Critical Transit

Regular listeners may know that I’ve been hesitant to commit to more frequent episodes (or blog posts) as I’ve struggled to keep it up when working or traveling. One of the main reasons I’m not a location-independent “digital nomad” is that I prefer not to spend large chunks of time at my computer. However, due to popular demand, I am starting a podcast series to answer common listener questions such as … “Where do you stay on tour?” I know I’m not the only nomad with a blog but hopefully my experience and perspective can add some value for some of you. There are different types of travel lifestyles, and every traveler needs to figure out what works best for them. The first thing to understand about a nomadic/travel lifestyle is that it’s not what most westerners imagine when they think about travel — hotels, restaurants, museums, guided tours and souvenirs … When I talk about a sustainable travel lifestyle, those things are not inherently bad, but they give you minimal cultural exchange and would make it impossible for you to travel with any frequency or for more than a week (or to go without an income source for a while). Most travelers spend at least half their budget on sleeping, and most of the rest goes to food. I still stay in hotels in certain situations, but most nights I sleep elsewhere (often for free or very low cost, even in America). Depending where you go, travel can cost you anywhere from US $5 to US $500 or more. This podcast summarizes the different types of places to rest, recharge and sleep while you’re on the road. It’s an overview and more detail will come in the future, but feel free to ask questions or share your own experience. What is a sustainable “travel” (nomadic) lifestyle? Types of nomads and travelers Options for free or paid accommodation Expectations: why free is not always better The importance of good budgeting, knowing your options, and having a backup plan, emergency fund and safety netFor more info on the free options, check out How to Get Free Accommodation Around the World from an actual digital nomad.

#10, Eureka, Calif. In September 2018, I rode south along the Pacific Coast from Lincoln City, OR to Crescent City, CA plus a few bonus days in the Redwoods. I put together some audio and photos from along the way. Let me know what you think or ask questions in the comments. from wikimedia commons from wikimedia commons from wikimedia commons

#9, Arcata, Calif. In September 2018, I rode south along the Pacific Coast from Lincoln City, OR to Crescent City, CA plus a few bonus days in the Redwoods. I put together some audio and photos from along the way. Let me know what you think or ask questions in the comments.

#8, Redwoods National Park, Northern California. In September 2018, I rode south along the Pacific Coast from Lincoln City, OR to Crescent City, CA plus a few bonus days in the Redwoods. I put together some audio and photos from along the way. Let me know what you think or ask questions in the comments.

#7, Brookings, Oregon to Crescent City, California. In September 2018, I rode south along the Pacific Coast from Lincoln City, OR to Crescent City, CA plus a few bonus days in the Redwoods. I put together some audio and photos from along the way. Let me know what you think or ask questions in the comments.

#6, Humbug Mountain State Park. In September 2018, I rode south along the Pacific Coast from Lincoln City, OR to Crescent City, CA plus a few bonus days in the Redwoods. I put together some audio and photos from along the way. Let me know what you think or ask questions in the comments.

#5, Seven Devils Road to Port Orford. In September 2018, I rode south along the Pacific Coast from Lincoln City, OR to Crescent City, CA plus a few bonus days in the Redwoods. I put together some audio and photos from along the way. Let me know what you think or ask questions in the comments.

#4, Reedsport to North Bend. In September 2018, I rode south along the Pacific Coast from Lincoln City, OR to Crescent City, CA plus a few bonus days in the Redwoods. I put together some audio and photos from along the way. Let me know what you think or ask questions in the comments.

#3, Yachats to near Florence. In September 2018, I rode south along the Pacific Coast from Lincoln City, OR to Crescent City, CA plus a few bonus days in the Redwoods. I put together some audio and photos from along the way. Let me know what you think or ask questions in the comments.

#2, Newport to Waldport. In September 2018, I rode south along the Pacific Coast from Lincoln City, OR to Crescent City, CA plus a few bonus days in the Redwoods. Here is some audio and photos from along the way. Let me know what you think or ask questions in the comments.

#1, Lincoln City to Newport. In September 2018, I rode south along the Pacific Coast from Lincoln City, OR to Crescent City, CA plus a few bonus days in the Redwoods. I put together some audio and photos from along the way. Let me know what you think or ask questions in the comments.

