Green Space: Ready, set, don't drive

It's so easy to drive in Southeast Michigan! And sometimes, unavoidable. It is possible to do it less, but it takes some forethought and oftentimes, patience. Here are some tips.

• Combine trips. Living near downtown Detroit, it is sometimes necessary to do some big box shopping in the 'burbs. I do so no more than twice a month, making lists and hitting several stores (Target, Pet Supply Plus, Meijer, etc.) in one fell swoop.

• Bike. Even if you are a slow pedaler, a five-mile trip will take you less than a half-an-hour, a one-mile trip only five minutes. When you factor in parking, biking can often be a time-saver.
  

• Take the train. The Wolverine Line runs from Pontiac through Birmingham, Royal Oak, Detroit and Dearborn to Ann Arbor three times a day. While not as fast as driving, it is affordable (about $10-15 between Detroit and Ann Arbor) and gives you a chance to read, catch up on voice mails or paperwork. I wish the trains were outfitted with wireless, but I find there is still computer work I can usually get done without being on-line.

• Take the bus. Let's put it this way: most people that complain about SMART, AATA and DDOT don't actually ride them.

• Shop locally. Again, living in Detroit, I know lots of folks that hit Trader Joe's, Westborn Market or Whole Foods outside the city. It's hard to blame them. But I have found that shopping at Eastern Market and a couple of smaller local grocers provides me with great produce and specialty goods.

• Similarly, use local service-providers. Where are your doctor, dentist, bank? Shortening those drives makes life so much easier.

• Share rides. Drive to work with a neighbor, to a movie with a friend instead of meeting her there, etc. When four cars show up at the bar for four friends to meet, it's kinda ridiculous.

• Walk! Slower than biking, true, but an undervalued form of transportation is pedestrian-ism. If it's been a while since you walked somewhere, try adding just one trip by foot per week. It's good for your brain and the environment. And it's, like, really safe.

With gas prices escalating and mass transit options lacking, it's time to get creative about lessening our area's dependence on vehicles.

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh