Tuesday: The Segway Experience

Tuesday, April 29 at 7:24 p.m.

How sweet was that?!?

For lunch, I took out the personal transporter for one heck of a journey. I went to the coffee shop for a cup of joe in the Fan, I picked up some lunch for myself and flowers for the lady in Carytown, I stopped by my apartment on Broad Street to drop off some dry cleaning I picked up, I mailed some letters at the post office near VCU and made it back to work in record time.

Most importantly, I did it all with out buying a single gallon of gas or directly producing any pollution. Not too shabby.

Though it only has a top speed of 12.5 miles per hour, the Segway seems a lot quicker, especially when you take out one-way streets, waiting for stop lights and stop-and-go traffic. Plus it's just small enough so you can simply ride it into most businesses and grocery stores with out the hassle of locking it up.

After work, it was another quick jaunt through the fan and back to my apartment.

I'm not going to say riding a Segway is totally without any cons, however. Though it wasn't raining today, I can imagine that would be awful even though the machine is suited for all conditions.

Plus, you always have to face the stigma of being a Segway rider. I'm not going to say I looked like a total dork but I did have my doubts when a car full of high school-aged girls drove by me on Monument and yelled, "Nice Segway, you dork!"

At least I wasn't polluting...

OK, I am a dork.

Here are the numbers:

Travel time to/from work: 20 minutes (1.1 miles each way)

Total travel distance: 8.9 miles total (including errands)

Cost: Less than $1 (including free electricity at work)

Pollution Factor: Al Gore got a cramp from smiling all day (virtually no local pollution)

Besides getting harassed by high schoolers, I had a really good time today. I especially liked the part where I drove by a gas station with out cringing when I looked at the sign.

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, co-editor

Tuesday: Segwayin' it to lunch

Tuesday, April 29 at 1:15 p.m.

They say these things have a battery range of 25 miles. I'm going to test that at lunch.

I'm also going to test how much you can do on one of these things without killing your self. Can you drink a cup of coffee while winging it down the street with out serious facial burns? How about texting or carrying a bag of groceries?

I'll find out for you and I'll let you know when (and if) I get back in one piece.

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, co-editor

Tuesday: Segway or dorky way?

Tuesday, April 29 at 4:41 a.m.

I know it is an ungodly hour to be writing this but I have a ton of work to do this week and needed to get into the office a good bit earlier than usual. Plus, the only time I can actually get any real work done at the office seems to be when there are no phones ringing, new e-mail notices pinging or over-caffeinated coworkers signing (horribly).

I also wanted some extra time to play with my new toy. Well, it's mine until I turn it in.

To close out our story on alternative transportation, we rented a Segway for a day to take care of all our daily travel needs. Earlier this week, I picked up a unit from Buck Ward at Segway of Richmond, the area's only Segway dealership.

After a quick tutorial and a few moments of my life flashing before my eyes, I had the hang of it and, with Ward's blessing, I decided to drive it back to my apartment.

To start off with, a Segway is really, really easy to use, even if you are a shaky uncoordinated moose like me. To move forward, you lean forward. To slow down, stop or move backwards, you lean back. To turn, you lean toward the direction you want to turn. Getting your timing correct is another thing but it only takes a few minutes to get it. Plus, the machine self balances and basically thinks for you.

It's tough to understand until you actually get on one but I highly suggest it if you get the chance.

Anyway, back to my journey from the dealership. It was awesome. After I mastered the whole stopping thing, I was a regular Steve McSegway on the mean streets of downtown Richmond. I was amazed at how well the transporter traveled up hills and over cobblestones. I made it back to the apartment in record time and had a lot of fun doing it.

This morning, after unplugging the unit from the wall, I turned it on and pushed it towards the door. Though I live on the second floor and the Segway weighs more than 100 pounds, the motors really assist you get it up and down stairs with much less effort than you would think.

After I got to the sidewalk, I jumped on, leaned forward and I was off in a whir. Before I knew it, I was at my office and at my desk, Segway resting in the corner and plugged into the free electricity at the office.

The trip wasn't bad and was really fun. I have to get to the grind but I'll talk more about it this afternoon. Here are the numbers:

Travel time to work: 10 minutes (1.1 miles total)

Cost: Far less than $1 (electricity is cheap and it doesn't take much to keep a Segway charged)

Pollution Factor: Al Gore is jealous (no direct emissions, yea!!!)

