tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77194209165156995402024-03-22T00:45:00.306+10:00Going Car FreeA life beyond the little metal boxdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.comBlogger215125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-63018637428552407912018-10-27T16:58:00.000+10:002018-10-31T13:17:43.497+10:001 million bike ridesIt might be enough to make your legs feel tired, but there's been 1 million bike rides already this year, past my favourite bike counter.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9APxVjfcXhesQmn3hdJzP5wipNQXqrkGZENt57KN93cIinwQzxN7NAJtOWgAXOI4XfbNl6c1-XIkyxk20YZfE18vT7fhlK-pwE8G066zf-fKb7kx34ES_GimR_49Ta_W4ILtMccaajEk/s1600/bikecounterOct27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9APxVjfcXhesQmn3hdJzP5wipNQXqrkGZENt57KN93cIinwQzxN7NAJtOWgAXOI4XfbNl6c1-XIkyxk20YZfE18vT7fhlK-pwE8G066zf-fKb7kx34ES_GimR_49Ta_W4ILtMccaajEk/s400/bikecounterOct27.jpg" width="400" height="305" data-original-width="450" data-original-height="343" /></a></div><br />
I missed the day itself as we've had a lot of wet weather recently; though obviously not bad enough to stop other people riding bikes. It happened sometime around mid-October.<br />
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If you saw my <a href="https://goingcarfree.blogspot.com/2018/05/which-is-more-popular-bike-riding-or.html">previous post</a> on this, I'm comparing it to how many people use the sports stadium nearby. The rugby league season has now ended with a total Broncos' home game attendance of 401,421.<br />
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Already this one bike-path is 2.5 times more popular - and there's still a few months to go.<br />
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<i>UPDATE:</i> a couple of days after the photo above, I say the sign tick over from 1049999 to 1050000. My attempt to capture it was seconds too slow and another rider ticked it over one extra.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5VITLWYWTyNvTZLby03lt0GImqnnkHNyEYJGiP4WE9z1mZbrnFoDLoOi9pmq4uR6JmMROHBKDoNg6Flt4RzcfYjz4eaHrySHa0pRWHS-uLglotb3ET9OY4qq1sG86AAKc3z3h-M5rmU/s1600/bikecounterOct29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5VITLWYWTyNvTZLby03lt0GImqnnkHNyEYJGiP4WE9z1mZbrnFoDLoOi9pmq4uR6JmMROHBKDoNg6Flt4RzcfYjz4eaHrySHa0pRWHS-uLglotb3ET9OY4qq1sG86AAKc3z3h-M5rmU/s400/bikecounterOct29.jpg" width="373" height="400" data-original-width="500" data-original-height="536" /></a></div><br />
It's a bit like that feeling - back in the car days - of seeing the odometer tick over another milestone. Except this feeling doesn't come with an obligatory car servicing, or thinking about how much I've wasted on fuel.davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-3373671490922546302018-09-22T13:14:00.000+10:002018-10-31T13:14:37.673+10:00Space Invaders (cars)Nobody likes being stuck in traffic. But there's a simple solution.<br />
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In the 80s video game <i>Space Invaders</i> the invaders were <i>from</i> space. Today's space invaders are invaders <i>of</i> space.<br />
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Next time you're in traffic, try to count 50 cars in front of you. If you're on a 3-lane road try to count 17 cars in front.<br />
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In most situations it's further than you can see. But that's how much traffic could be removed with just one bus.<br />
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My local public transport agency gives out these stickers to illustrate the point. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYF00K2I0y0PyU8OjItqYweiVJhav8FK_3VMp_8p5dAE_1NAMJemjVEMATkui249qTaZfG6X-7m8dVifuqn0IxBuDQ0nslhKf7UN9wh44gsdOFcsfkFYzNXwFd7L4hFCS2h87kXbLXkA/s1600/spaceinvaders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYF00K2I0y0PyU8OjItqYweiVJhav8FK_3VMp_8p5dAE_1NAMJemjVEMATkui249qTaZfG6X-7m8dVifuqn0IxBuDQ0nslhKf7UN9wh44gsdOFcsfkFYzNXwFd7L4hFCS2h87kXbLXkA/s400/spaceinvaders.jpg" width="202" height="400" data-original-width="300" data-original-height="593" /></a></div><br />
Even though there's not even 50 cars on the picture, is still demonstrates how obvious the solution to traffic is.<br />
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davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-87440946007634227822018-05-23T13:57:00.000+10:002018-05-30T18:08:32.904+10:00Which is more popular: Bike-riding or football?We've now passed half a million bikes on my favourite bike counter (it's the only one I know of).<br />
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Here's photo from Friday night. There were a few passers-by who had been to the football. It got me wondering. Which is more popular bike-riding or football?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDiotut_0yZPstlGcITk7tx7yD0GNkFiF9VE2i1msS_9pQLKYs8UQxygjdCtInIGk11YP7f0Tn6IV6deuNfmGtaw42ExOCpjeGUrvNXh9zxwekHjeObQ5lgTX1PZIR7kzsphkXskadJw/s1600/bikecountonfootynight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDiotut_0yZPstlGcITk7tx7yD0GNkFiF9VE2i1msS_9pQLKYs8UQxygjdCtInIGk11YP7f0Tn6IV6deuNfmGtaw42ExOCpjeGUrvNXh9zxwekHjeObQ5lgTX1PZIR7kzsphkXskadJw/s400/bikecountonfootynight.jpg" alt="Is bike-riding more popular than football" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="500" data-original-height="375" /></a></div><br />
So I looked up the stats. the stadium just around the corner from this bike counter is primarily for the Brisbane Broncos. According to wikipedia the total <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Brisbane_Broncos_season">homegame crowds this season</a> is 131,756. Add in Friday night's crowd and it's about 160,000.<br />
