Tag Archives: commuting

Escaping High Oil Prices

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Today, the average price of gas in the USA is $3.29 per gallon. It sounds expensive, but it’s actually quite cheap compared to prices in the rest of the world. In Japan and Korea, gas costs around $5.50 per gallon. In Hong Kong, Germany, and Denmark, gas can cost as much as $7.50 per gallon. Filling up a 16-gallon tank in a mid-sized car can easily cost over $110 in Norway. To put that in perspective, $110 can pay for two weeks worth of groceries.

At $3.29/gallon, you could be spending $2000 each year in gas prices alone if you commute 30 miles each day to work (1). If two people commute separately, that’s $4000 each year. And there’s more awful news to come: the price of oil will only continue to increase. It’s a matter of basic economics: demand is increasing, but supply is running out.

Petroleum is a limited, non-renewable resource. This means that oil production follows a curve: it starts slow, hits a peak, and then begins to trail. Oil engineers predicted this phenomenon in the early 1950s—and this may be the decade we may finally reach peak oil. Soon thereafter, global oil production will taper off. Already, most easy-to-reach oil supplies have been exhausted. Oil companies are now increasingly resorting to offshore and tar sands oil extraction, which are both expensive and harmful to the environment. Yet while supply is decreasing, demand for oil is exploding. In particular, the burgeoning middle classes of China and India are acquiring a taste for motor vehicles. With a billion cars worldwide today, and tens of millions more added each year, the price of fuel will skyrocket.

Oil production peak by country. (from US Department of Energy)

Our current era of cheap, unlimited energy is quickly coming to an end. By the end of this decade, the average household could be spending $8000+ on gasoline each year just to commute to work. Our society’s driving habits will change—if not for environmental reasons, then at least because of the price.

The best strategy for dealing with the upcoming energy crisis is to wean yourself off of petroleum. Live with less gasoline so that rising fuel prices won’t affect your standard of living. Not only will you help reduce pollution, you’ll be saving thousands of dollars, too.

Switch over to mass transit whenever you can. They conserve fuel and ultimately conserve you money. A $65 monthly bus pass could save you $100 each month in fuel costs alone, or $1200 each year (2). If you can live without a car, you can save another $4000 each year in auto insurance, car payments, and parking fees. You’ll also save time; instead of fighting traffic, you can read, rest, or relax.

If you’re willing to totally unplug from the oil economy, you can start bicycle commuting . By cycling, you can save $6000+ each year. You don’t even need a specialized bicycle; just use what you have. In fact, if you live close enough, you can just walk. Both tactics will save you money while providing exercise.

For decades, we’ve been willfully ignorant about the fact that oil is a limited resource. We pretended that gas pumps had a supply that could never end. But within a decade, many of us may be forced to live car-free out of economic necessity. We didn’t pay attention to conservation in the past; but today, we can’t afford not to.

  1. Assumptions: $3.29/gallon, 30 miles 1-way implies 60 miles round-trip, 5 days per week, 50 weeks per year, average mileage is 25 miles/gallon: $3.29/gallon × 30 miles × 2 (round-trip) × 5 days/wk × 50 wks/yr ÷ 25 miles/gallon = $1974/yr. Per month, it’s $1974÷12 = $164.5. For two commuters, it’s $1974 &multiply; 2 = $3948/yr. If gas rises to $6.59/gallon (doubling in price), the cost of fuel for two commuters is $7896/yr.
  2. A Los Angeles monthly bus pass is $75, and Orange County’s is $55. If the average bus pass is $65/mo., the difference between gasoline price and bus fare is $164.5 – $65 = $99.5. If we roughly estimate the cost of auto insurance ($1550), parking ($500), and car payments ($200/mo. &multiply 12mo. = $2400), the additional cost of car ownership is $4450/yr., not including the cost of maintenance and vehicle registration fees.

Bicycle Commuting Safely

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Enjoy the ride. Get out and bike!

Safety is a major concern for bicycle commuters. Cyclists often find themselves sharing the road with cars, sometimes on narrow streets without marked bike lanes. This dangerous arrangement has scared away many potential converts from switching over to bicycle commuting full-time. It’s a real tragedy, since cycling offers a cheap and effective solution for reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. But a lack of safe, dedicated bike paths is only half of the problem; the other half is ignorance.

By law, bicycles are vehicles: they are entitled to use the road, just as cars are (1). In fact, bicycles are forbidden to ride on the sidewalk. While they must usually ride on the right edge of the road, cyclists are allowed to occupy an entire lane when necessary for safety. They can even switch to the left lane to turn or to pass slower vehicles. Most motorists, however, are misinformed about the law. They think that bicycles are toys that belong on the sidewalk, so most cyclists are regarded as pests and troublemakers. When this ignorance is combined with two tons of high speed metal, cyclists need to watch out!

As a bicycle commuter, you need to bicycle defensively. Do whatever it takes to avoid getting hit. Don’t insist on your legal rights when you bicycle; it’s better to be wronged than to get hit by a car. Don’t expect motorists to follow the rules, or even the police to help you out. I discovered this first-hand when my high school friend got hit by a car. I witnessed a reckless driver smash into my friend’s bicycle, knocking him off and fracturing his arm and wrist. The law was on my friend’s side, but the police did nothing to help him. If you want to avoid a similar fate, you need to avoid getting hit in the first place (2).

