Still Commuting

So how’s it going commuting to/from the city every day?

Pretty well.

We’ve definitely fallen into routines, changed them and established new or better ones.

The bus is our staple. I try to take it as much as possible. Sometimes I work late or have late work dinners and take Uber pool, but my “commuter benefits” cover it. I’ve also taken the underground bus a few times, but mostly only to/from the airport from the office.

Recently Jen and I both started using Blue Bikes. They’re also included in our commuter benefits. So far these are game changers. We now get off at the first bus stop from the highway (or get on at the bus last stop before the highway) and cut out all the bus travel in town. That’s generally the slowest part of the bus. Our average commute times are being but by an average of 10 minutes. That’s huge for Boston, and our commutes for Boston were already way better than average (most people expect hour and a half commutes).

The other thing I’ve noticed, though less exciting than riding bikes around inner city Boston, is our dependency on jackets. Sure we all have jackets. You put them on, you walk out to the car, you drive, then walk back inside. They don’t get a whole lot of use that way. The style will wear out before the jacket does. Having to walk 10 blocks or now ride a bike almost a mile, my jacket is getting used. I’ll likely need new ones (different ones for different conditions) each year. Never really considered that before as I watch my favorite 10 year old soft-shell wither away.

One last point on commuting. My number for the parking garage lottery actually came up, and you won’t believe it, but I turned it down. The bus bike thing is really that convenient. Plus it’s significantly cheaper than the parking spot. The lottery only gave me the opportuntity to get a spot I could rent. Though our commuter benefits cover a lot, they wouldn’t cover all of a parking spot. c’est la vie.

– b