February Thaw

My friend Phil and I have a tradition of meeting outside his building and going for a walk around his block once a month. Last Wednesday was a great day for a walk. All the snow had melted, and the temperature was balmy.

Phil and I bonded several years ago when I learned that he attended Alfred University in the early 1970s - at roughly the same time my dad did. I was a very little kid at the time and we lived in Alfred and a few of the other small Allegany County towns. I'm pretty sure that our paths never crossed back then, but I was too young to remember much. You would never guess that Phil is 60-something -- he doesn't look a day over 45. He makes sure to visit the gym, read books, get fresh air, and listen to the opera. Phil is a left-leaning activist and member of the Unitarian Church who spends plenty of time signing petitions and doing his part to turn the U.S. Senate and the House blue.  He adores Hilary Clinton and does not hold it against me that I was a Bernie Sanders delegate.

Phil is also blind.

Even though Phil is blind - he detects when there is litter along our walk. And I don't think there has ever been a day that we've ventured out and didn't pick up at least one item of trash that was in our path on the sidewalk -- usually on Quail St or Hudson Ave -- pizza boxes are common, and so are plastic bags. One thing that frustrates Phil to no end is LITTER.  Wednesday had 2 additional factors that didn't help (i) all the snow had melted and revealed several weeks worth of litter that had been buried and (ii) it was the day after garbage night -- when inevitably there is some trash that escapes from cans and trash bags.

As we were walking, I noticed one of Phil's new South Lake Ave neighbors outside picking up litter. I thought to myself, "This will give Phil hope in his neighborhood!" and so, we walked over and I introduced Phil to John Clarkson, the former Bethlehem Town Supervisor who recently moved to the heart of Albany. Phil was delighted that a new neighbor was out pitching in with the litter problem. Phil, is a very recognizable person, and John Clarkson told Phil that he had seen him at the Unitarian Church in the past. I think this made Phil happy, I have found that Phil appreciates being known. 

John Clarkson isn't the only one cleaning up his neighborhood. The Pine Hills Improvement Group has been working with UAlbany student groups the past several years on a series of bi-weekly clean-ups that the students perform Sunday afternoons on Hudson, Hamilton, Quail and Ontario. They were scheduled to start their spring cleaning in mid-March, but since the snow melted and the weather has warmed up, the first group plans to head out this weekend.  

Warmer, longer days and seeing neighbors pitch in to spruce up their block has been brightening up these final days of February!

Seen: Good Samaritan who drives a Honda Odyssey

Seeing small acts of kindness gives me hope for humanity. Friday afternoon at about 3:40, I gained some hope on Central Ave and Partridge St in Albany near the bus stop.  Here's a Google Maps photo of the area.

But it didn't look like this on Friday. Not at all. It was a busy time of day with a whole lot of traffic, and several of us pedestrians -- and also that afternoon there was snow and slush all over the street and on the sidewalk. 

The New Routine: Part I

Woah... that was quite a January. A whole lot of new.

New year.

New President.

And biggest change of all ... new routine for getting my daughter to and from school.

Why?

In May 2007, when I started this experiment of getting around without a car, it was spring. Walking was fun and full of sun most days, and my daughter attended our "neighborhood" school... 8/10 of a mile from home. I enjoy walking with my daughter, she tells me all kinds of things I wouldn't know otherwise when we walk together. I hear about things "this kid" did to "that kid", things the teacher said, things that are up between her and her friends... all kinds of things. I think walking has got to be good for relationships.

I walked her to school with running gear on, dropped her off, stretched and jogged home -- adding a few extra blocks to make sure the jog was at least a mile. I'd get home, shower, dress for work and head to my own bus stop. Overall, an invigorating way to start to the day.

At the end of the 2006-2007 school year, that school building closed for renovations for a year and a half. In September 2007, students split up into a few different locations with the bulk of the kids (my daughter included) heading to a temporary location 1.2 miles from our house.

There was no need to walk. She got yellow bus service.

