Recently, she said, she began swapping vehicles with her boyfriend to save a little by driving his Ford Taurus to work. Meanwhile, the Hummer is for sale on eBay, she added.
Others, particularly those worried about the environmental as well as economic costs of driving, are making changes, too.
Dru Schmidt-Perkins, executive director of the anti-sprawl group 1000 Friends of Maryland, said she and her staff got a red bicycle they use for short business trips around Baltimore, rather than drive. She pedaled across town in dress and heels recently to attend a meeting, she said.
Schmidt-Perkins said the change was not that alien to her, because she once lived in Europe where she rode a bike everywhere, as did many others.
Of course, she added, "I was 18 then, not 50."
"I think what's finally happened is people are beginning to look at their everyday schedule, [and asking themselves] `What ... car trip can I drop?'" said Richard Chambers, executive director of One Less Car, a group advocating alternatives to driving.
"People really are changing," he added. "It's not just griping and filling up the tank again."
Chambers said he's cut out driving for one major errand a week. He and his wife now walk about a mile from their home in Northeast Baltimore to shop at the local Safeway, he said.
"It's actually very soothing," he said, "and you actually end up spending time with your wife, talking, doing things you wouldn't in a car."
tim.wheeler@baltsun.com
tyeesha.dixon@baltsun.com
Riding mass transit
The use of most forms of mass transit is on the rise in Maryland. These figures show the number of trips taken during the month.
Type of mass transit July 2007 March 2008
Commuter bus 13,844 15,188
Bus 191,664 222,522
Metro 44,009 47,055
MARC 30,318 31,943
Light rail 29,680 26,178
[Source: Maryland Transit Administration]