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With the bike counter at 521,000 it seems that bikeriding is more than 3 times as popular. And that's just on this one little piece of the bikeway network.<br />
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It's interesting that we spend so much on stadiums and so little on bikeways.<br />
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<i>Previous posts about the counter:<br />
<a href="https://goingcarfree.blogspot.com/2018/03/250000-people-on-bikes.html">250,000 people on bikes</a><br />
<a href="https://goingcarfree.blogspot.com/2018/03/how-many-bicycles.html">How many bicycles?</a></i>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-77425209686399900302018-03-09T18:12:00.000+10:002018-03-09T18:12:54.044+10:00250,000 people on bikesToday I rode past the bikeway bicycle counter again. (See <a href="http://goingcarfree.blogspot.com.au/2018/03/how-many-bicycles.html">January's post</a>)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFULDk7G7P_SZL4Y0tgI5GpAR9o5EGajPBzE2bL_xcJFlmhdqW8ulHVUdiqc7pleeGhXC9U9BFReANOdjrpvw0LcFFhxmSuwQVqY8-QBOccgFWPEf_-tnHA8xbkllBXwfRMAFevV4OoA/s1600/bikecounterMar9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFULDk7G7P_SZL4Y0tgI5GpAR9o5EGajPBzE2bL_xcJFlmhdqW8ulHVUdiqc7pleeGhXC9U9BFReANOdjrpvw0LcFFhxmSuwQVqY8-QBOccgFWPEf_-tnHA8xbkllBXwfRMAFevV4OoA/s400/bikecounterMar9.jpg" alt="bicycle counter on Brisbane's Bicentennial Bikeway in March 2018" width="300" height="400" data-original-width="400" data-original-height="533" /></a></div><br />
Just over 2 months, and we've had a quarter of a million people on bikes - just on this particular piece of bikeway.<br />
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Looks like we'll pass a million by year's end.<br />
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How many do you think it will be?<br />
Put your guess in the comments and we'll see who gets the closest.davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-46033750401934418282018-01-26T20:03:00.000+10:002018-03-09T20:07:07.513+10:00How many bicycles?Late last year the city council installed this bicycle and pedestrian counter on my local bikeway.<br />
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I especially like the little logos. It makes it feel like a sports competition. How active and healthy can Brisbane be?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfP8kXLICNyjp5cwXgp9mohDnwxf1tHl_fa4025Mm98odEQI8MRmki2occdXVwE1TMXBy6AfozkHGvFuP0-3-2YtgixvuyuJXNWrHUfTNInKDas_KIpLCI3qheYAPRQTKT9XuYy5YWGU/s1600/BikecounterJan26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfP8kXLICNyjp5cwXgp9mohDnwxf1tHl_fa4025Mm98odEQI8MRmki2occdXVwE1TMXBy6AfozkHGvFuP0-3-2YtgixvuyuJXNWrHUfTNInKDas_KIpLCI3qheYAPRQTKT9XuYy5YWGU/s400/BikecounterJan26.jpg" alt="Bicycle counter on Brisbane's Bicentennial Bikeway" width="386" height="400" data-original-width="500" data-original-height="518" /></a></div><br />
I took this photo today, 26 January. There have been more than 100,000 people on bikes go past the point in less than a month. Exciting to know that the bikeway is so well used.<br />
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<i>PS. See the <a href="http://goingcarfree.blogspot.com.au/2018/03/250000-people-on-bikes.html">March update</a>.</i>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-27233167752714697762017-09-08T17:07:00.001+10:002017-09-08T17:07:41.777+10:00Where can people go?Saw this great illustration of how much cars dominate our public places.<br />
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The caption is spot on - "cities feel a lot less welcoming when you highlight the areas pedestrians aren't supposed to go like this".<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTP6xhf76EkqzLLS-pbkPzRqh9PmybKRCVyOs3NiuQQN6M4otPk6cQjyj47Ys0NxAA8BOrIE-aXRaZpuLzofrOqoaE16DV3cc9uiaa2iFWdeEIZPZ_7ru-6MbvORvIXzfba_7LymGA5E/s1600/unsafeplaces.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="497" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTP6xhf76EkqzLLS-pbkPzRqh9PmybKRCVyOs3NiuQQN6M4otPk6cQjyj47Ys0NxAA8BOrIE-aXRaZpuLzofrOqoaE16DV3cc9uiaa2iFWdeEIZPZ_7ru-6MbvORvIXzfba_7LymGA5E/s1600/unsafeplaces.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Was talking to a person last night who has lived overseas where human beings are cars share the road more equally.<br />
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I wonder if the difference is due to our <a href="http://goingcarfree.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/where-does-jaywalking-come-from.html">culture of cars</a>.davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-90445479184159300912017-03-14T13:38:00.000+10:002017-03-14T13:41:08.789+10:00Faster than 300 carsMy wife and I left the game on our bikes. There are only two roads out of the South Pine Sports Complex and this was probably the biggest game ever held there.<br />
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Traffic to go home was at a standstill. The start of the dotted blue line is where we decided that wasn't for us. Part of the joy of being car free is never having to be in traffic jams. So we went on the grass path. It later became a concrete path, then a bikelane.<br />
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I reckon we passed 300 cars. Sometimes they moved slower than walking-pace. Mostly they didn't move at all.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZUWAVGfpihdchmou9IXTeRIHkLqe1dmVixQBOoxP4473yMSUGoJPIocgBA2HVE0eb0ytPvyNAAgk7ZZvGpY_zpudpy1UMN3X70q0VvUOYzV6cXnbtPQpJSjxt1vVaY5yZv8OdQh1eoA/s1600/brendale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZUWAVGfpihdchmou9IXTeRIHkLqe1dmVixQBOoxP4473yMSUGoJPIocgBA2HVE0eb0ytPvyNAAgk7ZZvGpY_zpudpy1UMN3X70q0VvUOYzV6cXnbtPQpJSjxt1vVaY5yZv8OdQh1eoA/s400/brendale.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