Busing kids to school works likes this: districts are reimbursed for transporting students who reside more than 1.5 miles from their schools, and districts can put special policies in place to transport students who live closer, but in most cases (if not all), school districts are not reimbursed for any such enhanced transportation services. Part of the Albany City School District Facilities Plan expanded bus service for students in temporary school buildings to > .5 mile.

What did that mean for me?

I got lazy.

I was only required to be sure my daughter made it to the corner where a yellow bus picked her up each morning to take her to school. She had fun experiencing the whole taking-the-yellow-school-bus thing -- something that I never had growing up in NYC. After the bus picked her up, I was on my way to work -- work for me changed during that year and a half from a downtown location to a location far, far on the outskirts of Albany on Washington Avenue Extension.

This past September I realized my lazy yellow bus days would be coming to an end. Our neighborhood school's renovations would be complete in January. January. January is cold in Albany, and I was without a car. I started thinking about this -- thinking about when I went to school in NYC, we got transit passes -- and students of all ages still get transit passes there to get to and from school. In October, I spoke during the public comment period at a school board meeting about my experiment of getting around town without a car, and my concerns for families in the district who don't have cars. I've had conversations with a number of board members since then, and they agree that transportation is a huge issue -- but we still don't have a solution.

January arrived and the renovations were complete -- school re-opened.

January arrived and it was cold.

January arrived and the lazy corner bus service was no more. It was time for me to experience life as a parent without a car in an Albany winter the way that most parents without cars experience it --- freezing.

Google Transit tells us that walking to school takes about 15 minutes. Google Transit, also has the following disclaimer, "Walking directions are in beta.Use caution – This route may be missing sidewalks or pedestrian paths. "

Hmmmm...


I guess that translates to, "Use Caution, sidewalk snow and ice removal codes are a joke in Albany. Try ice skates."

Walking to school has been taking us more than 15 minutes. Usually at least 20. Sometimes, we'll walk more than 1/2 way to school, and the timing is right to catch a bus for the last 3/10 mile. It costs a dollar (until April 1, when the fare goes up) to get my daughter on the bus -- not economical, but when you're frozen and rushing to get a kid to school and then get all the Washington Avenue Extension from a totally new location that is not nearly as direct as the pre-January bus stop from back in the "good ol' school bus days"... that dollar becomes worth it -- quickly.

Sometimes, there's no bus in sight and it's so cold that we'll stop by Stewart's to warm up.

Sometimes, she gets a ride from daddy or a friend -- but she's committed to walking, and so we brave the cold together: a mother-daughter bonding experience.

We arrive at school, say goodbye -- and I'm on my way to work.



Stay tuned for Part II of the New Routine where I attempt to figure out the fastest way to get to Washington Avenue Extension from New Scotland Elementary School.

Food and Neighborhood Planning

My all-time favorite cuisine is Indian food. Love it. Here's the back story:

My mother traveled to India a few times when I was a kid. They were business trips, so my sister and I didn't tag along. Nonetheless, the savory spices of India made their way into our home when I was young and impressionable. This was long before the explosion of inexpensive Indian/Bangladeshi restaurants along East 6th Street in Manhattan, though you could still find a spattering of Indian restaurants in the 1970's, and we did. I have recollections of attending outdoor Indian festivals with sitar music, bright colors everywhere, and the smells coriander and cumin wafting in the air. Visits to the homes of family friends usually included the staples of chapati and daal with samosas for fun and sweet, honey-laden desserts that I ate too quickly to ever learn what they were called. My mom seemed to be the only adult woman not clad in a sari, yet she dressed in silk-screens and batiks made in India, that reflected the fashions of our friends.

