The Junction TMO Blog

Commuter and transportation-related stories and musings from the Andover, Wilmington, Tewksbury and and I-93 Junction regions of Massachusetts.

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Warm up your car before you drive to work? Think again.

Posted by Courtney Goldberg

Starting your carto “warm it up” before you drive to work in the morning may seem like a good idea, especially given the extreme cold temperatures we’ve experienced lately. However, that practice happens to be a very bad one, not only for the environment but also for your wallet. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, having your car sit idle for just 10 seconds wastes more gas than restarting it.

Contrary to popular belief, today’s modern cars with electric engines don’t need time to “warm up” like they may have “back in the day”. In fact, your car is twice as likely to warm up faster once it’s being driven, than if it were to sit idle in your driveway (or worse, garage). Another myth about leaving your engine running is that turning it on and off frequently damages your car’s engine and battery. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The added wear of frequent engine restarts may amount to about $10/year in added maintenance but the fuel savings you’d realize from not idling could yield anywhere from $70-$650 per year. Idling also causes your car to operate longer than normal, which is hard on the engine. When a car sits idle, fuel residue and water condensation build up on the engine and that can damage the cylinders, spark plugs and exhaust system.

Speaking of exhaust (…cough, cough…), the excessive fumes emitted from idling cars are unhealthy! An idling car produces just as much CO2 as one moving on the roads and those emissions – or pollutants – are linked to serious human illnesses such as asthma, heart disease, chronic bronchitis and even cancer. The next time you need to “wait in your car” for someone, park it and go wait in a nearby store instead. It’s better for your wallet, it’s better for the air and it’s better for us.

Not to mention, idling happens to be against the law and anti-idling regulations exist in all six of the New England states. In Massachusetts, a car cannot sit idle for more than 5 minutes, even if it’s parked and “waiting” for someone (e.g. at the airport). In New Hampshire, idling for more than 5 minutes is illegal if the temperature is 32°F or greater and idling is not allowed for more than 15 minutes if the temperature is under 32°F.

The next time you think about turning on your car before you are ready to drive away, consider this:

Idling wastes 0.3 gallons/hour (that number increases to up to 1 gallon/hour on bigger vehicles). That amounts to close to $0.75/hour according to today’s gas prices. Additionally, for each gallon of gas burned (whether that’s by driving or idling), 20 pounds of CO2 are emitted into the air we breathe.

In short, don’t idle. It gets you nowhere.

[junctiontmo]

Your Commute Could be the Secret to a Healthy Lifestyle

No, it’s not 2015—yet. And no, we are not saying that you need to make your new year’s resolution (if you actually intend on having one) have anything to do with better health, diet or exercise. Before you close your browser, consider this: your commute to and from work could actually make you healthier.

The benefits of walking are plentiful—it helps your heart, gives you energy, helps to strengthen your bones, increases muscle tone and it can even reduce anxiety – and those are just a few!

According to the Stroke Association, walking regularly for 30 minutes 3-5 times per week can reduce the risk of stroke by 27%. Walking also strengthens the heart, reduces bad cholesterol (LDL) and helps to increase the presence of good cholesterol (HDL) in the bloodstream.

Walking can help keep weight in check because it increases muscle mass and muscle tone, which speeds up metabolism.

It can prevent the onset of disease, too! When you walk, feel-good endorphins are released into your brain. Not only do those endorphins improve your mood, but they also serve as a protectant for the brain—staving off the onset of dementia. All that walking is good for your bones, preventing osteoporosis, so you can keep walking years after you retire.

While it’s hard to comprehend during New England winters, adding the element of walking to your commute could give your body much-need Vitamin D, which is only derived naturally from sunlight. Vitamin D helps to boost bone health and it keeps the immune system strong.

Strap on those walking shoes during the workday and you’re sure to notice the benefits almost immediately! Instead of imbibing another cup of coffee after a 3pm meeting, try taking a quick walk. Not only will it help you get over the midday “slump”, but it will give you added energy to finish up your day strong since walking releases more oxygen into the bloodstream.

When you walk as part of your commute, find a friend to walk with and you could get some time to socialize, too! Better yet, log this walk in your Green to Work calendar and you could win a gift card in one of our monthly or quarterly raffles. It doesn’t get better than that!

Walking gives you a chance to clear your mind, reflect on the day you had or the day that is to come. It will give you a chance to mentally prepare for work so you arrive refreshed in the morning and it will allow you to collect your thoughts to you can end the day on a good note. Studies even show that walking can improve your memory and cognitive abilities.

If you walk as part of your commute, we’d love to hear about it. Shoot us a note at [email protected] or send us a tweet @JunctionTMOrg.

