I just got off the NJ Transit bus #126 coming home from Drinking Liberally. Coming back after a late night at Rudy’s was never so painless. I knew a bus left at 12:55 (after midnight they’re every 30 minutes), so I walked out at 12:45, made it to the bus a few minutes before departure, and was already home by 1:15. Compare this to walking all the way to 7th Avenue for the 2/3, waiting 15 minutes, and having it run local - a trip that could stretch well over an hour. Plus, the bus drops me off only two short blocks from my apartment!

Earlier today I had my first experience with Zipcar, another painless and even fun way to get around. I had three Leksvik bookcases from IKEA, one of the few non-hideous pieces they sell. But I need another one, and IKEAe can only be reached by car. Last week I had signed up for a Zipcar account, so last night I reserved Jetta Josh by Hoboken City Hall. At 11 am this morning I waved my Zipcar card over thw windshield and the car magically opened. For $8.50 an hour including gas and mileage, I was able to drive to Elizabeth, purchase a new Leksvik, go grocery shopping, unload, and still have lots of time for a little exploration.

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Tagged: car sharing, drinking liberally, nj transit, roads, transit, urban design

David Alpert created Greater Greater Washington in 2008 and was its executive director until 2020. He formerly worked in tech and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco Bay, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He lives with his wife and two children in Dupont Circle.