At the red marker the queue meets a major road and each cycle the traffic lights allow about seven cars through.<br />
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So if we did pass 300 cars, the ones at the back of the queue would have waited for 43 cycles of traffic lights.<br />
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By this time, my wife and I had cycled to the train station and were most of the way home.<br />
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Sometimes people ask if I miss the "convenience" of a car.<br />
Not if "convenience" means waiting for 43 cycles of the traffic lights.<br />
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<i>PS. The map above shows the travel time assuming you are walking. This traffic was going much slower than walking pace, so I reckon the time was more like 40 minutes to 1 hour for that 1.7km.</i>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-26912195095915847892016-10-13T07:27:00.000+10:002016-10-13T07:27:05.198+10:00Congestion-bustingThe council in my city is trying to reduce traffic congestion. In their latest newsletter to residents they boasted of the results over the last six months.<br />
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<blockquote>The morning peak average speed increased from 27.8 km/h to 28.9 km/h.</blockquote><br />
Whoop-de-do! For a 10 km commute, that means a daily saving of 49 seconds on a 22-minute journey. Barely noticeable.<br />
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Meanwhile I can go 25 km/h on my bicycle and fitter people go quicker than that. Hardly seems worth having a car, really.<br />
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Here's a congestion-busting idea. Leave the car at home. Often a bicycle is quicker (and more enjoyable). Or catch public transport and free up the roads for everyone.davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-76479238718162710532016-08-18T06:41:00.002+10:002016-08-18T06:55:47.266+10:00The day I got a death threat at workI am fortunate. Part of my job is to promote sustainability and environmentally friendly activities. In a team meeting I mentioned the worldwide activity known as PARKing Day.<br />
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PARKing Day is one day a year where community groups and others temporarily transform a metered car space into an alternate use. Sometimes it's a mini-park, with fake grass and deck chairs. Sometimes it's a mini coffee shop. I've even seen a mini-golf set-up and an op-shop for second-hand clothing. It's a great way to highlight how much of our city is consumed by parking and how many other things could be done with that space if we were less car dependent. The activity is legal, paid for and has local council approval.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?q=parking+day&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiw3ZClqsnOAhWCp5QKHW3rB9YQsAQILw&biw=1242&bih=545" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" alt="playing checkers on PARKing Day" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWY8V4PVA8q166L-6ssnxgEBVfdidCvjosfu1F5Bjlo6nOYxlAuNhzxjqXPs519BTXtI48IYiWGVgI8MNyvMC7V-WXJHRYUNhCQmI8LXjx5lUniS12JlRXpVepAtDdRVNnL6rpgIexsM/s400/parkingcheckers.jpg" width="400" height="302" /></a></div><br />
In the meeting I gave the op-shop example. A colleague said that if she saw an op-shop in a car parking space, she'd drive over the shop and anyone in it. As a supporter of the event and possible attendee I tried to look for other ways to take this - other than as a threat on my life.<br />
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My colleague is not evil. As far as I know, she doesn't generally threaten to kill people. But that's part of the effect of spending time behind the wheel. When I had a car, driving in traffic could often make me quite agitated and sometimes aggressive towards other drivers. This was part of the reason I gave up driving.<br />
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If something turns you into an aggressive and hostile person, the sensible thing is to give up that thing. I choose my character, my faith and my humanity over having a car. Clearly not everyone is in a position to make that choice, so we get situations like this.<br />
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It seems when a person spends enough time behind the wheel, they view the car almost as an extension of theirself. They see a parking space as some sort of birthright that the rest of the world owes them. Wherever they go, even in the busy areas, they have an expectation that room must be made for them and for their two tonnes of metal.<br />
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Is this why we sometimes talk about car "addiction"? People acting like desperate drug addicts when they don't get their fix. Unable to imagine an existence without the thing they crave.<br />
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As humans we generally say that we love other people - or at least like them enough not to kill them. It seems that driving a car takes us far away from that ideal.davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-61618091339826670462016-05-01T15:37:00.000+10:002016-05-01T15:40:15.125+10:00Repairing the bank balanceSome people can't even comprehend being car free. Others do get it, and are slightly jealous.<br />
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"Yeah. You must save heaps - not having to buy petrol," someone said to me recently.<br />
