http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/car-pools-and-other-alternative-transport ColumbusUnderground.com Messageboard en-US Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:41:38 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/search.php http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/car-pools-and-other-alternative-transport#post-85538 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:14:35 +0000 Walker 85538@http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/ <p>There was some vanpool information in this recent article:</p><p><a href="http://www.columbusunderground.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15945" rel="nofollow">http://www.columbusunderground.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15945</a></p><p><blockquote><cite>Ndcent wrote </cite><blockquote><cite>kitoba wrote </cite>2. <a target=_blank href=http://www.columbusunderground.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8138>Bike</a> - Same advantages as walking, but dangerous downtown, slower than cars, difficult for long distances.</blockquote></p><p>Personally I'd rather ride my bicycle downtown where people are used to seeing them, than out in say Pickerington...</blockquote></p><p>+1 to this.</p><p>The 25/35 mph street grids downtown are much safer than most suburban areas that are made up of 40-50mph roads and curvy subdivision streets where bikes are expected to be found on the sidewalks.</p> http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/car-pools-and-other-alternative-transport#post-85539 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:33:28 +0000 Rockmastermike 85539@http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/ <p>all are great suggestions. but miss one obvious solution: Minimize your mileage.</p><p> I know it's hard to do and not possible for everyone, but I think people should at least be encouraged to TRY to live close to where they work, or better yet telecommute when possible. </p><p>Baring that, I give MORPC high props for their efforts to encourage rideshare, COTA, and similar options.</p><p> With her new job, Catnfiddle and I now have a combined family total of 2.6 miles round trip daily commute! Even *I* can bicycle that far!</p> http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/car-pools-and-other-alternative-transport#post-85537 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:52:13 +0000 swan 85537@http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/ <p>i skateboard or cycle to work... mostly skateboarding though because its more fun.</p> http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/car-pools-and-other-alternative-transport#post-85536 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:37:44 +0000 Brant 85536@http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/ <p>Thanks, Kitoba. Just wanted to let you know that your link to erideshare.com helped me find a carpool between my apartment in Columbus and my new job in Granville. It works!</p> http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/car-pools-and-other-alternative-transport#post-85535 Thu, 31 May 2007 03:44:33 +0000 Ndcent 85535@http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/ <p><blockquote><cite>kitoba wrote </cite>2. <a target=_blank href=http://www.columbusunderground.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8138>Bike</a> - Same advantages as walking, but dangerous downtown, slower than cars, difficult for long distances.</blockquote></p><p>Personally I'd rather ride my bicycle downtown where people are used to seeing them, than out in say Pickerington where the minivan moms running red lights with cellphone, mocha latte and lipstick attached to their faces will mow you down and think they hit a speedbump.</p> http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/car-pools-and-other-alternative-transport#post-85534 Wed, 30 May 2007 16:17:27 +0000 ChrisSunami 85534@http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/ <p>I've opened <a href=http://kitoba.com/pedia/Columbus+Transportation.html>a page on my site</a> based on this discussion. Any more suggestions added here will also be added there.</p><p>Also, does anyone here have an in with the Short North Business Association? I'd like to know how to promote my shuttle idea to them.</p> http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/car-pools-and-other-alternative-transport#post-85533 Tue, 29 May 2007 17:02:44 +0000 ChrisSunami 85533@http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/ <p><blockquote><cite>shroud wrote </cite></p><p>Carpooling seems to have gotten pretty popular lately, presumably due to the rising gas prices. OSU just opened up a Faculty & Staff online bulletin board with a section on carpools, the student unions have had carpool boards and resources in place for ages, plus the wider-reaching ones you list. </p><p></blockquote></p><p>Here's the link to the bulletin board shroud mentioned --you apparently need to be employed by OSU to actually use it. As for the student union rideboards, as near as I can tell, those are actual physical message boards, not internet sites.</p><p><a href="http://oncampus.osu.edu/poll/" rel="nofollow">http://oncampus.osu.edu/poll/</a></p><p>Here's another intercity bus service</p><p><a href="http://www.lakefrontlines.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.lakefrontlines.com/</a></p><p>And here's the Ohio U Rideboard --what made me first think about carpools in the first place... again, it's open only to OU students or staff</p><p><a href="https://rideboard.admsrv.ohio.edu/rideboard/index.jsp" rel="nofollow">https://rideboard.admsrv.ohio.edu/rideboard/index.jsp</a></p> http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/car-pools-and-other-alternative-transport#post-85532 Tue, 29 May 2007 16:24:37 +0000 Brewmaster 85532@http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/ <p>Here's another one...