Looking back, it doesn't surprise me that Gopal, my very first boyfriend in high school, was from an Indian family. He was a total New York village kid just like me -- but a bit more traditional considering both parents were academics, and they were still together, unlike mine... and unlike about 80% of my friends' parents. We took the D train to school each day, yet our courtship did not begin on the train, but in 9th grade Social Studies class, where I found him irresistably funny - I'm a sucker for intelligent humor. Freshman year, Gope had these huge glasses that covered 1/2 his face, but I could tell hidden under the glasses was a really, really cute boy. On our first date he took me to see a pretty bad horror movie, while most time together was spent hanging out on Greenwich Village stoops, and eating felafel on MacDougal Street.

I was invited to spend a lot of time with Gopal's family. Somehow, it was his Hindu family that introduced this girl of eastern European Jewish stock to the 2nd Avenue Deli's fantastic pastrami -- only in New York. While getting invited to the boyfriend's house did sometimes include kosher food, more often than not, Gopal's disco-dancing mom found the time to cook delicious dishes from her home coastal city of Chennai, the thought of which still makes my mouth water a quarter of a century later.

I first came to Albany in 1986 for college, after graduating, I stayed in town for a while. During my early Albany years, there was only one Indian option in town -- and it was outrageously priced. I was living in Center Square when Shalimar, the first affordable-for-just-out-of-college-folk-without-a-real-job Indian restaurant opened, and I became an immediate regular customer.

Fast forward to the 2000's.

In 2001, I bought a house in Pine Hills. So, where do I find myself going whenever I can afford to soothe my craving for Indian? Most times -- Curry House, though I also love Tandoor Palace. Happily, I live just about 1/2 way between the two. When I sat down with the TU on Sunday, I thought about getting to both of these locations as I read this article about a great proposal to make Madison Avenue between South Allen and Lark Street more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly. Fantastic. From the article:

Now, some residents and business people in the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association want the road reduced from four to two traffic lanes from South Allen to Lark streets with a turning lane and a bicycle lane.
"It's been done in a lot of cities to great effect," said Virginia Hammer, a member of the subcommittee that made the recommendation. "It's time for Albany to get on board with some enlightened ideas. What we need is a more pedestrian-friendly and bicycle-friendly city."

Right on, Virginia Hammer! I walk up and down segments of this stretch of Madison at least twice a week, and I can attest that crossing at intersections is quite a challenge because there's always a turning car. My very unscientific observations also tell me that foot traffic along Madison is on the rise. And while I haven't worked up the guts to bike Albany yet, I recently saw a well-trained biking family I know riding along the sidewalk of Madison Avenue -- clearly because riding in the street is just not safe.

Meanwhile, Muddy Cup owner Jim Svetz, speaks to the frustration of trying to park on Madison in the article:

Jim Svetz has a bird's-eye view of the road from the Muddy Cup, his coffeehouse next to the Madison Theater.
"Everyone who has tried to drive on this road, park on this road, make a left-hand turn on this road, knows it's a good idea," he said. "When you park, you have to wait to get out of your car. You're trapped until all the cars go by. When you try to parallel park, you're doing it in the middle of a high-speed lane."

Exactly. Back in my larger-carbon-footprint-making everyday driving days, I often tried to park on Madison between South Allen and South Main usually to go to Curry House, Muddy Cup, or the CVS. Hard to find a spot. Hard to get out of the car when cars are whirring past you at 30 mph.

If you don't know which official Albany neighborhood you reside in, you can always check the Council of Neighborhood Association (CANA) map here. Pine Hills has this colorful map on their website:

The map doesn't quite match the boundaries on the CANA map, but you know... we're a big, happy family, and I think you can actually join a neighborhood association even if you don't live within its boundaries, but don't quote me on that one!

Come out to view the slide show announced in the TU article:

A slide show on the proposal will be shown at 7 p.m. Oct. 16 at the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association meeting at the LaSalle School, 381 Western Ave. The association's members will decide whether to endorse the idea. If they do, the Council of Albany Neighborhood Associations will be asked to back the plan.

And, don't you go thinking that I've forgotten all about CDTA's steep fare hike. I completely agree with this article written by someone who ummm... rides the same bus I do.