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Well yes I do but that's only a fraction of it. In a recent cleanout I found an old bank statement from my car-owning days.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowjVyzSP-qr6MnX7n7VxCc_YO_zMl0qVaCJ5QqYF96ROz3AI0iEEK2CjdZsbtzKPzKYwtE2bkDEtFs6qxLR-hXqz-BTqepfDndz2eMqUeO-S04LwjB83s7Kcm6yCh42vs0uo8GKLvPyc/s1600/CarrepairsatUltraTune.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowjVyzSP-qr6MnX7n7VxCc_YO_zMl0qVaCJ5QqYF96ROz3AI0iEEK2CjdZsbtzKPzKYwtE2bkDEtFs6qxLR-hXqz-BTqepfDndz2eMqUeO-S04LwjB83s7Kcm6yCh42vs0uo8GKLvPyc/s400/CarrepairsatUltraTune.gif" /></a></div><br />
Yes. Car repairs for $3033.62. Even ten years on, my first reaction is "Ouch!". It's one of the things we don't factor into the cost of having a car. But it's a real cost. On the bank statement it's very real.<br />
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My second reaction is gratitude in realising how many years I've avoided these unexpected surprises. Just another benefit of being car free.<br />
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PS. Other car costs include depreciation (buying a car for $20k and selling it for $10k), lost interest (that $20k could have been in the bank earning interest), car registration, car insurance, car repairs and car maintenance. Depending on how you drive, there may also be speeding fines and parking tickets. So yes I save on fuel, but there's so much more than that.<br />
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davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-90647635761205543812015-11-12T17:09:00.001+10:002015-11-12T17:12:20.643+10:00Love cars, love traffic jamsSure I've shown a picture like this <a href="http://goingcarfree.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/more-road-space.html">before</a>, but this one's different.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3mZJhEhFcHiiOpb_tn1iaiGGtf7DiEinFyfUmjRH-KZ9bqg5a2pprrlZha6ImPHYIHx_9QL_Sc8A7z7hxXI3d0Xu5T70EvOduEedpZPcxybTudqh0NgMrZrj5NkwHzMUTmaK8PlwvPh8/s1600/spacebydifferenttransports.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3mZJhEhFcHiiOpb_tn1iaiGGtf7DiEinFyfUmjRH-KZ9bqg5a2pprrlZha6ImPHYIHx_9QL_Sc8A7z7hxXI3d0Xu5T70EvOduEedpZPcxybTudqh0NgMrZrj5NkwHzMUTmaK8PlwvPh8/s400/spacebydifferenttransports.gif" /></a></div><br />
It's the first one I've seen that includes bicycles, buses and light rail.<br />
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Surely it's obvious to everyone that unless traffic jams are something we enjoy, then bicycles and public transport are by far the best options.davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-24859967861524205202015-10-22T17:04:00.000+10:002015-10-22T17:06:31.255+10:00Where does "Jaywalking" come from?I like this video about how cars took over the streets. Learn where the phrase jaywalking comes from and how clever marketing strategy from car makers changed the way we think.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/trutvadamruinseverything/videos/440562609479819/?permPage=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXC_RpMFd9_ii9f1cgtnGEgON1mcSUMn7gIC9rhjF2gRRiO9q5z9mf1h_ICh8qA9avFq1Hn-UWMEy-zjvdl5gzWqhzuoj9JYfiBC8wL1GAK9FOt82qRk7KKD0d0STzjtHO1yx55rZDYE/s400/adam.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The end line is classic... "Thank you for granting us passage, Metal Majesty."<br />
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davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-2191909106913005422015-09-24T17:40:00.000+10:002015-09-25T13:19:42.887+10:00The poor womanI've certainly felt like this at times. The smug pedestrian (or bike rider) cruising past a traffic jam.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://streets.mn/2015/01/25/a-license-to-walk/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWQjaCHfC-TirnHEwNqWSwXt5kb4G8k6X0-PSEbGLJJia0BhfqGTbo0vAHbqmQIFfQmI0ih9j9qnCRtLNcSUoeyLIylVEQBBxJoAYez-5lWgmx5M9uMY86VuTRCzH1-fzTB8twraFiIk/s400/poor_woman_walking400.png" /></a></div><br />
Thursdays in my neighbourhood are particularly bad for drivers. Our city has late night shopping on Thursdays, so commuter traffic and shopping traffic add together.<br />
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In a logical world some of the regular drivers would work this out and take public transport on a Thursday - or ride or walk if it's a short distance. But people tend to stick to habits even if it means sitting in traffic for much longer than other forms of transport would take.<br />
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Of course the poor woman in the cartoon is also doing for for her physical and <a href="http://goingcarfree.blogspot.com.au/2015/04/the-secret-of-happiness.html">mental health</a>.davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-41915907347198160802015-04-17T17:21:00.000+10:002015-04-17T17:22:20.154+10:00Damn, these electric bikes (are great)The topic of electric bikes came up at work today. One colleague mentioned how jealous she is of electric bikes as they pass her on the uphills.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.utilitycycling.org/2010/10/3000-miles-on-a-hybrid-electric-bike-by-matthew-zoll/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" alt="Electric bike cartoon about riding uphill" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1N5jIAmTw3ivB8nkcPms3GBNhm7oPBFiMFwr9jGOp2s-5cFeSW1IzPwIq9kUyqcKkxnuXPuDojCSa89oy2QUSHYfFZ33GuY0zsAfp8iaXnfQ9xlisJe9hy-pcszkwJybD5U-zfXG7wwY/s400/electricbikecartoon.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I think this cartoon sums it up well. The rider of the electric bike is thinking "Damn, these electric bikes (are great)" while the other rider thinks "Damn these electric bikes (are making me jealous)."davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-79300413799373043072015-04-11T15:14:00.001+10:002015-04-11T15:18:52.843+10:00The Secret of HappinessI've just read an <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/nov/01/secrets-worlds-happiest-cities-commute-property-prices">article</a> on Enrique Peñalosa, the former mayor of Bogotá, Colombia. <i>"We might not be able to fix the economy. But we can design the city to give people dignity, to make them feel rich. The city can make them happier."</i><br />