</p><p><a href="http://ridesolutions.morpc.org/" rel="nofollow">http://ridesolutions.morpc.org/</a></p> http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/car-pools-and-other-alternative-transport#post-85530 Tue, 29 May 2007 15:32:14 +0000 shroud 85530@http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/ <p>I think you've covered a lot of great options there, from the obvious to some of the less common (yet still good ideas). </p><p>Carpooling seems to have gotten pretty popular lately, presumably due to the rising gas prices. OSU just opened up a Faculty & Staff online bulletin board with a section on carpools, the student unions have had carpool boards and resources in place for ages, plus the wider-reaching ones you list. </p><p>For the private vehicle (minivans from Kenya) -- wouldn't that basically be someone running a taxi line along the bus routes? I'm actually surprised no one's done that. Are there laws against it maybe? Or maybe they just can't compete with the busses on a price vs. capacity test? Still, I'd think at peak times at least that bus-poaching would be fairly lucrative.</p><p>The private shuttle seems like a great idea, but I think they could only get away with it for special events -- during the Gallery Hops, for example. Otherwise it seems too much of a money sink. There's not enough money to be made in indoor/outdoor vehicle ads. Maybe something all the businesses could chip-together for?</p><p>I read through the Wiki, but I'm still not totally sure what Curitiba's "Bus Rapid Transit" system is all about though. Roads which give buses only the right of way?</p><p>Honestly, the only thing I can think of that folks are doing (that at least some folks could do more of) to combat the commute/pollution/gas prices is more <strong>telecommuting</strong>. For people that CAN do it (which is definitely nowhere near everyone), it can be a great way to cut the commute altogether - even if it's only done part of the week (3 days in the office, 2 at home, or 4 days in, 1 at home, etc, etc.)</p> http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/car-pools-and-other-alternative-transport#post-85531 Tue, 29 May 2007 14:52:08 +0000 ChrisSunami 85531@http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/ <p>Ever since the article came out about the <a target=_blank href=http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/25/magazines/business2/climate_change.biz2/?postversion=2007052515>insanely near tipping point</a> for global warming, I've been thinking about ways to fight it. It may seem like a problem that's too huge for individuals to affect, but as residents of the largest city of one of the most polluting states of the most polluting country in the world, there's definitely an opportunity for us to take leadership.</p><p>We always bitch about the lousy state of public transit here in Cbus. But are there things we can do other than wait for streetcars to arrive in 20-whenever? Especially with gas prices skyrocketing, it seems like a good time to get creative.</p><p>The obvious choices have been covered here already:</p><p>1. <a target=_blank href=http://www.columbusunderground.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7641>Walk </a>- Good for health, free, non-polluting. But not practical for many neighborhoods.</p><p>2. <a target=_blank href=http://www.columbusunderground.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8138>Bike</a> - Same advantages as walking, but dangerous downtown, slower than cars, difficult for long distances</p><p>3. <a target=_blank href=http://www.columbusunderground.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8175>Bus</a> - I think we all know the pros and cons here.</p><p>But what are some other options? One thing that comes to mind is <strong>car pooling and ride sharing</strong>. I did a quick websearch, and here's what I came up with that is currently available:</p><p><a href="http://www.erideshare.com/carpool.php?city=Columbus&amp;dstate=OH" rel="nofollow">http://www.erideshare.com/carpool.php?city=Columbus&amp;dstate=OH</a></p><p><a href="http://columbus.craigslist.org/rid/" rel="nofollow">http://columbus.craigslist.org/rid/</a></p><p><a href="http://www.rideboard.com/search/advanced-search.php" rel="nofollow">http://www.rideboard.com/search/advanced-search.php</a></p><p>I'm thinking about putting together my own local rideboard site, but I'm not sure if that involves liability, and if we need anything not being covered by the national sites.</p><p>Also, it might be worth thinking about ways to reach out more to people who might need rides but who may not be on the internet.</p><p>What are some other possibilities? When I lived in Kenya there were <strong>private vehicles (minivans)</strong> that would run the bus routes and pick up passengers. They tended to be faster and more frequent than the buses --it seems like there might be an opportunity for some enterprising person to fill that same niche here.</p><p>I've also thought a lot about the parking problem in the Short North. If I was the SNBA, instead of building parking garages (or spending millions on arches!), I would subsidize a <strong>private shuttle</strong> that would run up and down High Street during peak hours. That way people could park downtown or in the Campus Gateway and get a free ride to the Short North. That could also help revitalize downtown. You could probably get the Arena District and the Gateway to buy in as well --maybe even extend it to the Brewery District. Plus it's employment for someone.</p><p>Another possibility along the same lines would be to strike <strong>a deal with the taxi companies</strong>. Participating businesses would give out vouchers for free trips between downtown and the short north. It would be a win-win: free parking downtown for customers, guaranteed income for the taxi companies, and a solution to the parking issue for the Short North.</p><p>Is anyone familiar with <a target=_blank href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curitiba>Curitiba</a>? They pioneered <strong>bus rapid transit</strong>. I'm not saying their system will work here, but the point is, they were creative, and came up with a practical solution to their transport problems... and that's what we need to do here.</p>