Posted by Courtney Goldberg

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The worst places in America to commute

Before you gasp for breath and spill coffee all over your keyboard, I want to reassure you that the Boston metropolitan area does not top this list. Boston area commuters only spend 69 hours per year stuck in commuting track. Compare that to Los Angeles (90 hours per year), Seattle (83 hours per year) or Washington, D.C. (73 hours) and it doesn’t sound so bad. However, it’s still close to two weeks’ worth of in-office hours that we spend in our cars getting to work. That’s bad.

What’s worse is that all of that time spent in our cars is wasted-- time that we could use to work, eat or sleep.

While we’re sitting in traffic in our cars, 380 pounds of carbon dioxide are produced leading to poorer air quality and an increased spend in fuel costs. It is projected that by 2020, we will waste $1,010 per year per person on fuel costs if we continue to commute alone in our cars at the same rate we are today.

According to a study conducted by TomTom (a GPS product and services provider) of 53 metropolitan U.S. area with a population greater than 800,000, L.A. and the West Coast cities proved to be the most congested. Boston made the top-ten list for the first time in 2013 (when the most recent data is available) and that is certainly not brag worthy.

The list is as follows:

1.Los Angeles: Traffic increased two percent to its highest levels seen in last six years

2. San Francisco: Moved up from third place in Q1

3. Honolulu: Moved down from second place in Q1

4. Seattle: Ranking remained the same

5. San Jose: Ranking remained the same

6. Washington, DC: Ranking remained the same

7. New York: New to the Top 10 in 2013; up from #11

8. Portland: New to the Top 10 in 2013; up from #12

9. Boston: New to the Top 10 in 2013; up from #21

10. Chicago

It’s not all gloom and doom, though! Try a green commute and the outcomes look a lot better, not only for your wallet but also in the quality of the air we breathe. Commuting via public transportation saved $20.8 billion in congestion costs in 2011. Additionally, travel via public transportation saved 865 million hours in delays based on data from 2011.

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Is your commute more stressful than your job? You’re not alone…

Posted by Courtney Goldberg

Driving is stressful. Stop-and-go traffic, staring at break lights, detours, drivers who don’t use their turn signal—all of these things can rile up drivers and increase their stress levels. Take one-way traffic, construction and drivers who aren’t paying attention to the road into the mix and suddenly, we are stuck inside a red-hot stress map on four wheels.

 Why is it that driving is so stressful? Physiologically, driving is counter-productive to the ways we, as humans deal with stress. Through evolution, we are equipped with the “fight or flight” instinct as a means to reduce stress when we find ourselves in tense situations. When we’re driving and thus, “stuck” behind the wheel, we are unable to drive away from the bad driver in front of us and we aren’t able to drive directly into the jerk who just cut us off or stole that parking spot we intended to take (like Kathy Bates’ character in Fried Green Tomatoes)—at least without facing obvious consequences. Driving is essentially out of our emotional control and as a result, our stress levels rise even from the moment we sit down in the driver’s seat.

In fact, according to a study performed last year by the MIT SENSEable City Laboratory and German car manufacturer Audi, driving is the most stressful of the “regular” activities we engage in on a given day. In the study, researchers attached sensors and GPS monitoring devices to drivers and learned that stress levels in the driver’s seat rise to a degree only seen in humans before they engage in a risk-seeking activity such as skydiving. No other activity even approaches that level of stress inducement—not even giving a presentation to senior level executives or attending a lecture at MIT, brings about the kind of stress we experience while driving.

 So, if the thought of sitting in traffic on your way home from work tonight isn’t depressing enough, now you know that the stress you will feel from your commute will likely be the most stress you will feel all day. And if you react negatively to that stress by engaging in road rage, you will only exacerbate the problem since aggressive driving can lead to accidents, which lead to more gridlock.

 Fortunately, carmakers are looking into equipping cars with sensory devices that will be able to monitor the road ahead and anticipate drivers’ needs accordingly. But until that day comes, I suggest we all do our part and try to limit driving at peak times of the day and week.  The JTMO can help you find an alternative to driving alone to work that makes sense for your commute.  Why not telecommute, take public transit, walk, bike, or carpool—saving us all from the stress caused from having too many cars on the road.

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Free Parking Ain’t Free!

Ever heard of the saying, “Freedom ain’t free”? Well, the same is true for ‘free’ parking. Despite your general inclination or even what your employer, landlord, condo association or favorite storeowner tells you, the “free” parking they’re offering you isn’t free. You may not be paying for it directly, but someone is.

