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Alternative Transportation: Think Outside the Box

Rising fuel costs are now a way of life. But without moving your home, switching your job, or walking wherever you need to go, is there another, less intrusive option you can implement? Of course—you can change your mode of transportation.

Instead of getting 15, 20, or even 30 miles to the gallon, you could perhaps double it, triple it, or even get rid of paying for fuel altogether. This may sound like a radical idea, but it's actually quite feasible. Check out the options below and you'll see that it's easier than you may think.

Bicycles

Bikes are a great way to travel—no emissions to harm the environment, and the only energy used is your own. If you don't need to travel the interstate (and don't need the storage space a trunk provides), hop on your bike and go for a ride. Many North Carolina cities and towns provide bike lanes. To keep safe, follow the rules of the road, be wary of other traffic, and wear bright colors and a helmet. For more bicycle safety information, visit http://www.ncdot.gov/bikeped/safetyeducation/default.html.

Buses

Buses are readily available in many areas of North Carolina, particularly in the larger cities. Cost to travel is low (and sometimes even free, depending on your location or time of year). In Chapel Hill and Carrboro, for instance, all buses are free to the public. Often, areas around colleges and universities waive fares as well. And other cities, such as Asheville and Salisbury, sometimes advertise fare-free days or months. To find out more, visit the transit website of the particular city that interests you.

Scooters

A longtime European tradition, scooters are becoming more and more popular in the United States. Great on gas mileage (averaging anywhere from 35 to 140 mpg), these little vehicles are no longer just for scooting around town. Several models can even accelerate up to 100 mph or more.

Trains

This mode of transportation has recently made a comeback. Passenger trains regularly zip through our state carrying people from one metro area to another, and light rail eases the commute around cities such as Charlotte. Currently, trains are a great way to travel to another urban area, but are not yet to the point (with the exception of Charlotte) where we can travel around town. That time, however, may be right around the corner.

For additional information about methods of alternative transportation, go online. You'll find rules, regulations, fares and other key information that pertain to your area, and perhaps even discover a way of getting from A to B you'd never before considered. And with gas prices what they are, even Henry Ford would probably have been looking elsewhere.