A "transit-riding superhero" * Turns 40 Thursday

Yup, I'm turning 40 in a couple of days --I was shocked reading All Over Albany last week to find that my 40th is within just a few days of the 40th birthday of a Capital Region celebrity of sorts. I think I'm old enough now and I'm certainly bold enough now to ask for a few gifts. Do what you can, for me, k?

[*Note: the title "transit-riding superhero" is thanks to the very good folks at All Over Albany]

Wish List - Drivers

Hey Drivers,
This is coming from someone who really enjoys driving. You're operating a vehicle, moving from one place to another so please...

1. Share the road with bicyclists. I think we have enough ghost bikes in our region.

2. Respect pedestrians. About a month after I started my no-driving experiment, I came within inches of being hit while crossing a Central Avenue intersection with my daughter (we were on our way to a bus stop and then to a rental car company to pick up a car) . The driver who was making a left turn onto Central at a green light was extremely apologetic. He got out of his car, and ran across the busy street (almost getting hit himself) to be sure we were ok. However, not all drivers are as concerned about pedestrians' well-being.

3. Along the same lines as 2, above. Turning on red (right on red or left from a one-way to a one-way), is not a free pass to simply slow down to 5 or 3 or even 1 mph and slowly coast through an intersection. The light is still red. Red still means stop. Completely stop. Oh, yeah... and before you pull ahead, be sure the coast is clear.

Wish List - CDTA

CDTA, I feel like I'm your big sister, two years older than you, I'm holding your hand and pulling you along. While, I certainly have a long list of wishes for you -- below are the top 3 items on my wish list.

1. Improve the abysmal Sunday service . It looks like you recognize the need for improvements as Monday's article about your proposal to re-vamp Schenectady's service pointed out,

" 'There are certain routes on our system that don't stop after 6 or 7 p.m., and some don't run on Sundays,' said spokeswoman Margo Janack. 'People who may want to attend religious services, people who want to shop after work at night or catch some entertainment somewhere -- they may not be able to do that by bus because the service doesn't extend that far or run for that long.'

The current hours also often fall short for people who work night and weekend shifts."

Eureka! You do see that those of us without cars need to get around on Sundays too! Yes, funding is tight, but this is the state's Capital Region and it is certainly reasonable to expect good transit service seven days per week, at least once per hour in each direction from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m.

2. Post schedules at all stops and shelters so we know when to expect a bus. It seems that a year ago there were many more schedules posted. Recently, sleeker shelters were installed and nobody bothered to re-post schedules. If funds aren't available in your budget to pay staff to do the posting, this seems like a project that could be accomplished by volunteer bus riders and/or partnerships with volunteers from local non-profits.

3. Follow up with riders' complaints. I know I've called the customer information line to complain at least one time since the posting of the Complaint Process flow chart dated September 2007, provided my name and phone number and said, "I'd like someone to call me back with information." I never received a phone call back. In addition to the flow chart, you also state in the How To Ride section of the site, "We will investigate your complaint and report back to you in writing within 10 working days." Do what you say.

Wish List for Regional Planners, Politicians and other Transit-related Decision Makers

Hey folks, it's great that Albany is now working on our first-ever Comprehensive Plan, and excellent that the TU has started the Capital Region at a Crossroads series and blog -- now let's get something done. Here are my suggestions:

1. Make life easier for those that tread lightly on the environment: (i) give us bike lanes across the cities and throughout the region, (ii) enforce sidewalk shoveling ordinances in the winters to keep our sidewalks clear of snow and ice, and (iii) invest in sidewalks in areas where there are none.

2. Be good to my younger sibling, CDTA. Invest in transit and transit-oriented development - let's face it - transit is part of the solution for today's fiscal and energy realities. And bring me something faster than buses to get from city to city to city to city, and from the cities to some of our beautiful outlying areas.

3. Let's start a non-profit car sharing company. I really think non-profit is the way to go -- check out why Austin went non-profit with Austin Car Share and even little Ithaca, NY launched a non-profit car sharing company this past June!

... and maybe I'll see you on the bus.