“Free” parking spots are paid for similarly to the way the roads we drive on are—through tax dollars. According to Donald Shoup, an Economics and Urban Planning professor at UCLA, each on street parking spot is estimated to cost (through government spending) $1,750 to build and another $400 annually to maintain. That means that even if you don’t own a car, you are paying for other people’s parking – though the taxes waged on you. So if you have a shared or alternative commute and you take the bus, commuter rail or ride your bike to work, then you are still paying for all of your colleagues’ parking at your place of business. The ‘free’ parking you have at your worksite is “paid for” out of the salaries granted to workers. The parking spot you park in at the grocery store is paid for in the price you pay for milk, eggs, bread, etc. In fact, free parking is never free—the cost of it is just allocated to something else for which it is deemed more “acceptable” to pay.

That doesn’t sound too fair, does it? Professor Shoup agrees and in his book The High Cost of Free Parking he argues that the driver taking the spot should pay for parking—always. Free parking not only makes those who don’t drive share the burden but it also enables more idling while looking for a spot and it is a poor way to allocate land.

Shoup argues for a simple solution: charge a fair price for on-street parking set at the lowest price you can charge to have 1-2 open spots on a block at a given time. Let the market set this fair price so parkers will pay as little as possible without having to cruise (a waste of time and a terrible waste of gas and CO2 emissions) to look for a parking spot.

And while we’re at it, perhaps we should also pay for parking at work and at the grocery store. After all, if you carpool to work, do you really want to pay the parking for the guy down the hall who drives to work alone every day? If you walk to your neighborhood grocery store or farmer’s market, do you really want to pay others’ parking out of the cost of your total bill?

For more “food for thought” regarding commuting, traffic demand reduction and other transportation musings, follow us on Twitter @JunctionTMOrg

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America’s love affair with cars—a waning existence

The photo above, taken in 1972 depicts Interstate 90 in the Black Hills of Murdo, S.D. Since the inception of the interstate highway system in the mid-1950s, driving and car ownership in America rose steadily for nearly half a century. But in the last decade, that growth has not only stagnated—it’s actually decreased by about 10 percent.

 These numbers actually started to drop before the Great Recession, suggesting that the economy may not be the only reason why present-day Americans aren’t as enamored with their cars and driving as their parents and grandparents were. In fact, the average American household now owns fewer than two cars, returning to the levels of the early 1990s.

 For many Americans, car trips have been replaced by shopping online and regular trips to work have been replaced by carpooling or telecommuting, With gas prices hovering around $4 gallon, the feeling of “freedom” that driving used to incite has been replaced by traffic-induced road rage and texting temptation—making driving more of a utilitarian experience as opposed to an enjoyable one.

As a result, more Americans are driving less and using public transportation and other shared transportation modes more.

According to government figures, more young Americans are waiting to get a driver’s license — or not getting one at all. Less than 70 percent of 19-year-olds now have one, down from 87 percent twenty years ago.

 It seems as though the “car culture” as we know it has manifested itself into the idea of doing what we can to spend less time in our cars. Today, the “freedom” Americans cherish allows us to focus more time on our families, work and hobbies—the destination ahead, so to speak. Sixty years ago, that “freedom” was simply the ride to get there. Today, it’s the destination that matters more.

 Source: http://www.middletownpress.com/general-news/20140531/americans-and-their-cars-a-love-affair-on-fumes

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The ECO Awards recognize excellence in providing commuting alternatives for employees

Photo credit: Sophia Barbosa

On a windy, cold morning on March 26th, approximately 200 people gathered into the EMC Suite at Fenway Park to celebrate commuting-- specifically, shared commuting that results in a decreased demand on traffic—at the annual Massachusetts ECO Awards.

The morning was a joyous one for the Junction TMO and its members as they snapped “selfies” before the infamous infield backdrop and took pictures with the three World Series trophies, which were on display for attendees to admire.

 The morning’s program included a welcome from Ned Codd, the Assistant Secretary for Green Transportation at MassDOT, a comedic introduction by Cindy Campbell, a former SmartRoutes traffic reporter for WCVB-TV and featured speaking presentations from Celia J. Blue, Registrar of Motor Vehicles at MassDOT and Joseph Curtatone, Mayor of Somerville.

In her remarks, Celia Blue mentioned that even though her job title refers to cars, she is very interested and impressed by transportation options that result in having fewer cars in the road. “The companies here today represent the best in combating traffic demand, especially during the busiest travel times in the Boston area,” Ms. Blue commented.

Mayor Curtatone spoke of the transformation the City of Somerville is undergoing as they anticipate the extension of the MBTA Green Line to Union Square in the coming years and the effort to make Somerville more walk-able for commuters and residents alike.

For the Junction TMO staff, it was a satisfying experience to have members honored that morning. Pfizer Biotech in Andover and P&G in Andover were honored with the Excellence in Commuter Options Leader award and Cushman and Wakefield of MA, Inc. earned the Excellence in Commuter Options Pacesetter award.