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One experiment was to have a day of a total car ban. The 'car free' day was the first day in 4 years that nobody was killed in traffic. Hospital admissions were down, smog thinned, and people were feeling more optimistic about life. All from just one day without cars.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/nov/01/secrets-worlds-happiest-cities-commute-property-prices" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyXhnlRKoPNaN5pL6CP9bhvje_AHAzY4KxggRQOVBx2aUdn9kkCXdj8tJS1aygwDO_-7q14x7CwTtt4Y9dgilxwjiIUSeQHmQTkCciAbti35FL566yXhJbgpz_LeoHl-UbUw25icpyck/s400/City.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Why does better city design, and fewer cars, give such a boost to our happiness? The article had some stats on that - and it seems that we've over-valued the role of money in happiness.<br />
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<ul><li>The British got 40% richer from 1993 to 2012, but the rate of psychiatric disorders and neuroses grew.</li>
<li>Londoners are among the least happy people in the UK, despite the city being the richest region in the UK.</li>
<li>The more connected we are, the less likely we are to experience heart attacks, strokes, cancer and depression. Connected people sleep better at night. They live longer. They consistently report being happier.</li>
<li>People who endure more than a 45-minute commute were 40% more likely to divorce.</li>
<li>People who live in car‑dependent neighbourhoods are much less trusting of other people.</li>
<li>Longer commutes mean lower life-satisfaction. A person with a one-hour commute has to be paid 40% more money to be as satisfied with life as someone who walks to the office. For a single person, exchanging a long commute for a short walk to work has the same effect on happiness as finding a new love.</li>
</ul><br />
<b>So why is driving so bad?</b> So bad that being freed from it is the equivalent of falling in love - or getting a 40% pay rise?<br />
<br />
<i>"Driving in traffic is harrowing for both brain and body. The blood of people who drive in cities is a stew of stress hormones. The worse the traffic, the more your system is flooded with adrenaline and cortisol, the fight-or-flight juices that, in the short-term, get your heart pumping faster, dilate your air passages and help sharpen your alertness, but in the long-term can make you ill. Brain researchers found that peak-hour travellers suffered worse stress than fighter pilots or riot police facing mobs of angry protesters."</i><br />
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Apparently, it's the mobility of walking, running or riding that makes commuting enjoyable.<br />
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<i>"We were born to move. Immobility is to the human body what rust is to the classic car. Stop moving long enough, and your muscles will atrophy. Bones will weaken. Blood will clot. You will find it harder to concentrate and solve problems. Immobility is not merely a state closer to death: it hastens it."</i><br />
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Cyclists report feeling <i>"connected to the world around them"</i> in a way that's not possible in a sealed vehicle. Their journeys are <i>"sensual and kinesthetic"</i>.<br />
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<b>So how did Bogotá's experiment go?</b><br />
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It made life better for almost everyone. Commuting times fell by a fifth. The streets were calmer. The accident rate halved, as did the murder rate, even as the country as a whole got more violent. There was better air quality. Bogotáns got healthier. The city experienced a spike in feelings of optimism. People believed that life was good and getting better.<br />
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To find out more, read the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/nov/01/secrets-worlds-happiest-cities-commute-property-prices">article</a>, or get the book it comes from - "Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design" by Charles Montgomery.davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-84025675080526162972015-03-03T12:29:00.002+10:002015-03-10T08:03:48.622+10:00More Road SpaceOne of the great things about riding a bike, and about public transport is how little space it takes. Especially compared to cars.<br />
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Smarter transport frees up so much space on the roads. Groups have taken some stunning photos to illustrate just how much extra space there could be on the roads.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2X9pfn2rrdzzsgWvJ7l93mTMBS81C_u2hrIpfsUG122izkfsVC9C2kGa0IBalQ9UB2Onn0_YixnBKvyOiAW6kfkiNd3sy8tKNBXN8Vst1wvgu-_Nf9IzZbJXXBmaTfrfyx4weLzG5_8/s1600/space-car-bus-bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" alt="photo showing the amount of road space saved by bus and by bicycle - compared to car driving" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2X9pfn2rrdzzsgWvJ7l93mTMBS81C_u2hrIpfsUG122izkfsVC9C2kGa0IBalQ9UB2Onn0_YixnBKvyOiAW6kfkiNd3sy8tKNBXN8Vst1wvgu-_Nf9IzZbJXXBmaTfrfyx4weLzG5_8/s400/space-car-bus-bike.jpg" /></a></div><br />
