From Guest Blogger Diana Smith: Top Four Picks for the Ultimate Eco-Friendly Commute

While driving your car to work is more or less the norm for a lot of people out there, this method has some major flaws that people are deliberately ignoring. First of all, it is probably the most expensive way to commute out there since the price of the fuel you have to pay for a day-to-day commute to work surpasses the price of any public transportation ticket out there. Second, it is somewhat troublesome in densely populated urban areas, seeing as how constant traffic jams might make you late for work on more than one occasion. Finally, it is quite bad for your overall carbon footprint, which is, on its own, reason enough for you to forsake it as a commute idea. With this in mind, here are four suitable alternatives.

Public transportation

When it comes to saving the environment, public transportation is extremely efficient, due to the fact that the routes are already pre-determined and, unlike your car ride, your personal transportation does proportionally much less to pollute the environment. Apart from this, this form of commute is less expensive and far more interesting than traveling by your personal vehicle. The problem that a lot of people have with this idea is the fact that it’s less comfortable and their clothes might absorb some odors along the way. The solution to this problem is, however, quite simple. All you have to do is take a bag with a change of clothes.

Carpooling

The second eco-friendly commute idea that comes to mind is carpooling. This interesting trend represents a compromise between driving to work and using public transportation. Its benefits are that it is more comfortable, more convenient and, sometimes, even less expensive than public transportation, while being cheaper than driving on your own. From a social standpoint, carpooling is a great way to make friends. Furthermore, in a situation where your workplace is too far away, carpooling can at least ensure that you have some company along the way.

Walking to work

If your place of work is nearby, you might want to consider walking there. Apart from being a money- and planet-saver, this form of commute is also incredibly healthy. It improves your posture, balance, and it affects your cardiovascular system in a positive way. As a side-effect, your cognitive capabilities might also improve, which means that you might experience a significant boon to your workplace performance.

The downside of this idea is that some distances are simply too long for one to walk on a daily basis. However, there’s nothing preventing you from driving a part of the way and then parking some 20 minutes away from work. You could also hop off the public transportation a couple of stations early in order to get the same opportunity.

Cycling

Finally, in order to get to work in a clean, inexpensive and healthy manner when the distances are too far to be taken on foot, you might want to consider cycling. This method of transportation is particularly convenient for urban commutes where traffic jams are a frequent occurrence, but a cyclist can just squeeze through. The biggest problem that some people have with this idea is the fact that they fear to get too exhausted by the commute to give it their best in their workplace. However, by getting a high-end electric bicycle like the Bosch e-bike, you can drastically cut down the energy needed for such a commute.

While no one can deny that driving is by far the most convenient way to commute, it is definitely not the cleanest one out there. Unlike public transportation or carpooling, you have the privilege of leaving whenever you want or making a stop wherever you want. Unlike public transportation and cycling, you don’t have to worry about getting sweaty or your clothes absorbing all kinds of odors during the commute. Furthermore, you’re not getting tired on your way to or from work. However, each of the above-listed problems has a solution, if only you are willing to invest some effort in figuring it out.