Finding a good match

My friend once shared some words of wisdom that she got from her grandfather.

They went something like this, "You know you've found the right person to marry if he makes your life easier!"

I've kept that in mind over the years... haven't gotten married as relationships have always seemed to complicate my life; never have they made things easier.

Then came August 1, 2008. The go-live date for Google Transit in Albany.

Already GT is on the right track.

Saturday morning when I was pondering getting to the gym to take a class that I really do enjoy, GT gave me a couple of bus options. The shortest option: about 40 minutes of travel time; he also gave me the option to walk: about 50 minutes of travel time. Not much difference. And that was just to GET to the gym. Then there was the hour of class time, and the travel time back home which I didn't calculate on GT because he hasn't quite worked out how to present that info as cleanly as the sometimes-tedious, rather cumbersome CDTA Trip Planner does.

I assessed the one-way information Google Transit gave me.

I made a decision.

Not to be to cliché, but yes, I changed my mind.

I decided to make good, productive use of that 40-50 minute one-way travel time by doing something at home on my very long list of things to do.

After the 40 - 50 minutes passed by, I put on my running shoes, stretched, and went for run (ok, a jog) around the gorgeous lake at Washington Park. Ran for a good 44 minutes right back to my doorstep, with no added travel time home.


Google Transit made my life easier. I'd say we're off to a very nice start.

CDTA now links to Google Maps (you can actually get to Google Transit as an option in Google Maps) directly from their site as well as to Google's how-to video. Good partnerships make happy travelers.

I'm not rushing into things with GT though; that's never a good idea. He only got to town a few days ago, and we're just getting to know each other... but, hey GT was only in beta on Saturday, which means it can only get betta, right?

The Adventure to Patroon Creek

I had some personal business to take care of at CDPHP recently. The insurer has a beautiful office building off Washington Avenue at 500 Patroon Creek Boulevard, by the State Office Campus.

Anyone who has dealt with CDPHP's leadership will tell you how wonderful recently-retired, Dr. Bill Cromie is -- he's just one of those very genuine, down to earth, all-around great people. Plus, they say CDPHP is a nice place to work, with good benefits, a fitness center, a massage therapist and a cafeteria that even serves it up organically. When you enter as a customer, the reception area is pleasant with comfy seating, and complimentary coffee.

What CDPHP doesn't have yet is safe access to public transportation. I guess all of their employees drive or carpool to work each day, because I can't imagine anyone making the trek to work by bus, especially in the brutal and icy Albany winter.

In preparation for my recent trip to the CDPHP offices, I decided to once again use CDTA's Trip Planner , but I didn't get very far because the software doesn't recognize Patroon Creek Boulevard as a valid street, yet Google Maps does.

Knowing the offices were off of Washington Avenue, I made my way over to Washington Avenue and hopped on a Number 12. Upon boarding, I asked the bus driver when I needed to get off to go to CDPHP.

He explained to me that the bus didn't go into Patroon Creek Boulevard, but that they were building condos there, and that once the condos were completed, he believed occasional buses would stop there. He then went on to tell me that there are certain buses scheduled to go into the State Office Campus, and I might find it easier to walk to Building 8 (of the State Office Campus) to catch a bus on my way back.

I decided to keep my absolute clueless-ness about the State Office Campus to myself. I don't know where Building 8 is, nor is it on my list of things to figure out in the near future. Every time I drive into the State Office Campus, I get lost, and I can't imagine hoofing it in search of Building 8 to be any easier. Of course, there are big plans in the works for that whole area as this recent article reminds us... no one knows yet what shape they'll take.

The nice driver explained to me that I'd need to get off the bus before the bridge because he couldn't make any stops after it. And so I did.

Then I walked... where there are no sidewalks... along this road here,









and past the lovely satellite dishes.









I waded through the high grass and came upon the sign that the condos were being built,








and saw the condos in progress.









Thankfully, it was a nice day for a very, very long walk.