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, co-editor

Pardon my exhaust...

Monday, April 28 at 8:31 p.m.

Alrighty. So as it will happen with real life, things got crazy towards the end of last week and saving the earth through alternative transportation became the farthest thing from my mind.

Surprise interviews popped up, friends unexpectedly showed up from out of town, meetings were called on the other side of town -- plus, there is something about showing up to an interview an hour late, drenched in sweat and parking your Huffy in the waiting room that simply screams "not professional."

That being said, this week isn't looking much better and I have already filled up my gas tank. Though I don't think I'll be able to bike to work at all this week, I will still test out a Segway tomorrow.

Yes, I'll take the bullet for all of you who have thought both "Man, those things look cool" and "I would never be caught dead on one" at the same time.

I'll be that guy.

Until then, with my Star Wars lunchbox firmly in hand...

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, co-editor

Wednesday: GRTCommuting, part two

Monday, April 28 at 2:22 p.m.

Though Wednesday's morning commute by bus went about as perfect as it could go, the rest of the day's mass transit travel was pretty normal.

To get home from work, I actually took a look at a bus schedule before I walked to the stop, though I was basically reversing the route I took during the morning. I arrived about ten minutes early so I hit up a nearby convenience store for a six-pack, my weekly lotto ticket and a newspaper. After finding a seat at the bus stop bench, I got through the front page and the entire sports section (about 15 minutes) before the No. 10 arrived.

When I got to Broad Street, I took my transfer and my five-pack (I was parched from waiting, OK?) and walked to the next stop. I only had to wait about three minutes before my bus arrived and I was home in no time.

On the way home, I walked by the cleaners from the bus stop and picked up my suit as well as some dinner from the diner next door.

Later that night, I had another bus travel experiment planned. Earlier in the day, I had bought tickets for the Old Crow Medicine Show performance at The National, which started at 8 p.m. When my special lady friend (Big Lebowski, anyone ... anyone?) arrived at my apartment, we headed to the bus stop, once again without consulting the GRTC's Web site for route information.

Within a few minutes a bus pulled up. As we boarded, we asked if it would take us by The National. The driver said it would and we were off.

Getting home via bus, however, might have been a problem. Many of the GRTC routes shut down around midnight and there was no telling when the show would let out.

Luckily, just as we walked out of The National around 11 p.m., there was a bus heading in the opposite direction. At least it was a sign that we might get home.

After we reached the bus stop, we were joined by a dozen or so over-served VCU students with the same idea. Though we waited for well over 20 minutes, our chariot finally arrived and it was fortunately headed toward our part of Broad. Shortly enough, we arrived at our stop and stumbled home.

All in all, our day of bus-only travel went pretty smoothly. Here are the numbers:

Travel time to work: 16 minutes

Total travel distance: 7.4 miles total, with about 0.8 miles of walking

Cost: $5.30 (Four one-way fares @ $1.25 with two 15-cent transfers)

Pollution Factor: Al Gore is smiling and crying at the same time (heavy pollution but it's shared between thousands of passengers a day)

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, co-editor

Wednesday: GRTCommuting

Wednesday, April 23 at 12:49 p.m.

I used to ride the bus all the time when I was a lowly student at VCU, back when they gave out free bus fare cards. I loved the fact that I rarely paid for gas unless I was going on a date or hitting the town. I also loved the extra 20 minutes of sleep I got on the way to my 8 a.m. classes.

Also, my truck at the time didn't have air conditioning or front shocks to speak of so I enjoyed arriving on campus not covered in sweat with a ruptured kidney from bottoming out in one of the Fan's numerous cavernous potholes.

Today I am joining the 10 million other GRTC riders (at least that is how many customers GRTC said it had over the past two years) and I'm taking the bus all day long, starting with my commute to work.

Though you can preplan your trip on the GRTC's Web site, I decided to wing it just to see how difficult or easy taking the bus to work could be. Today I headed out the door and around the corner to a covered bus stop near Broad and Davis. Just as I reached the corner, the No. 6 bus pulled up.

Being that I was heading to Harrison Street where I would get on another bus to take me to Main Street, I hopped on, paid my fare and a transfer and took a seat with the ten or so others on the bus. It was $1.25 for the first ride and 15 cents for the transfer.

