacles in our way of getting from A to B, but…

Do you Meditate during your Commute? Check out @Headspace

Commuting is often stressful and we want it to go by as quickly as possible to get to work, school, home etc. We may see other travelers around us as obstacles in our way. In the evening, after a day’s work, it’s often difficult to start unwinding until we get home. The pressure we feel to get to our destination drains the energy we need to do the work, or be an attentive colleague, parent or…

MassBike and New Balance Bring Happier Commutes to Red Sox Games

Commuting to the Fenway area during baseball season can be daunting when the Sox are in town. On-street parking is banned on Brookline Avenue and surrounding streets as early as four hours before a game, while garage parking nearby is at least $40. The Green line train stops nearby, but is packed cheek-to-cheek with fans (and commuters) at gametime: not a pleasant experience in 90+ degree…

South Station’s Greenwash

Ok forget my last post where I talked about new Boston city center developments with parking space to apartment ratios of less than 1. A proposed development in the Financial District, on top of South Station (a key transit hub), goes against this idea with a garage that would provide more than 1.5 spaces per apartment. As the author points out, this proposal conflicts with the City’s Go Boston…

Auto Firms Get Serious about Urban Mobility Tech

While auto companies are enjoying strong sales today, this may not be the case a decade from now.  As more Millennials and Boomers choose to live in cities, the space and need for personal automobiles declines. In densely populated neighborhoods, developers are encouraged to build garages with fewer parking spots than there are apartments to keep car traffic growth in check. For example, a…