I work in a city and parking at work costs $60/mo. I was fed up with it, and so I cancelled my parking permit a year ago. I love cycling, and biking into work started really helping my mental health and physical fitness.
When winter came, I started taking the bus. Taking the bus is awesome! I turn on my hot spot and open my laptop and get a head start on my day. The ride flies by... And I definitely don't miss diving in the snow.
Now that we're back into spring I'm back on my bike. The real kicker is how much I've saved on fuel and maintenance on my car. Easily close to $2k.
I realize not everyone has the situation I do (public transit, safe streets to cycle on), but for me my reasons to drive were just excuses. I'm so glad I finally took the plunge and dropped driving to work from my habits.
I think the advise here is even if you can't not drive, think about how to cut down on the small trips or combine trips. Driving is a lot more expensive than I realized!
If you're new to public transit, Google maps has a really awesome tool to give you directions and live times.
If you're new to cycling, try putting Slime in your tires or going tubeless so you don't have to worry about flats.
(Edit: my commute is about 15 km (9 mi) each way)
March 24, 2023 at 11:21PM