This final Utah bike tour journal was recorded after the tour ended. I went over the experience and consider some lessons learned. Let me know what you think. This spring I rode my bicycle across southern Utah to view the spectacular remote desert landscape and explore seven national parks: Colorado NM, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP. My friend Ross and I left April 30 from Breckenridge, Colorado, and took 3 weeks to ride nearly 1,000 miles / 600 km to Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah — taking in the sights and spending some quality time on the road and in camp, plus a few “rest days” in Moab, Utah. Arches NP ... before I mailed away my hiking backpack; it's in that blue bag. White River National Forest Near the 8,000-foot (2.4 km) summit on Forest Road 330E between Silt & Collbran, CO. Arches NP Not just any old hike. Canyonlands NP Looking out at the Shafer Trail road. Comb Wash BLM campsite near Blanding, Utah Bear's Ears National Monument Fuck you Trump, we beat you! Colorado River, meet bicycles! Bike breakdown #2 Something's wrong with this picture ... Ross ascending the Burr Trail ... the first (and comparatively easy) set of switchbacks. Back on pavement! Burr Trail in the Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument Bryce Canyon National Park The spires are called hoodoos, and they're everywhere. Back at 9,000 feet (3km) elevation. Zion National Park Zion Canyon The ride was mostly fantastic — amazing scenic landscapes and no traffic — but came with some challenges: very long and strenuous climbs over mountain passes, temperatures ranging from below freezing to 95F/35C, isolation from people and civilization, long distances between bike shops, the steep dirt/gravel Burr Trail, and long stretches without access to food (and no real supermarkets) or water (I carried over 2 gallons and still had to ask car tourists for water a few times). Don't forget to listen to all of the journal episodes posted right here, see the route below, and share your thoughts.ROUTE: Colorado, Part 1 | Colorado, Part 2 | Utah

Part 13: Ross and I recap our tour. We decide it was a success: we had a great time, learned a lot and experienced beautiful landscapes -- through the climbs, the heat and the cold, the isolation, the food deserts (and literal desert) and more. Listen for the highs and lows, what we learned, and where we're headed next. This spring I rode my bicycle across southern Utah to view the spectacular remote desert landscape and explore seven national parks: Colorado NM, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP. My friend Ross and I left April 30 from Breckenridge, Colorado, and took 3 weeks to ride nearly 1,000 miles / 600 km to Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah — taking in the sights and spending some quality time on the road and in camp, plus a few “rest days” in Moab, Utah.The ride was mostly fantastic — amazing scenic landscapes and no traffic — but came with some challenges: very long and strenuous climbs over mountain passes, temperatures ranging from below freezing to 95F/35C, isolation from people and civilization, long distances between bike shops, the steep dirt/gravel Burr Trail, and long stretches without access to food (and no real supermarkets) or water (I carried over 2 gallons and still had to ask car tourists for water a few times).I talk about the landscapes, people, challenges and more in the summary episode but be sure to check out the mini journals recorded from my tent or along the road. I will post a new episode every 1-2 days so you can follow along in front of your campfire.ROUTE: Colorado, Part 1 | Colorado, Part 2 | Utah

Part 12: I spent the day riding around Zion and later hiking via shuttle bus, then reconnected with Ross after we had split up at Bryce. (Ross finally joins me on air in the next episode.) In the adjacent town of Springdale, I picked up my summer sleep sack (it's 95 degrees here), ate a vegan breakfast burrito, took a yoga class and visited the library where we met (and shared our campsite with) Gianni on his Brompton.Edit: I snuck in a bit of audio at the end about the end of the trip. Ross and I parted ways at Zion and I headed west to St. George for the bus to Los Angeles. Sleeping on a mattress was amazing, especially after a grueling day with the temperature over 100F/38C, bad roads, strong headwinds and of course a flat tire just past Hurricane. This spring I rode my bicycle across southern Utah to view the spectacular remote desert landscape and explore seven national parks: Colorado NM, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP. My friend Ross and I left April 30 from Breckenridge, Colorado, and took 3 weeks to ride nearly 1,000 miles / 600 km to Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah — taking in the sights and spending some quality time on the road and in camp, plus a few “rest days” in Moab, Utah.The ride was mostly fantastic — amazing scenic landscapes and no traffic — but came with some challenges: very long and strenuous climbs over mountain passes, temperatures ranging from below freezing to 95F/35C, isolation from people and civilization, long distances between bike shops, the steep dirt/gravel Burr Trail, and long stretches without access to food (and no real supermarkets) or water (I carried over 2 gallons and still had to ask car tourists for water a few times).I talk about the landscapes, people, challenges and more in the summary episode but be sure to check out the mini journals recorded from my tent or along the road. I will post a new episode every 1-2 days so you can follow along in front of your campfire.ROUTE: Colorado, Part 1 | Colorado, Part 2 | Utah

Part 11: I made it to Zion! So excited to explore the canyon and walk around an actual town. I lucked out with a campsite cancellation (really wish they had hiker/biker sites!) and plunked down out my stuff to ride around unloaded. This spring I rode my bicycle across southern Utah to view the spectacular remote desert landscape and explore seven national parks: Colorado NM, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP. My friend Ross and I left April 30 from Breckenridge, Colorado, and took 3 weeks to ride nearly 1,000 miles / 600 km to Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah — taking in the sights and spending some quality time on the road and in camp, plus a few “rest days” in Moab, Utah.The ride was mostly fantastic — amazing scenic landscapes and no traffic — but came with some challenges: very long and strenuous climbs over mountain passes, temperatures ranging from below freezing to 95F/35C, isolation from people and civilization, long distances between bike shops, the steep dirt/gravel Burr Trail, and long stretches without access to food (and no real supermarkets) or water (I carried over 2 gallons and still had to ask car tourists for water a few times).I talk about the landscapes, people, challenges and more in the summary episode but be sure to check out the mini journals recorded from my tent or along the road. I will post a new episode every 1-2 days so you can follow along in front of your campfire.ROUTE: Colorado, Part 1 | Colorado, Part 2 | Utah

