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Miss Cellane
3-26-11, 2:08pm
I just got a new job, after two long, long years of unemployment. I'm very happy.

However, getting to the job is now an issue. I live 6 miles from the office. It's a 10-15 minute drive, depending on traffic.

But I live just outside Boston, which has pretty good public transportation. When I moved here, jobless as I was, I deliberately chose an apartment close to public transport--it's a two minute walk to three bus lines and a 10 minute walk to the subway station. The new office has a subway station right across the street. I don't like driving in the traffic around here, so my preference is always to walk or take the T.

The problem? You can't get there from here, at least not easily, not on the T. Boston public transportation is designed to get people from outside the city to the center of town. It is not designed to get people on the outskirts to other places on the outskirts. In order to get to the new office, I have to go all the way into the center of town on one subway line and transfer to another one to get out to the office. Or I can take a relay of three different bus lines.

The subway route takes 1 hour and 10 minutes one way, assuming everything's running on time and all connections are made. The bus route takes 1 hour and 39 minutes, again assuming everything's running on time. The subway and bus both cost $4.50 one way, although I could get a transit pass for $69/month (and I think that after working there for 3 months, the company will pay for the T pass).

I'm not sure about parking. There's no on-street parking, and no visible free parking lot. There's the parking garage at the subway station, for $7/day (the same cost as taking public transport), but there is also a monthly parking pass for $105. There's also an underground parking garage for the office building I'll be working in, but I don't know if I'll be able to park there or if you have to pay to park there.

So it is a bit cheaper to take the T, but in terms of my time the cost is much greater. At most, in high rush hour, I think driving would take 20 minutes, vs, on a good day, 1 hour and 10 minutes on the subway. Riding a bike would be, for me, dangerous on the roads I would need to take, unless I can find some back roads that have less heavy traffic. But I simply cannot see myself biking through some of the large, complicated intersections that I would need to get through. And in some places, there really is no shoulder on the road.

So, committed as I am to using public transportation, I am really hoping that there is free parking for employees in that underground parking lot, because I don't want to spend over two hours a day to travel 12 miles round trip.

I am feeling like a complete sell-out.

JaneV2.0
3-26-11, 3:42pm
See if your new employer has a ride-share program. If the issue really bothers you, you could start saving for a hybrid or electric car, but personally, I wouldn't feel a minute's guilt for making the most practical choice for my own life.

MagicRat
3-26-11, 6:00pm
This is a common problem for many living in urban communities.

It is not reasonable for you to take an extra 2 hours out of your day to suit an idealized concept of public transportation.

Save the time and drive. Try carpooling. Or share a drive into work.

If none of these work, try to find someone else who drives into work, near or drives past your building. Arrange for them to pick you up and drop you off, and give THEM you daily subway fare. I am sure you will get takers. :)

Bronxboy
3-26-11, 9:01pm
If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. Don't feel guilty about driving, it's less than 3,000 miles a year. Even with a gas guzzler, it's not a major issue. Look for some ways to increase your recycling or save energy at home, or do errands along your commute to cut the environmental impact.

I agree with MagicRat that it is a common problem.

On my last job, I gave up taking public transit within months over a 40 minutes a day difference (75 minutes one way vs. 55). With a young child at home and a demanding job, the time made a big difference in my life.

razz
3-27-11, 4:44pm
thank your lucky stars that you have options of either as many don't. On bad or stormy days, take the transit and relax with a book or start an online course using downloaded material that you can listen to while travelling.

lhamo
3-27-11, 5:15pm
How difficult/expensive would it be to move closer to work? If there isn't anything keeping you tied to your current neighborhood, I would start to investigate the options. Once you are settled in at your new job and it looks like a keeper, you could start thinking about moving closer -- at least to a place on a more direct transit line.

Otherwise, I agree with the others that the payoff in life energy saved is probably more than worth it. One of the things that annoys me most about our life in Beijing is that I have a horrible commute. IN the mornings I can do it by bus -- I catch the first run of the day and that means I can beat the traffic. I have to leave the house by 5:15, though! It takes about 15 minutes to walk to the bus stop from my house, then about an hour on the bus. But in the afternoon all public transit options take 1.5-2:00 hours because of the traffic. If I take a taxi home, I can usually make it door to door in under 40 minutes. So that is my comprimise -- I try to bus to work, but take a taxi home. That means I have time to run errands and/or work out before dinner. If we had a car I would probably drive.

lhamo

herbgeek
3-28-11, 6:23am
Miss Cellane- Not sure exactly where you are, so this may not work for you, but have you looked into bike paths? I know there are several in the 'burbs- that might get you past the dangerous intersection areas.

I often get asked why I won't take a job in Cambridge. When I say its 1.5 hour ride with traffic, the response is often, so why don't you just take the T? The nearest transport is in Worcester, which is a half hour drive. Then if I get the express, its another hour to South Station, then I'd have to take the red line back out to Cambridge. So we're talking more than 2 hours each way. I'm just not going to spend 4 hours a day in transit.

creaker
3-28-11, 8:09am
If you're going to own/maintain a car anyway, 60 miles/week commuting isn't that much. Getting a job so close to home is a big step in itself.

Gardenarian
3-31-11, 7:17pm
Don't beat yourself up about it. I went to college in Boston and it took me over an hour to get from my apartment to school on the T, and the school was only 4 miles away. (The only way there was through a really dangerous area, so walking/biking was not an option.) And the T was so unreliable!!

I currently live about 6 miles from work. To take public transport I would have to walk 1/2 mile, take 2 buses and a train and it would cost me over $10 and take 2 hours. I drive and it takes 15 minutes.

I would carpool, but I work irregular hours.