If you have never ridden the bus (or a city bus at all for some of you), it's really not that bad. It's clean, the seats are fairly comfortable, the air conditioning and the heat work very well and the ride is reasonably smooth and quiet. Depending on the length of your ride, it is the perfect opportunity to catch up on some reading, work on your laptop or simply take it easy until you get to your destination.

It only took a few minutes to get to Harrison, where I walked a short distance to an uncovered bus stop. I only waited about two minutes until the No. 10 Riverside bus rolled up. I got on, fed the fare meter the transfer card and off we went. Three minutes later, we were at Main Street, where I dismounted for the five block walk to the office.

I will admit that today's trip was unusually easy and quick. Though the buses are usually on schedule, I have taken the bus to work a few times and waited as much as 30 minutes for my route to show up. If you live close to Broad Street (east of Willow Lawn) though, you can usually jump on almost any bus to get from one end to the other.

Here are the numbers from this morning's commute:

Travel time to work: 16 minutes (1.6 miles total, with about 0.3 miles of walking)

Cost: $1.40 (one way, $1.25 with a 15-cent transfer)

Pollution Factor: Al Gore is smiling but pouting on the inside (heavy pollution but it's shared between thousands of passengers a day)

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, associate editor

Tuesday: Hoofin' It Home

Wednesday, April 23 at 10:31 a.m.

While the morning walk through a falling pond was kind of awful, the walk home from work was absolutely glorious.

The sun was shining (well, sort of but it was good enough for me), the birds were drying out and singing and I wasn't at work any more -- all good things in my book.

I also got some chores done on the way home. I stopped and got some good coffee from Rostov's, a pack of my favorite crappy cigars and some PBR tall boys. I may have also picked up a homeless coozie (small brown paper bag) so I could enjoy one of my purchases on the way home.

Hey, at least I wasn't driving.

All in all, walking to and from work took considerably longer than driving but it was fun, very relaxing and quite healthy.

Well, healthy if you don't count the two cigars and three beers.

Here are the numbers from Walking Day:

Travel time to/from work: 55 minutes (1.1 miles each way, with stops for errands)

Total travel distance: 2.2 miles

Cost: $0.00

Pollution Factor: Al Gore is as giddy as a school girl (besides the cigars I smoked, no pollution at all)

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, associate editor

Tuesday: Hoofin' It (in the rain)

Tuesday, April 22 at 11:24 a.m.

I figured this would happen. When I woke up this morning to the sound of sideways rain drumming the bedroom window, I didn't really think much about it.

Five seconds later I shot up in bed spewing a violent stream of obscenities that would convince a longshoreman to go to confession. I had remembered that it was Walk to Work Day in our alt-transportation study.

But it couldn't be all that bad, right? Some people walk to work every day -- sun, rain, sleet or snow. Seriously, how bad could it be?

Clad in hat and raincoat, I headed out the door to a light drizzle and a cool breeze. Unfortunately, two blocks into my commute, the bottom fell out.

Though I thought it would be miserable, my walk to work actually wasn't that bad. It gave me time to organize my thoughts for the work day, come up with a few new ideas for a book I'm working on and mentally make a grocery list to get to later tonight.

Maybe it was the fresh air, the clean smell of the rain or the exercise, but I arrived at the office today alert and energized and ready to actually work (which was a welcome surprise from the usual grumpy, half-asleep, hung-over stupor that my coworkers are subjected to most days.)

Anyway, here are the slightly soggy numbers for my morning commute by walking:

Travel time to work: 23 minutes (1.1 miles, slow but my bad knee was bothering me)

Cost: $0.00

Pollution Factor: Al Gore is dancing an Irish jig (zero pollution and good exercise)

I have some stuff to do tonight but the weather is looking better, so maybe it won't be so bad. We'll see.

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, associate editor  

Monday: One-man Carpool, part two

Monday, April 21 at 9:23 p.m.

Besides fighting the torrential downpour that has lasted for almost two days now, today's commute was pretty average. Just like every other day, I got in my car, I cranked up the radio and I got where I was going as quick and easy as usual.

Today, besides the 1.1 mile commute back to my apartment, I was able to do a bunch of chores in record time. After work, I made a trip to Charlie's Lock Shop on Broad to get a key made as well as Target on Libbie, Carytown and Kroger at Willow Lawn.