I find it unconscionable that a huge employer like CDPHP, the multiple medical offices located off Washington Avenue and the credit union, SEFCU have been growing and growing without demanding access to public transportation for their customers and employees -- and that it's all within city limits makes it all the more appalling!

Apparently, long-term plans are in the works for transportation to service the expansion throughout the area -- CDTA has "newsletter" about a linkage study posted on their website which even discusses zipcar as a car sharing option. Currently, though if you don't have a car, you're up ____'s Creek without a paddle when you have to get to Patroon Creek.

Who will be impacted by a Fare Hike?

I wasn't surprised to see this story in the TU. According to the article, CDTA hasn't raised their fares since 1995 -- wow! Of course, they restructured the fares not so long ago when they phased out oh-so-20th-century transfers in favor of the very cool $3 day cards. Apparently the revenue earned from that change isn't enough to cover increasing costs and demand for service.

Too bad it's not looking like service will be expanding soon, because there sure is a need. One recent Sunday evening at about 7:20, I was waiting for a bus by the
View Larger Map'>Hannaford on Central Avenue. As usual, I had given myself very little wiggle room, and I was supposed to be at my daughter's friend's house off of New Scotland Avenue near the intersection of View Larger Map'>Ontario St. and New Scotland Avenue by 8:00. The bus was late. I must say, I've found late buses to be unusual during my travels around Albany. Not that it doesn't happen -- it does. Finally, at about 7:35, a 55 came chugging down Central Avenue, I wasn't expecting a 1 since after 6:40 p.m. on Sundays, it's almost 5 hours before another bus is scheduled to get to the Northway Mall stop at 11:20!

The bus was PACKED.

I got on, but there was no room behind the "yellow" line. The bus just sat there. Those of us who had boarded at Hannaford were trying to squeeze in. Now, where I come from -- this is not an issue, as one of my fellow new passengers and I were telling the people, "I'm from New York, there's plenty of room." You see, in NYC, there's an understanding that sometimes you need to "make like sardines in a can and squish together", it's only temporary, and it will get you where you need to go. That's not the philosophy, however as you travel north along the Hudson. People on the bus started yelling at us, "Get off the bus, I need to go home!" I asked if the bus was always this crowded, simultaneously, I got 2 opposing answers. "No," said the bus driver, "Not my bus!" and "Yes," from a bus rider...I turned to the bus driver (who looked a wee bit stressed), and asked if I should get off the bus. She explained to me that, at this point the issue was that she couldn't leave the bus stop while there was a person in a wheel chair waiting to get on.

Yes, that's right. There was a woman in a wheel chair who had been waiting for the bus, but there was absolutely no room for her. The bus is not allowed to pull away while there's a wheel-chair bound person waiting to board. So the driver had called her supervisor and was waiting for instructions. That's why the bus wasn't moving. I asked if CDTA would send a STAR bus for her, the driver said that she didn't think so, but didn't know.

Feeling guilty about trying to squeeze myself onto the bus while someone waited in her wheel chair on the sidewalk, I got off, called to say I'd be a bit late, and waited on the sidewalk to see what happened. It wasn't too long before a supervisor showed up and told the bus driver to leave. It was already after 7:40 and another bus would be along "soon" to pick up the woman in the wheelchair. Soon, according to the schedule, meant departing Northway Mall at 8:03. Given that the bus that departs Northway Mall at 8:03 was scheduled to reach Central and Allen at 8:11 --it seemed to me that I'd be more productive walking. Since my friend in the wheel chair had the attention of the CDTA supervisor, I decided to get walking.

It was 8:06 when I got to the corner of View Larger Map'>Central Avenue and Ontario Street and turned to walk towards New Scotland Avenue. If I had waited for the bus... I'd still have been waiting for the bus! Saved time. Got some exercise. I hope that supervisor made sure my friend boarded the next bus, or gave her a ride if there wasn't room.

