Wheels

I saw a guy riding his bicycle home from Wegman's this afternoon. That's remarkable because riding bikes as transportation doesn't seem too common here.

 I guess it could be the terrain. My husband and his friends are longtime, well-conditioned,  recreational cyclists who have probably toured a gazillion miles over the years (the Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure, Cleveland to Oregon, not to mention the whole crazy long distance endurance thing known as radonneuring). Long story short, they don't let hills bother them, whereas a non-athlete like me finds them very challenging.

Recreational cycling seems to enjoy great popularity here, however, judging by the turnouts for events such as the annual Tour of Chautauqua, Tour de Bemus, and the weekly rides from the Holly Loft.

But cycling to the store, not so much. I know it's going to be a while before I can make it back uphill!

I'm better at walking, and Jamestown actually has some very walkable neighborhoods. You can plug your address into this little application to find your neighborhood Walk Score and what it means.

Still,  we tend to be awfully dependent on our cars, even as that becomes more expensive. What can we do?

We can  drive the most fuel-efficient cars we can buy, and keep them tuned up and the tires properly inflated.

We can drive fewer miles by combining all of our errands in a single trip, instead of making several separate trips.

We can carpool with co-workers or offer rides to neighbors when we're going grocery shopping, or attending the same event, to reduce the number of cars on the road.

We should be aware of when public transportation is an option. I didn't realize until just this week that Jamestown has public transportation. I mistakenly thought the CARTS provided transportation for seniors and people with disabilities. They do, but there are also regular bus routes in Jamestown and Dunkirk. More info is available on the Chautauqua county website here.