I'm happy to report that my trip to San Francisco to attend the APTA Rail Conference was successful, not so much from a marketing standpoint (I was there to promote TransitTalent.com), but from a transportation standpoint.
In my previous blog posting, I discussed my rationale for driving to the Bay Area rather than flying or taking an intercity bus. It's normally cheaper to drive than fly, but sky-high gasoline prices are cutting into the margin. I chose to drive to San Jose, where I stayed at my parents' house and used public transportation to get to and from San Francisco.
I took Caltrain (commuter rail) in both directions and supplemented it with a short ride on the Muni train. It was a simple, stress-less way to travel. When it works efficiently, public transportation is a fantastic, feel-good alternative to a car, as many thousands of people around the country are discovering each day.
The 350-mile drive to and from San Jose wasn't bad either. I went to the library before my trip and checked out a couple of books on CD (Ian McEwan's "On Chesil Beach" and "The Cell" by Stephen King). That made the 5-hour drive more bearable and helped to keep my speed down (I wasn't in as much of a hurry to get to my destination!). The books also helped to keep me awake, which is always a good thing when you're driving 70 mph down a long, straight, boring stretch of highway.
Until next time.
Steve
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