Holiday quiz - UPDATED July 6

Rather than play catch-up with a long narrative about the experiences I've had without a car over the past six(ish) weeks, I decided to play this little game with you.
Special thanks for the idea for this game goes to a friend from high school

Go to the comments section for the answers

Section 1 - The Bus
1. Since riding the bus regularly, I have experienced all of the following except one:
a. For the first time, traveled by bus across the Hudson for a meeting one evening at Hudson Valley Community College . I was pleasantly surprised with how fast and convenient the ride was.
b. Taken the bus to the Mater Christi pool with my daughter and her friends.
c. Never had to wait more than ten minutes for a bus.

2. My doctor's office is in Slingerlands, on the bus line in a building off of New Scotland Road. 6 buses per day/ per direction (6 in each direction-- to and from Albany) go into the parking lot to serve patrons of the medical offices in the building. This is an important service for patients who rely on public transporation so they don't have to trudge onto the busy road to search for a bus stop, and dodge vehicles since there's no sidewalk on that stretch. Which one of the following does not reflect my experience?
a. I had to leave my office before noon so that I could catch the bus to get to the office in time for my 1 p.m. appointment.
b. I was thrilled to leave my appointment at 1:35, the perfect amount of time to be waiting outside on a sunny day for the bus scheduled to arrive at 1:53 and take me back downtown. That bus though, never showed up. I called CDTA after waiting for about 1/2 hour (and becoming friends with a fiesty senior citizen who comes from a place with a better public transporation system; she had quite a mouthful about the poor quality of public transportation she's experienced since moving to Albany); I learned that the bus was already downtown. Why hadn't the bus made it into the lot? Had it been really early or did the driver not make the scheduled trip into the lot? The next bus showed up at 2:53, and I got back to work at about 3:30. If I had driven to the appointment, I would have been gone from my office for no longer than 1 1/4 hours, but this trip wound up taking me almost 4 hours.
c. This was the easiest bus trek yet!

3. I don't like standing at a bus stop and waiting. So, if bus stops are relatively close to each other, I'll walk along in the direction I'm travelling while keeping my eyes out for the bus. Which of following did not happen to me all in one day?
a. I walked from CDPHP (where there is no bus stop) to the corner of Manning Blvd and Washington before I caught a bus on a weekday morning. Parts of this walk were extremely dangerous because there's no sidewalk along upper Washington Avenue.
b. I was at the co-op heading towards the Mater Christi swimming pool (more on this pool's location later) between 4:45 and 5:00 p.m. on a weekday , and I decided to take the Number 1 to the Number 30 at Allen and Central to catch the NUmber 13 at Allen and New Scotland. When I got off the Number 1, I saw that I had missed the 30 across Allen by mere seconds. I walked over 1 1/2 miles from Central and Allen to Allen and New Scotland with absolutely no 30 bus going in my direction. Then when I got to New Scotland I waited 10 minutes for a Number 13 to show up!
c. I was walking to catch a bus on Madison Avenue, and the bus went right by me because I didn't make it to a bus stop yet.

4. I have found one the following to be true of the CDTA bus service for getting around the Albany area.
a. The bus service is sufficient, it operates 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, providing reliable transportation to those who need to get around without cars.
b. I am shocked at the lack of public transportation available on weekends. The number of bus lines that have significantly reduced service on Saturdays and absolutely no service on Sundays is appalling.

5. Which one of the following accurately reflects my experience with the CDTA summerfun pass for kids under 16 ($17 for a summer full of bus riding)?
a. This is a well-publicized program and CDTA even coordinated with the Albany City School District to help get the word out.
b. I read an article about it in the Times Union.
c. I found out about it by chance, and it cant' be purchased the same place that I buy my monthly pass (KeyBank), but rather can be purchased either through Mr. Subb (I don't think I've ever been to a Mr. Subb shop), a CDTA office, or even though it doesn't say it here
it also appears to be available for sale online.

