You can take a personal step towards more appropriate transportation by making one of these four changes in your life style:
- Bike somewhere today
- Walk in your community
- Enjoy the LANTA bus
- Love your local trail
More people walking, bicycling, and using mass transit mean a stronger economy, a higher quality of life. If more people utilize these choices, more will be invested in them, and more investment means more and better choices. More transportation choices mean less congestion, reduced pollution, even fewer auto crash deaths and life changing injuries, too. Curbing our use of the automobile fights suburban sprawl, obesity, and increasingly high medical costs. Here are more details on making these positive changes in your life:
Bike somewhere today. Biking for transportation has virtually disappeared from the region. Most people now need basic information about how a bicycle works, how to pick the right bike for them, safe places to practice and most of all, serious assistance to learn how to bike confidently in traffic. Seek out a full service bike shop, take bicycle education classes, and find experienced people to ride with.
Walk in your community. Stop reading this and go for a walk. Find out what destinations are within walking distance of your home, your job and other places where you hang out. Walk a little further every week. Walking is the perfect exercise. If you discover obstacles to safe pedestrian access call CAT at for assistance.
Enjoy the LANTA bus. [See the CAT website] if you have never ridden the LANTA bus. If you already ride, consider becoming an advocate for better mass transit. CAT has hands-on programs like Adopt-a-bus-stop where you can make an immediate difference. Or consider working for better mass transit through your county government. Email CAT today for more information.
Love your local trail. If you can find a great way to exercise that is close to home, you will drive less and enjoy it more. Your neighborhood non-motorized public mixed-use trail raises your property values for a reason: it’s a great addition to anybody’s daily routine. Almost every home in America reports at least one person who enjoys walking or biking on a linear park. Having trouble finding the closest trail to your home or workplace? Check out the Lehigh Valley Bicycling site for more on local trail maps and information.
There are other ways to reduce your automobile use, such as telecommuting, car-pooling and moving closer to your job or into a more walkable community. One thing is sure though, no matter how you lower your car mileage, you will save money, preserve the planet, improve your health and raise your quality of life. Now that’s appropriate transportation!
Steve Schmitt
Steve is the Director of CAT–Coalition for Appropriate Transportation