There's also the famous photo of the space to <a href="http://fireflyblogs.fireflybrigade.org/benecamara/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2013/12/car-vs-bike-vs-bus.jpg">transport 60 people</a>, and this <a href="http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/11/30/public-transportation-greenhouse-gas-emissions">animation</a> of the space saved by a bus.<br />
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<center><img src="http://i.imgur.com/OHo8HX0.gif" alt="space of cars versus bus" /></center><br />
But one of the pictures I find the most compelling is this one from an <a href="https://firstordercondition.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/how-many-roads-should-a-car-consume-to-carry-people-to-their-workplace/">international study</a>. Building roads is such a wasteful way to transport a lot of people.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://firstordercondition.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/how-many-roads-should-a-car-consume-to-carry-people-to-their-workplace/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ck_AW29bMk-YMBdkXqEAL7duFxeLKFV4OtNqqcmxK8iVcVztbBLZylxt0fn68okrpQ7nU9VbEvld3zCpNEDsCMJA17kx7eoB5LJxzJTP7WgCnAQq_a5-Rnkh3MFGeP5dkVOwsdrMLeo/s400/car-vs-bus-lanes.png" /></a></div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-73518491852612929342015-01-08T12:12:00.003+10:002015-01-08T12:19:59.948+10:00Train and bus cheaper than a carI stumbled across the article, <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/train-and-bus-commute-cheaper-than-the-car-study-20131212-2za5y.html">Train and bus commute cheaper than the car</a>, reporting on a study of transport costs in Australian cities.<br />
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In summary it calculated the costs at:<br />
<b>$10,698</b> - commuting by car (even a small car) for 15km.<br />
<b>$5,155</b> - catch public transport, leave the car at home. Saves $5543<br />
<b>$2,370</b> - catch public transport and have one less car. Saves $8328<br />
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That was one year ago. So for 2014, I tallied up how much I spent on public transport - each time I added credit to my <a href="https://gocard.translink.com.au/webtix/">go card</a>.<br />
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<b>$1195</b> - my total transport costs for 2014. About one-tenth of the average car costs.<br />
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So if you think you're saving money by driving, you may want to re-think that. (See <a href="http://goingcarfree.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-much-car-really-costs.html">how much your car costs you</a>)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbZdejDFRVhWaDRBICe85LPnOh5Sn58thwlxINz1pyJchMhs6hmAwfmI876DS98-j25pe4flrmeZYZY8ld5BG8GJiNcwsFDROdq1cPF89y4AsN7DDUAh5SMnpFm7CKfakXSVw_2qK2H8/s1600/GoCardtravel2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" alt="How much my public transport costs" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbZdejDFRVhWaDRBICe85LPnOh5Sn58thwlxINz1pyJchMhs6hmAwfmI876DS98-j25pe4flrmeZYZY8ld5BG8GJiNcwsFDROdq1cPF89y4AsN7DDUAh5SMnpFm7CKfakXSVw_2qK2H8/s400/GoCardtravel2014.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<i>PS. You might notice it got a lot cheaper near the end of the year. I left my previous job in October, and have travelled mainly by bicycle since then. That's another great advantage of being car-free - you only pay for what you use. With car ownership, if you leave (or lose) your job, you still have to pay a year's registration, a year's insurance. The car still gets older, and loses its value. You'll also be tempted to use it (and need to buy more fuel) when you could use cheaper and healthier options.</i>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-58168734173507772712014-12-18T21:18:00.000+10:002014-12-18T21:18:08.938+10:00Master of TransportThis week I attended a friend's graduation. A few of us came to see it, and her partner arrived just in the nick of time. He'd driven in, and had a nerve-wracking time doing so.<br />
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Having got to campus, there was 20 minutes of driving around, to find a place to park. Then the ticket machine (yes it was paid parking) wasn't working. Once he'd sorted that out, it was another 20 minutes navigating an unfamiliar campus to find the graduation ceremony. All in all, it was a frustrating and exhausting experience in the heat of a Brisbane summer.<br />
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I have to admit I felt a bit smug that I'd zoomed in on my electric bike (total travel time about 10-15 mins), and parked in the bicycle rack about 1 minute's walk from all the graduation action. But I didn't gloat - that would have only made it feel worse.<br />
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Of course, he didn't have the option to ride (apart from <a href="http://www.citycycle.com.au">CityCycle</a>) but there's also a bus that goes from the street of his workplace to the university in <a href="http://www.translink.com.au">12 minutes</a>.<br />
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I'm not sure why we seem to think that car is a fast and convenient option. Perhaps the graduates at the Psychology graduation would have a better idea.<br />
