I live on the northwest side of Lawrence near what was the edge of town in the early 90’s. It’s an 8 minute trip by car, 25 by bike, and close to 40 minutes if I take the T. (Check out this video for a sense of what that’s like). So you can probably do the math and figure out how I typically get to work. Although I am making an effort to bike more now that the weather is nice, a majority of the time I am the lone rider in my little Mazda.
I was recently contacted by a car pooling company looking for an opportunity to help KU develop more sustainable solutions for the campus commute, but an effort like this would require a considerable financial investment and a critical mass willing and ready to participate. Based on the success (or perhaps failure) of previous ride boards at KU, and the 2 other people looking for a ride on the Facebook Carpool, it would appear that we’re not quite ready to take that plunge.
Still, it would be nice to cut my carbon footprint by riding to work with a colleague or two. I’m guessing there are others out there who feel the same, or at least want to share a ride to save a buck or two. Maybe it is time to take another look at car pooling at KU. With a little work, we can come up with a plan that is able to make some solid connections and sustain itself for the long haul.
- Jeff
