Last week, we asked our employees (and the world) to leave their car keys at home on September 22, 2016 in celebration of World Car Free Day.
For some of us, World Car Free Day was the first time we’d ever taken public transportation.
How do you plan on going car-free on #WorldCarFreeDay?
— TransLoc (@TransLoc) September 21, 2016
“Before World Car Free Day, I’d had very brief exposure to public transit. I really enjoyed my first experience. Using public transportation allowed me to use the usual 30+ minutes of my everyday commute to accomplish other things. The gas I saved didn’t hurt either!” – Nicole R., TransLoc’s Recruiting and Office Coordinator.
Our Recruiting and Office Coordinator took her knitting on the bus for World Car Free Day, her first time taking large scale public transportation.
Many of us went multi-modal, using more than one form of transportation to commute to and from work.
Uber-bus to @TransLoc then @GoTriangle express bus -> run home. Rocking multimodal #transit #WorldCarFreeDay pic.twitter.com/Qd3S7QZxMf
— Elaine McVey (@eamcvey) September 22, 2016
I’m carpooling with @catherine_car AND taking the @GoTriangle bus. https://t.co/Uxs1P9HC5z
— Nout Boctor-Smith (@kittehluvs) September 21, 2016
Cheating for #WorldCarFreeDay. Don’t tell. ? –> @ATCDurham Park & Ride –> @GoTriangle ? –> @TransLoc & then carpool home. pic.twitter.com/LmMyHUJIIa
— Joshua P. Cohen (@CohenJP) September 22, 2016
Pretty much all of us loved it when buses take it to the shoulder and pass all those cars stuck in traffic on the highway.*
Taking the bus to work @TransLoc today for #worldcarfreeday. Current status: passing people on the shoulder on I-40. #blessed
— Curtis Martin (@CurtinMartis) September 22, 2016
Here’s our advice on going car-free next year (and hopefully sooner):
- “Set an alert in Rider to alert you 15 minutes before the bus arrives to your bus stop.” – Joel B.
- “Have your bus pass or exact cash ready when entering the bus. You don’t want to be that person who’s slowing everyone down.” – Amberly H.
- “If you can, use a park and ride. The bus is guaranteed to stop and it’s a little less rushed.” – Jimmy J.
- “Bring an activity! Utilize the time you’d normally spend driving to get some work done, catch up on emails, read a novel, or listen to your favorite song.” – Nicole R.
- “Do your homework and plan ahead so you know your route, stops and the general logistics of your trip.” – Joel B.
- “Familiarize yourself with the physical bus stops where you’ll be getting on and off of the bus. It makes it easier to alert the bus driver that your stop is next.” – Amberly H.
- “If you’re riding a bike to the bus, free your hands as the bus approaches so you can front load your bike quickly. When you’re disembarking, remind the bus driver you have a bike.” – Aviva I.
- “If you’re a first-time rider, or it’s your first time with a new transportation system, give yourself extra time.” – Joel B.
- “Relax. Bus drivers are generally patient and helpful; they’ll get you where you need to go.” – Jimmy J.
*In the state of North Carolina, the Department of Transportation permits buses to drive on the shoulder during times of moderate or heavy traffic congestion.