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I have two guesses. For many people it's the default, and our brains like to avoid decision-making so the default wins. Also, at the decision point (the journey start) the car seems convenient because in one minute you can be on your way. But the trouble comes later. Just like "buy now pay later", which seems like a good idea .. until "pay later" comes along.davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-66551348623109918282014-12-01T15:44:00.000+10:002014-12-01T15:48:13.285+10:00Light on the WalletAldi have just had one of their bicycle-related sales. Among the bargains was an LED lights set - front and rear for $9.99.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXzu2KonpMJa9iJ3yFljY024RABXpRylCwL8DXpxyCnuusBi4x4TwkepGsJ0birC0_iT7sI1RvPObrFjNmzXiVahx8BKmMYa2i09xf0Hw6zvCCpKmr-eGLj9GrOzV_VPM_Y97BPjcmVA/s1600/bikelights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" alt="Aldi ad for Bikemate bicycle LED light set" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXzu2KonpMJa9iJ3yFljY024RABXpRylCwL8DXpxyCnuusBi4x4TwkepGsJ0birC0_iT7sI1RvPObrFjNmzXiVahx8BKmMYa2i09xf0Hw6zvCCpKmr-eGLj9GrOzV_VPM_Y97BPjcmVA/s400/bikelights.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The bonus is that batteries ARE included - 6xAAA batteries. A 4-pack of these is $3. So that's $4.50 worth of free batteries.<br />
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All that maths means that really the front and back lights for your bike are just $5.49. That's loose change.<br />
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I'm continually impressed with how cheap it is to cycle.davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-54046036167275335712014-10-19T14:37:00.000+10:002014-10-19T14:37:39.009+10:00Bubble ArtAnother aspect of public transport that I enjoy is artwork. There's a lot to be seen from the train network, but this one's is near the ferry terminal at Teneriffe.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CD9wuZ8Intt4xkdgIoqzwFZWIezFAQgZ0hYpe4OEzp3aGZWTyei1BF6li7RLe9qgGkESn2mEr8ary_-Yxz8bs6kXDI0Ad2lyMAfAyMaJ94lXlY71-KAFShIr-mGk_HP7aVJYTNYyOms/s1600/bubblegirl500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" alt="public art brick wall painting of a girl blowing coloured bubbles" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CD9wuZ8Intt4xkdgIoqzwFZWIezFAQgZ0hYpe4OEzp3aGZWTyei1BF6li7RLe9qgGkESn2mEr8ary_-Yxz8bs6kXDI0Ad2lyMAfAyMaJ94lXlY71-KAFShIr-mGk_HP7aVJYTNYyOms/s400/bubblegirl500.jpg" /></a></div><br />
It might not be 'gallery-quality' art, but it's nice. A lot of people see it, and I'm sure it brightens their day.<br />
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It's certainly better than a plain brick wall, and better than motorist equivalent - a stream of roadside advertising billboards.davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0Newstead QLD, Australia-27.452265744192871 153.04864883422852-27.454027244192872 153.04612733422852 -27.450504244192871 153.05117033422852tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-70680126305391383402014-06-19T07:10:00.000+10:002014-06-19T07:10:00.026+10:00Double fees for car parkingOne ever-increasing cost of car ownership is parking. At my work, these are the new parking prices.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-5KeI1KS3xjjBw28u2PUBerscdsqoq5RRfeEAxNrjnh1UtRe8GKiKtP6AVD1yNh2Bl49MnX3rw6_BB-aQgmaVbgdoaZrjJsRzb_TxOH-2-p3q7INaMjUPTLLgKz71JB0QnizUAev3CA/s1600/parking2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-5KeI1KS3xjjBw28u2PUBerscdsqoq5RRfeEAxNrjnh1UtRe8GKiKtP6AVD1yNh2Bl49MnX3rw6_BB-aQgmaVbgdoaZrjJsRzb_TxOH-2-p3q7INaMjUPTLLgKz71JB0QnizUAev3CA/s400/parking2014.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Combined with <a href="http://goingcarfree.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/parking-pain.html">last year's increase</a>, it's almost doubled in two years. $75 per week - that's 2 and a half times my total transport cost.<br />
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Mind you, it probably has to increase that much. We can't just keep jamming more and more cars into the city. And the sooner we realise this, the better.<br />
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I reckon the best plan is to leave the car at home. Less stress. Fewer fees.davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-46351714594848693462014-06-15T11:49:00.001+10:002014-06-15T15:32:09.841+10:00Changing Gears - and changing mindsetGreg Foyster quits his job in advertising to explore alternatives to the life of long hours in a soul-destroying work, to afford a big house and endless possessions to put in it.<br />
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<a href="http://simplelives.com.au/book/">Changing Gears</a> is the diary of his journey from <a href="http://simplelives.com.au/route/">Melbourne to Cairns</a> by bicycle with partner Sophie, exploring and experiencing different - and more sustainable - ways of living.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://simplelives.com.au/book/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrsjUSiJjagBa7sLfztNE1yg5PvCGa905XJ1H7iZOG1V_5ni7KwyFQRIOOaVj1oQAQSuHFAXhrWGV9oY1rnAxqzrQVe1tfVjSEQcfI4yABaDhnQ8qAb2Wb0oJJCUCCvDp8h63BeOGjIc/s400/ChangingGears.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Despite coming from the city, having cycled trough rural and regional Australia, he arrives in Sydney with a new perspective on cars.<br />
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<blockquote><i>Here cars were crammed into every conceivable space, and for the first time I noticed, really noticed, just how many of them there were.<br />
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In 20 kilometres, we saw nothing but shops to buy cars, government departments to regulate cars, workshops to tune cars, stores to get accessories for cars, restaurants that encouraged people to eat in their cars, and mega malls that can only be reached by cars. And that was just one stretch of road in one suburb. All of our major metropolises are like this. We are citizens of car cities.</i></blockquote><br />
During the book he reasons that most things we do are because it's the default option. And cars are one of the big ones.<br />