Now that I am out of the driver's seat and back on the couch, here are the day's numbers for Car Day:

Travel time to/from work: 14 minutes (1.1 miles each way)

Total travel distance: 26 miles

Cost: $4.78 (19 MPG at $3.49 per gallon)

Pollution Factor: Al Gore is still crying (single passenger, stop-and-go driving, speeding like an idiot, fast braking, not bad but not great)

But the car keys have officially been hung up for the rest of the week. Tomorrow, the real alternate transportation study begins as I try out the oldest workday commute method in the world -- walking.

It's only a mile so I think I'll survive. See you in the morning.

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, associate editor

Monday: One-man Carpool

Monday, April 21 at 9:35 a.m.

Much like most Americans, I normally drive my car to work (and everywhere else for that matter.) Then again, I'm lazy. I'll admit it. I like the icy air conditioning. I like the convenience. I like getting on the highway and driving 90 miles per hour for no reason at all.

Today, I drove the Accord to work. I also have some errands to run during my lunch break so I'll add that bit of traveling to the equation later in the day.

As far as this morning's commute is concerned, it was pretty much the norm. Quick, boring and, most importantly, dry. Being that it has been raining continuously for the past 24 hours, I am really glad that today was Take Your Car To Work Day. If it is raining like this for the rest of the week, I may have a slightly more negative opinion of alternative transportation than I originally expected.

Here are the numbers for this morning's commute via automobile:

Travel time to work: 7 minutes (1.1 miles)

Cost: $0.20 (19 MPG at $3.49 per gallon)

Pollution Factor: Al Gore is crying (single passenger, stop-and-go driving, not bad but not great)

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, associate editor  

Bikes, Segways and Automobiles (John Candy not included)

Monday, April 21 at 8:33 a.m.

All right. Here is the setup for our extremely unscientific study of alternative modes of transportation for your daily commute to work and everything else you might do in a day.

I live on West Grace Street near the Science Museum of Virginia and my apartment is exactly 1.1 miles from the grand offices of Richmond.com at 1427 W. Main St.

OK. I know my commuting distance is much less than most Richmonders (and I consider myself very lucky, but that is another reason why I moved to the Fan). However, I will also use each day's mode of transportation for a variety of other daily tasks, like going to the grocery store, getting a bite to eat, picking up my dry cleaning, etc.

I'll also scale my travel distances according to my mode of transportation each day. In other words, on bike day, you can safely bet that I am not going to pedal my out-of-shape derrière from the Fan to Short Pump, but I'll probably go as far as Willow Lawn. On walking day, I'll probably travel no farther than Carytown.

I understand that walking or biking to work may not be viable forms of commuting for those who live in the West End or the Southside, but maybe that is a completely different issue we all need to think about.

For the purposes of this study, I am currently driving a 2000 Honda Accord with a six-cylinder engine, though I normally drive a 2000 Ford Explorer when gas prices aren't equal to the Federal minimum wage. Either way, while I enjoy the new high gas mileage with the Accord, I am still getting hit in the wallet when I fill up each week.

My car gets about 19 miles per gallon in the city and I use regular gasoline. I'll use my miles per gallon average as a standard to compare the costs and environmental impact of all other transportation forms I'll be using this week.

So there it is. Let Richmond.com Alternate Transportation Week begin!

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, associate editor

Welcome to Alt-Transportation Week

Friday, April 18 at 12:03 p.m.

Do you remember the days when $20 would actually fill your gas tank?

Me either. Then again I can't remember the last time I heard the gas nozzle click off because my tank was actually full.

It's no surprise that fuel costs are out of control, but now that gas prices are inching closer to the $4 per gallon mark, we have decided there has to be a better way to get to work.

Over the next week, I will study the feasibility of five alternative ways to get to work. I will start off the study on Monday by doing what most of us do and driving my car. We continue on Tuesday by dusting off the sneakers and taking a walk to and from the office. On Wednesday, I'll be biking all day and on Thursday it's nothing but public transportation.

On Friday, however, I'll try out something completely different. Now that Richmond has a Segway dealership, Richmond.com is renting one of the electric, two-wheeled transporters for the day to zip around the city.

Besides going to and from work, I'll also strictly use that day's chosen form of transportation to do all of my chores, from getting a bite to eat in the Fan to going to the mall in Short Pump.

We invite you to join us during the journey each day as we chronicle the pros and cons of each transportation form. We also want to find out a little about your daily commute. Are you a daily driver? Do you carpool? Do you bike your commute? Let us know by leaving a comment at the end of this story.

We'll see you Monday!

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, associate editor