Changing Lanes on How We Think About Commuting

by Lori Martin & Helen Vollmer, VOLLMER Houston

With elections about over, workloads returning to normal following a horrendous hurricane year on the Gulf Coast, a domestic financial fallout and the upcoming holiday season, we are, thankfully, easing into our familiar patterns of driving to and from the office or on errands. And while we all welcome a return to the familiar, on one front, this is not the time to fall back on old habits. Now, more than ever, is the time to continue to challenge ourselves to change how and when we drive along our streets and freeways. Our individual transportation habits can truly change our quality of life both personally and collectively as a community.

At least in the greater Houston area bus ridership is up and a recent pledge initiative of the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) and the East Harris County Manufacturer’s Association, My Solution Is . . . that began in August to get citizens to try alternatives to commuting solutions has resulted in thousands promising to finding solutions that better fit their needs. From bundling trips to riding our bikes to teleworking, the way we get around our communities is, in fact, changing.

While our pocketbooks currently have a reprieve from $4/ gallon gasoline, that high price at the pump was a grand wakeup call that the money we save by carpooling or riding the bus is a solution with benefits. Not only can we save dollars on gas, the wear and tear on the vehicles themselves adds up to substantial savings. According to the H-GAC, commuters can save up to $6,500 on gas and other expenses, including maintenance and care insurance. According to AAA’s Your Driving Cost survey, it costs 71 cents per mile to operate a car for every 10,000 miles driven. In fact, the same study suggests that each individual driver spends an average of $54.10 for every 100 miles driven. In a time when we’re all watching our spending, frankly, this kind of saving amounts to pennies from heaven.

H-GAC anticipates that by 2035, the Houston area will have approximately 3.5 million additional residents, 61 percent of whom will live in currently unincorporated areas. And while area governments, planning agencies, and the private sector are aggressively exploring ways to lessen congestion and travel times for the future, this is truly the responsibility of every individual in our community. Each of us can make a difference immediately by realizing that when we drive one person to a vehicle, we are part of the problem, not the solution. By carpooling when we can, walking to the store and using Park ‘n Ride facilities as a matter of course, we are making our community a better place to live.

There is no silver bullet when it comes to the transportation challenges we all face . . . each of us has a responsibility to take action. And we no longer can assume that government or industry can solve these issues for us. This is no longer “somebody else’s problem;” this takes a personal commitment.

So as the weather gets cooler and you plan your holiday errands, challenge yourself to change old habits and think before slipping behind the wheel. You’ll be surprised to see what choices and what incentives we all have when you break old habits.