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Smart Trips program will tell you why

by Kelly Segars

The decision about how to get to the grocery store, to work or to the park isn’t a decision at all for most people. They automatically get in the car because there don’t seem to be any alternatives.

Taking the bus, carpooling, biking or walking—are not easy. New development is designed for automobiles rather than people. Most roads locally lack bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The transit service is good, but it’s not convenient for everyone because our homes, stores and workplaces are spread out. Setting up a carpool takes time, and maybe you don’t even know how to go about it. It all takes a little more effort and thought than just getting in your car.

Before you grab your car keys, consider what all this driving is doing. A large part of the air pollution problems in Tennessee come from automobiles and trucks. We’re now faced with the specter of U.S. EPA non-attainment status. While that may not scare you, it should—it means we are breathing unhealthy air too much of the time. (There are economic issues related to non-attainment status, and I don’t mean to belittle them, but the basic concern is about our own health.)

Converting to alternative-fueled vehicles may help with air pollution, but it won’t solve everything. Busy roads are dangerous, especially for bicyclists and pedestrians. Children aren’t allowed to walk or bike to school because it’s too dangerous to cross the street. Traffic congestion often results in expensive road “improvement” projects, which usually means adding more lanes.

But let’s talk about what really gets people’s attention—money. According to AAA, the average cost of driving a new car 15,000 miles a year is more than $7,700. Driving a used car is a little cheaper, but the average cost still hangs around $5,000. Since we don’t pay that all in one chunk (the total includes car payments, insurance, gas and maintenance), we don’t really think about how much money that is.

Consider this: if you could go to one household car instead of two, what would you spend that $5,000 a year on?

Regular exercise helps prevent heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, colon cancer, depression and anxiety. The Centers for Disease Control have declared obesity to be a national epidemic. Obesity in adults has increased by almost 60% since 1991. Diabetes has also been increasing at alarming rates. It can be difficult to squeeze in time at the gym, but by turning exercise into transportation, you automatically get a workout.

There are many options for getting exercise while getting somewhere—walk to meet your carpool, bike to the bus stop or walk your child to school. Be creative. You can take the bus in the morning and bike home after work. (All KAT buses have bike racks.)

Knoxville has several efforts underway to improve things. Smart Trips Week, April 17-24, is a showcase of many programs that are promoting healthy transportation. The Knoxville Regional Bicycle Program has a citizens’ advisory committee working to implement the 2002 Bike Plan, and includes a bike mentor program and plans to add bike racks downtown. The Smart Trips program encourages people to bike, walk, bus or carpool rather than driving alone, and works with employers to set up trip reduction programs. The city, county, TVA and BellSouth are already committed. KAT is sponsoring a Try Transit Day on April 24 and is always working to improve service. There are bike repair classes, a downtown living tour, a walkability audit and many other events.

The point of Smart Trips Week, though, is what you can do. We challenge you to replace at least one drive-alone car trip with a transportation alternative. Walk with your kids to school instead of driving them. Bike to the park or the store. Take KAT to work. Carpool with a co-worker who lives near you. All of it adds up to cleaner air, more money in your checking account and less stress in your life! There is help available. If you need help figuring out the bus schedule, call KAT, and they will work with you. If you want to find a carpool partner, check out the free online ridematching service offered by the Smart Trips Program.

On my morning bike ride to work, I pass a store where a man waves to me and says, “Mornin’ honey!” Waiting at a traffic light downtown, a woman leans out her van window and says, “I like your car!” with a big smile. On the bus one morning, I helped a first-time rider figure out what route her niece needed to take to get to school. Meanwhile her son sat next to her with a huge grin. He was thrilled to be riding the bus for the first time. You don’t get this kind of interaction when you’re in a car. That’s a sense of community being built, and it’s what gives me hope that we will make a difference.

Kelley Segars is a senior transportation planner for the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization and director of the Knox section of the American Planning Association. Information on Smart Trips Week can be found at www.knoxtrans.org.

April 8, 2004 • Vol. 14, No. 15 © 2004 Metro Pulse