Section 2 - The Shopping Cart
6. On the first day without a car, I realized it was time to buy a shopping cart. That day, I needed to go to the co-op and Hannaford. Which of the following is not true about my search for a shopping cart.
a. I found my shopping cart at the poorly organized monstrosity, the Family Dollar on Central Avenue that's right near the co-op.
b. When I asked a friend if he knew where I could purchase a shopping cart, he said, "you mean one of those old lady carts? Try the Family Dollar."
c. When I found a discount store that sold shopping carts, I had a choice between a big shopping cart and a smaller one.

7. When I got to Hannaford with my shopping cart, I looked for those hooks on the store cart to hang my newly purchased personal shopping cart while I shopped. Which of the following reflects my experience?
a. I couldn't find any hooks to fasten my own shopping cart to, but one of the employees who works at Hannaford came up to me and offered to hold my shopping cart in a secure location while I shopped, talk about excellent customer service!
b. I fastened my new shopping cart to those hooks that come standard with grocery store shopping carts This made it really easy for me to shop.
c. I couldn't find any hooks to fasten my shopping cart to the store's cart, and was at a complete loss until I noticed someone else with a shopping cart a few feet away in the produce area. I saw that he had turned his cart upside down and it was hanging relatively securely in the space between the handle you push and the front basket. I played copy-cat and was ready to roll.

8. Since buying my shopping cart, I purposefully walk tall sporting a proud grin as I roll my cart around town. Which of the following is not true:
a. I realized the cart I bought can fit a lot of groceries in it, but it's too big to take on a crowded bus!
b. I also purchased 2 new foldable coolers that I take with me for goods that need to be kept cold. This was a wise investment, and has been working out really well.
c. At a recent gathering, one parent I know asked me if she'd seen me walking around with a shopping cart. When I told her she likely had, she said that she was going to go out and purchase her own cart and start walking with me to the grocery store.

It's easy to talk the talk

It was a sunny Sunday in May, and the 1993 Volvo just didn't want to go. The car had a temperamental history. Seemed to stop working for no apparent reason every once in a while. At least this time it was in my driveway, and not stuck in the Price Chopper parking lot, as it had been at least once before. I try to look at the bright side.

Gas prices had been rising. I'd been running my mouth about the planet, recycling, walkable neighborhoods, fossil fuels and the future. Feeling guilty every time I drove someplace that I really could walk to, or that was an easy bus ride away...places like my office, my daughter's school, the co-op.... So, rather than call AAA or a friend for help, it seemed the timing was right to venture out without a car.

I grabbed the two Sunday papers sitting on the front porch, and walked the healthy mile to the Muddy Cup for a relaxing Sunday morning read. It almost felt like the old days, the days before I was a Mom, when I had so much choice about how to spend my non-working hours, and would often enjoy Sunday mornings reading the paper in my neighborhood coffee shop.

It really was a beautiful spring morning. The air felt great, and I was proud to be using my neighborhood sidewalks.

After spending some leisurely time lounging and looking at the paper, I realized that time was ticking. My free time was actually limited-- and groceries needed getting.

Grocery shopping without a car is doable. I know this. I've spent much of my life shopping without a car. In my hometown of NYC, we didn't hop in the car to go grocery shopping -- that would have been counter-productive. And when I first came to Albany as an undergraduate student, I didn't have a car for years. I walked to Price Chopper and the co-op back then, so I could certainly do it now. I chose to live, work and send my daughter to school all right here in the same city after all, and part of that reasoning was that I could indeed get around without a car.

One thing that's different though, is that I'm now shopping for more than just me, so, as a walking person, I'd need a way to transport those family groceries back home... I'd need to purchase a shopping cart. And so began the start of my spring to action experiment -- learning to walk the walk.

It's now been over a month, and though the Volvo has been fixed, I haven't been running it. It's in the driveway -- for emergency use only. I've been out walking, I purchased a 7-day bus pass for the month of June, I rented a car one weekend because I had to be a whole bunch of different places quickly ( places I wouldn't trust that Volvo to get to and back!) , and I'm adjusting to the fact that it takes longer to get errands done when you aren't driving... at least here in Albany.