Bicycle as if no cars can see you, because some of them won’t. Helmets are nice, but don’t let them give you an illusion of safety. You don’t want to get hit in the first place, so stay away from cars whenever possible.

The best tactic is to choose the safest route possible. Google Maps also provides bike paths, which is extremely helpful. Under the “More” tab, you can overlay a map with bike routes. A thin, sold green line indicates a bike lane shared with cars, while a thick, solid green line represents paths exclusive to bicycles.

When deciding on a bicycle route, choose safety over distance. Safer routes may take longer, but they’re worth the peace of mind. It’s safer to ride in bicycle lanes, and even safer to route through exclusive paths. When neither option is available, I choose residential roads. Although major streets tend to be more direct, cars drive faster and may be less attentive. Finally, choose paths you’re already familiar with, so that if you get a flat tire, you’ll know how to navigate around.

Even though you’ll bicycle as if no cars can see you, you’ll still want to be highly visible–just in case. Make sure every car can see you clearly from afar. This means you should generally avoid bicycling at night, and if you must, bring strong headlights and taillights. They are required by law, anyway. Make sure they are highly visible and strong enough to avoid being obscured by car headlights. Reflective clothing and rear reflectors can also help. Finally, to help your own visibility, purchase a rear view mirror so you can better see cars coming from behind.

As a bicycle commuter, you’ll want to learn how to fix a flat tire by yourself. You will certainly get a flat eventually, and you’ll want to be able to fix it on the spot, especially if you ride at night. Always carry the necessary equipment to fix the bike yourself; bike stores often sell a small repair kit.

For some of you, bicycle commuting can be dangerous because of a lack of bike paths and reckless cars. It’s a real shame, but hopefully these tactics can help you overcome the many obstacles thrown against you.

For those who live in eco-conscious cities (3), bicycle commuting is actually an extremely safe way of transportation. In Irvine, biking is far safer than driving. Cities like Davis or Portland often have scenic bike paths where you can enjoy clean air, good exercise, and a relaxing ride while saving thousands of dollars each year. Not bad for conserving a little energy.

Can you bicycle commute instead of drive?

1 California Law dictates bicycles are allowed, and in fact must, ride on the road. Try telling that to the cars!

2 Bicyclesafe provides excellent tips to avoid getting hit by cars. It inspired much of this post.

3 Minneapolis, Portland, Boulder, Seattle, and Eugene are the top five bike-friendly cities in the US, according to Bicycling.com

How To Thrive Without A Car

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The Miaoli Train Station in Taiwan

With a little effort, you can live a happier life by not owning a car. Here’s how:

  1. Borrow a car. Rent a car, hire a taxi, find a carpool, take a shuttle — whatever form you choose, you can borrow a car instead of buying one. Borrowing a car is extremely handy when you only need to drive occasionally.

  2. Ride a bike. Bicycle commuting is extremely practical in biker-friendly cities, which include Portland, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle, Boulder, and even New York City (1). The city of Irvine has an amazing network of bike paths. Look up your city on Google Maps to see what bike paths are available.

  3. Run. It’s obvious, yet often overlooked. You can run four miles in about half an hour 45 minutes. If you run to work, you can ditch your treadmill.

  4. Bus / Subway / Train / Metro. This heavily depends on where you live. Taiwan has great public transit, while California’s transit system is mediocre.

  5. Move closer to your work or take it online. Telecommuting also gives you the freedom to work anywhere in the world.

The most effective tactic is to simply commute less. Try to shorten your commute by moving closer to your work. Often, you can combine multiple errands into a single trip. Lastly, avoid unnecessary trips to the mall, department store, or restaurant. When you must shop, you can order online and have it delivered to your door, bypassing the need for a car (2). But often, there’s no need to shop at all. When you shop less, you’ll reduce the need for a car while saving money and time.

It’s helpful to make the transition slowly. Test-ride your bicycle for a few weeks while keeping your car parked in the garage. Weaning yourself off the car should be a gradual process; it takes time to get accustomed to bicycle commuting or riding the bus. And remember, even if you don’t want to live totally car-free, any reduction in driving will save money and gas.

Most importantly, don’t get discouraged easily. Commuting without a car will take longer, but don’t let it test your patience. Always remind yourself of why you sold your car in the first place. You’re protecting the environment by conserving oil and metal; you’re exercising more, freeing up garage space, and avoiding repair hassles. Think about the tens of thousands of dollars you’ll gain each year by selling your car, cancelling your auto insurance, and by not paying for rising gas prices. The trade off is definitely worth it.

Not only is living without a car possible, it’s actually enjoyable. I’ve lived for 18 months now without owning a car, and I’ve never looked back. With a little patience, you can join me, too. Together, we can show the world that life doesn’t have to depend on gasoline.

Can you thrive without a car?

1 Here’s the top 15 biker-friendly cities in the world, and here’s the top 50 US cities.  Some cities on the US list aren’t truly biker-friendly; they just have a lot of dedicated cyclists.

2 Online shopping still wastes gas and often contains a lot of packaging. Still, it might help you sell your car.