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<blockquote><i>Cars are the main reason we live in sprawling suburbs, own big houses, shop at massive mega malls, and sit on our bums all day. Cars don't cause these things, but they enable them.</i></blockquote><br />
He refers to them as "consumption amplifiers". and says that without them, we'd<br />
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<blockquote><i>live in smaller spaces more closely together, we'd have shops within walking distance, and we'd exercise more.</i></blockquote><br />
The obsession with cars even affects our thinking. The funny side of this was when Greg and his wife would ask locals how far it was to the next town.<br />
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<blockquote><i>people looked at our bicycles stacked with belongings and still said 'It's a 30-minute drive'. Cars have come to dominate our concept of distance to the point where we don't think in kilometres any more.</i></blockquote><br />
Giving up our harmful addiction to cars is one of the lessons learnt on Greg's trip that he (and we) can take back into our normal lives.davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-70692910492398574752014-06-08T12:17:00.000+10:002014-06-08T12:35:18.843+10:00More than 20 years!Brisbane's Little Stanley Street hosts a series of restaurants with outdoor dining overlooking Southbank Parklands. One is the Eastern European restaurant Torba.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.torba.com.au" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" alt="alfresco outdoor dining at Torba restaurant Southbank" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9Lup2wCXSqPmPLpWi82bINCh0QqL0qk5imLL6VtSLtEF4zWK2L4cJPo9-6YcXp-CthZraZUXOLEguwhTA7dBhmbcNJGI5TamNpCN2aemr6HAaewolnelNTiVyyXPIH2N5F-Q7qAjQm0/s400/torba.jpg" /></a></div><br />
While our meal was prepared, a pretentiously expensive looking car arrived nearby. This prompted my girlfriend to share a recent realisation:<br />
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<blockquote>You know, my public transport costs me about $30 a week, tops. For the same price as a $30,000 car, I could catch public transport for 1,000 weeks. That's 20 years! And that doesn't even include petrol, registration etc.</blockquote><br />
She's right of course. And I've written about <a href="http://goingcarfree.blogspot.com/search/label/financial">how expensive driving is</a>. But her thought is a great way of expressing just how much sacrifice is involved in owning a car.<br />
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<i>PS. I recently did a course on <a href="https://www.coursera.org/course/behavioralecon">behavioural economics</a>, where one example was car buying. We compare one car with another, but struggle to compare across categories. We rarely ask a question like "Is this car worth more than two vacations a year?" to work out if there are better things we could do with our money.</i><br />
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<i>PPS. We then caught the bus home - on <a href="http://goingcarfree.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/paid-for-9-got-10-free.html">free travel</a>.</i>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0Brisbane QLD, Australia-27.477464204329475 153.0212527513504-27.477464204329475 153.0212527513504 -27.477464204329475 153.0212527513504tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-63735647558280010552014-05-02T07:27:00.000+10:002014-05-02T07:27:00.450+10:00The mobile device that charges youThere's nothing quite like a nice bike ride.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AnInconvenientTruth/photos/a.122793927863612.23038.117074698435535/387637778045891/?type=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" alt="the mobile device that charges you" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPYGGkqW7-oFrna4VAVVfWKr_RrgniQrSjKJv1CBs2xQU1Rf9reVq1rTVbBRYkdoSwu2DVisvOrmxtjc9NE2QlRemUR7uzPJkqxoC2n775MzJiIjkmg1GsWDYhta_bVKeUh52cugyRK8/s400/mobiledevice.png" /></a></div><br />
I reckon this would be t-shirt worthy.<br />
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(Image is my slight variation on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AnInconvenientTruth/photos/a.122793927863612.23038.117074698435535/387637778045891/?type=1">this one</a>)davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719420916515699540.post-92231972810351374532014-03-23T22:16:00.002+10:002014-03-23T22:16:57.167+10:00Free Holiday TravelLast weekend I went to the Gold Coast for a weekend break. Because I went by public transport, all the travel was free.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://translink.com.au/sites/default/files/assets/resources/travel-information/network-information/maps/140120-train-network-map.pdf" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" alt="Gold Coast section of the Translink network" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zvXMXGgW6mlXlHp28ziG434GXo44Dgj9WCQJlJzS7c4m6e84ZP-xpTwvulf3lQE2ah8PFbfQnSy9b3gaFwHoYptmHlixKtpluC5tZVkp5qMUqb1WA8gnJcxNS-ICyFJFpBO7n8gGZqw/s400/goldcoastmap.gif" /></a></div><br />
This is part of the go card <a href="http://goingcarfree.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/paid-for-9-got-10-free.html">9-trips-then-free</a> deal. Normally I'm up to 9 trips by Thursday so get the rest of the week for free - but this is the first time I've used free travel for a holiday.<br />
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Including the trip down to the Gold Coast, the trip out to dinner on Saturday night, the trip back to our accomodation, and then Sunday's trip back home. Because weekends are off-peak, it would have only cost $31.62 each. But because of the 9-trip deal is was free!davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com0