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11 Issue 3 |
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Bicycle commuters invade Chicagoland streets Sunday Parkways one step closer Chicago seniors' walking commutes get boost Walking commute unveils hidden treasures Store owner gets employees to bike Field Museum offers staff bike sharing Bicycle Commuter Stations around the region Top marks for new Chicagoland transit websites |
Top marks for new Chicagoland transit websites CTA and Pace are giving commuters more reason than ever to go green and healthy with new online features that promote active and sustainable transportation. I tested out these new websites and rated them on their motivational potential to reduce vehicle miles traveled. What I found was, not only do these new virtual tools advance active transportation, they also can make diehard fans out of existing walkers, bicyclists and transit users. CTA: 2.5 buses
The CTA recently joined forces with Google, and now Chicago is the biggest city in the country where travelers can search for transit directions on a map as easily as they can look up driving directions. I typed in my home and work addresses, hit ‘Get directions’, and found two options: driving or transit. The transit map was as clear as a smog-less sky, with upcoming schedules, multiple routes, and the usual Google pizzazz. Switching between the transit and driving tabs, I found that the difference between commuting by car and by train was only 15 minutes. Factoring in congestion and the hunt for the elusive parking spot, transit looks pretty good. CTA Spokesperson Kim Myles said, “Because Google incorporates transit into their base Google Map search service, when customers are searching for places they want to visit, for example, restaurants, museums, businesses, or just a friend's house, they now will be presented with all the bus stops or rail stations that are nearby, encouraging infrequent riders to think about taking more transit trips.” CTA does not score a perfect four out of four train cars because it does not include biking or walking information. Looking for more from your trip planner? I’ll let you in on a little secret: The RTA is working with the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation to develop an integrated trip planner that incorporates bicycling trips into their transit and walking model. Pace: 4 buses
With Pace’s RideShare website, you can plug in trip distance and transportation mode and see the immediate results – money saved, emissions avoided and calories burned. You can also set up a personal profile to track your commute every day. “For people who are not as familiar with using many forms of transportation, having the calculator and seeing the numbers and how much they can save is a strong selling point. By and large, people will be shocked at how much they’re saving by not driving,” said Pace’s Patrick Wilmot. I was. If I commute using active transportation every weekday this month, I will save the planet 228 pounds of emissions and save my wallet $133. Biking, I can burn 2,016 calories per week. Someone taking the bus from South Holland to the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation office (25.9 miles – the website calculated that for me) could save a whopping $617 and reduce 1,054 pounds of emissions this month by taking a bus instead of a car. And that’s only the beginning – the RideShare website
lets you find people in your neighborhood to carpool/vanpool.
Pace wins four pace buses for making me even more excited about
active transportation.
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