 As an organization dedicated to changing the way people think about commuting and encourage sustainable transportation options, it’s wonderful getting to celebrate the accomplishments of our members and their employees who are excelling in this area.

Congratulations to the good people at Cushman and Wakefield, Pfizer and P&G. Keep up the excellent work!

[junctiontmo]

Vanpooling: Saving green one mile and one dollar at a time

If you’re reading this blog post during your lunch break, here’s some food for thought:

-       Driving your car 20,800 miles per year emits 23,600 pounds of Carbon Dioxide into the air. That is the equivalent of the weight of your car in CO2!

-       If you participate in a vanpool – even for just one day per week and cut out 25 miles of driving your car, then you will save the earth and the air 1,500 pounds of CO2.

-       If each car on the road held one additional person during the commute, then the U.S. could save 33 million gallons of gas each day.

-       The average commute of 50 round trip miles in a 12-passenger van takes 11 cars off of the road (not to mention frees up 11 spots in the parking lot!) and eliminates 30 pounds of pollutants into the air each day.

  If “being green” from an environmental perspective isn’t your thing, then let’s look at the numbers from an economic perspective.

-       The average car consumes 550 gallons of gas in a year. At an average of $3.50/gallon, that’s over $1,900 spent on gas in a year.

-       If you drive an SUV, the numbers get worse. In a year, the average SUV expends 915 gallons of gas. At $3.50/gallon, that’s $3,200 spent on gas in a year.

-       If you participate in a vanpool, that takes an average of 5 cars off of the road in a given day. That’s less money out of your pocket and a lower amount of pollutants emitted into the air.

  In summary, when you participate in a vanpool, you not only prevent further stress on the roadways, the environment and on your finances, but you also save time (you can use your commuting time to work, read or sleep), extend the life of your car and decrease the number of trips to the mechanic. That equates to a savings of over $3,000 per year in commuting and maintenance costs alone.

  Are you ready to give vanpooling a try? Contact us to get started today.

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Sources: http://www.rideshare.com/For_Commuters/Environmental_Benefits/

http://www.commtrans.org/Vanpool/Documents/Benefits%20of%20Vanpooling.pdf

http://www.bestworkplaces.org/pdf/vanpoolbenefits_07.pdf

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Winter Biking? Sure! Tips from a Local Rider

At the Junction TMO, we love to hear tales from commuters. This week, we are honored to feature a guest post by Terry Cowman, an avid outdoor cyclist and member of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s (AMC) Boston Chapter. Terry wrote an article for the February edition of the AMC’s newsletter “Charles River Mud” that included great tips on outfitting yourself and your bike for winter riding.

Read on to gain an interesting perspective on riding outdoors throughout the winter and why New England is the perfect place to experience winter riding.

 In his article, Terry provides tips on outfitting your bike for winter. He suggests adding tires with wide, thick rubber and putting running lights on the front and back of your bike since daylight is so limited in the wintertime.

Terry also gives great advice for how to dress for winter riding and he suggests that it’s always best to wear layers and to over dress, especially when it’s windy.

Always the responsible cyclist, Terry provides some good suggestions on where to ride directly after a snowstorm (on main roads that are likely to be plowed) and in the days following it (on side roads that are more scenic).

And finally, since motivation is a factor that we all deal with in the winter, Terry suggests picking an out-and-back route from work or home with a “destination” at the halfway point, like a coffee shop or breakfast place.

Thank you for writing, Terry!

 Stay safe out there!

 If you would like to write for Shared Wheels, please contact us!

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Active Streets Encourage Active Commuters

By Courtney Goldberg, Communications and Outreach Manager

 Last month, shared commuters earned a huge win from the state legislature.

On January 29th, the Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill to fund the Active Streets or Complete Streets program. The passage granted $50 million over 5 years to the program as part of the Transportation Bond Bill.

  The Active Streets program makes it easier to walk, bike or take public transit across the Commonwealth. It was created in part to support a public health goal set by MassDOT—to triple the number of commuters who travel on foot or by bicycle by 2030.

 The program encourages cities and towns across the state to routinely include Complete Streets design elements and infrastructure in locally funded road projects. Support for this program included advocacy to improve both the public health and the local economies in cities and towns across Massachusetts. Biking and/or walking to work encourages commuters to visit local establishments, which helps to create and retain jobs and increase real estate values. Additionally, by taking your commute out of the car and into the fresh air with roads safely paved for walkers and bikers, residents’ quality if life will be improved.

 The Active Streets program garnered strong support among groups such as the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council who, among others, lobbied diligently for the program’s funding over the past year.

 The bill now moves to the State Senate for its approval. You can track the development of this legislation via Twitter using the Hashtag #ActiveSts. We will also post developments on our website.

 The Junction TMO applauds the House on the passage of this bill and we look forward to a greener, safer and more active commute.