Thoughts on Commuting

I've been working at my job for close to 5 months.  I really love it, and still can't believe I'm paid to do what I do.  Not many people can say that, so I am really lucky.  But my luck comes with a down side - a very long commute.  And, unfortunately, one that must be made by car.

I work in the south east end of the city, in the rural farming communities just on the outskirts of "civilization".  There isn't any light rail or public transit system out here. 
I don't forsee myself taking on a new job in the near future, so I've been trying to think of ways to make the trek as environmentally-friendly as possible.  I drive highways and country roads, so my cruise control is my new best friend.  I drive close to the speed limit, to try to limit my gas consumption.  I only use the air conditioner on the really hot days.

The biggest problem is the vehicle I drive.  Due to the area of the city we live in, we own two vehicles, as there is no easy access to public transit near our house to get us where we need to be.  One is a fuel-efficient car, the other is a not-so-fuel-efficient mini-van.  DH drives the car for his 35 km commute (one way), while I drive the van for my 60 km commute (one way).  We've talked about switching vehicles, but here is our conundrum:  the van will need to be replaced in the next two to three years (it is currently about 9 years old, and starting to show signs of slowing down).    I have the longer commute - do I drive the more newer, more fuel-efficient car, or put all the driving miles on the van and run it into the ground, with the hopes that in 3 yrs when we replace the van we will 1) be able to get a more fuel-efficient vehicle and 2) one of us will have a job closer to home and therefore will not be putting as much mileage on the car, thereby making it last longer? 

For now, I am sticking with the van, but I am interested in my readers' thoughts on the matter, so feel free to chime in.

Carpool whenever possible (Day 60)

My children lead very busy and happy lives.  DD1 is involved in martial arts and Brownies.  DS attends Beavers.  DD2 is starting nursery school.  These activities, combined with regular school programming, results in very busy lives after hours.  I attend several planning meetings a month, plus the regular weekly meetings for the Scouting/Guiding program.  The martial arts program runs three times per week.  DD1 has also decided she would like to start track and field, which is a before-school program.

I have come to the conclusion that I am going to be spending an awful lot of time on the road.   So I am going to seek out like-minded parents in my neighbourhood to see if they would like to share the driving commitments.   Two girls in our subdivision attend DD1s Brownie troop, so I am going to ask the mums if they would like to share the driving.  One of Brownies has a little brother that will be in the same Beaver unit as DS.  So I will ask that mum to share driving to that activity.  I haven't found anyone yet attending the martial arts program, but I am going to keep looking.  As for the nursery school meetings, I am hopeful that I can share a ride with one of the staff who lives in the subdivision across the street from ours.  DH is going to drop DD1 at the school for track and field, on his way to work.

I am hopeful that this new plan will free up more of my time and let me put my feet up once in a while.

Drive the speed limit (Day 55)

Keeping with the theme of "greening" my driving, I am also going to start keeping the speed limit.  I'm not a speed demon, but I do tend to drive about 10 km/h over the limit.

According to the Eco Driver, "For every 10 km/h you go over 100, fuel efficiency drops by 10%. Driving 120 on the highway instead of 100 is like paying 20% extra for gas."  (www.ecodriver.org)  Yikes!  With the cost of gas over $1/L, I don't need to pay an extra $0.20 or more per litre for a tank of gas.

Now to convince DH to do the same thing....

Use cruise control whenever possible (Day 54)

Our Honda Civic is a great little car.  Fuel efficient, handles well, and has lots of trunk space.

Our minivan, however, is not exactly fuel-efficient.  It has a V6 engine, and seats 7 comfortably.  It handles like a tank.  It is also the vehicle I drive the most, since DH has to commute to work by car.

According to the Eco Driver website (http://www.ecodriver.org/),  "about 13% of Canada's carbon dioxide emissions are due to cars and light trucks on our roads. The average car emits one tonne of carbon dioxide every 5,000 kilometres and for those of us who drive, about half our personal greenhouse gas emissions come from driving......Reducing fuel consumption by just ten tanks a year can save you hundreds of dollars, and reduce your personal CO2 emissions by almost a tonne."

By maintaining a steady speed using cruise control, I can be 10-15% more fuel efficient.  So I plan to use the cruise feature on the van whenever possible.

Note to my readers:  NEVER use cruise control when driving in the rain or on wet roads.  The vehicle can hydroplane, potentially causing a serious accident.