Part 10: Audio from a short lunch stop in Orderville, Utah, as I was eager to reach Zion the same day. I said goodbye to a Swiss couple I had been leapfrogging (see their bikes at the grocery store), before pushing on into Zion (next episode). This spring I rode my bicycle across southern Utah to view the spectacular remote desert landscape and explore seven national parks: Colorado NM, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP. My friend Ross and I left April 30 from Breckenridge, Colorado, and took 3 weeks to ride nearly 1,000 miles / 600 km to Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah — taking in the sights and spending some quality time on the road and in camp, plus a few “rest days” in Moab, Utah.The ride was mostly fantastic — amazing scenic landscapes and no traffic — but came with some challenges: very long and strenuous climbs over mountain passes, temperatures ranging from below freezing to 95F/35C, isolation from people and civilization, long distances between bike shops, the steep dirt/gravel Burr Trail, and long stretches without access to food (and no real supermarkets) or water (I carried over 2 gallons and still had to ask car tourists for water a few times).I talk about the landscapes, people, challenges and more in the summary episode but be sure to check out the mini journals recorded from my tent or along the road. I will post a new episode every 1-2 days so you can follow along in front of your campfire.ROUTE: Colorado, Part 1 | Colorado, Part 2 | Utah

Part 9: I rode a 12-mile paved trail west from Bryce Canyon en route to Zion, in the heat but with all my gears now working (finally!). No food stops today and no nice photos. Not the easiest ride, and by this point I was ready to be done. This spring I rode my bicycle across southern Utah to view the spectacular remote desert landscape and explore seven national parks: Colorado NM, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP. My friend Ross and I left April 30 from Breckenridge, Colorado, and took 3 weeks to ride nearly 1,000 miles / 600 km to Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah — taking in the sights and spending some quality time on the road and in camp, plus a few “rest days” in Moab, Utah.The ride was mostly fantastic — amazing scenic landscapes and no traffic — but came with some challenges: very long and strenuous climbs over mountain passes, temperatures ranging from below freezing to 95F/35C, isolation from people and civilization, long distances between bike shops, the steep dirt/gravel Burr Trail, and long stretches without access to food (and no real supermarkets) or water (I carried over 2 gallons and still had to ask car tourists for water a few times).I talk about the landscapes, people, challenges and more in the summary episode but be sure to check out the mini journals recorded from my tent or along the road. I will post a new episode every 1-2 days so you can follow along in front of your campfire.ROUTE: Colorado, Part 1 | Colorado, Part 2 | Utah

Part 8: Hiking some trails on my third and final day in Bryce Canyon National Park.** EDIT: I uploaded the wrong audio file by mistake; this is now the correct one. ** This spring I rode my bicycle across southern Utah to view the spectacular remote desert landscape and explore seven national parks: Colorado NM, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP. My friend Ross and I left April 30 from Breckenridge, Colorado, and took 3 weeks to ride nearly 1,000 miles / 600 km to Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah — taking in the sights and spending some quality time on the road and in camp, plus a few “rest days” in Moab, Utah.The ride was mostly fantastic — amazing scenic landscapes and no traffic — but came with some challenges: very long and strenuous climbs over mountain passes, temperatures ranging from below freezing to 95F/35C, isolation from people and civilization, long distances between bike shops, the steep dirt/gravel Burr Trail, and long stretches without access to food (and no real supermarkets) or water (I carried over 2 gallons and still had to ask car tourists for water a few times).I talk about the landscapes, people, challenges and more in the summary episode but be sure to check out the mini journals recorded from my tent or along the road. I will post a new episode every 1-2 days so you can follow along in front of your campfire.ROUTE: Colorado, Part 1 | Colorado, Part 2 | Utah

Part 7: Climbing back up to 9,000 feet (2,500m) elevation. A low temperature of 24F/-5C and a temporary illness forced me to find indoor accommodation for two nights. I took full advantage of the park's hiking trails while awaiting replacement bike parts, then camped a third night.This spring I rode my bicycle across southern Utah to view the spectacular remote desert landscape and explore seven national parks: Colorado NM, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP. My friend Ross and I left April 30 from Breckenridge, Colorado, and took 3 weeks to ride nearly 1,000 miles / 600 km to Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah — taking in the sights and spending some quality time on the road and in camp, plus a few “rest days” in Moab, Utah.The ride was mostly fantastic — amazing scenic landscapes and no traffic — but came with some challenges: very long and strenuous climbs over mountain passes, temperatures ranging from below freezing to 95F/35C, isolation from people and civilization, long distances between bike shops, the steep dirt/gravel Burr Trail, and long stretches without access to food (and no real supermarkets) or water (I carried over 2 gallons and still had to ask car tourists for water a few times). I talk about the landscapes, people, challenges and more in the summary episode but be sure to check out the mini journals recorded from my tent or along the road. I will post a new episode every 1-2 days so you can follow along in front of your campfire. ROUTE: Colorado, Part 1 | Colorado, Part 2 | Utah

Part 6: Emerging from the historic Burr Trail into Boulder and Escalante, but not before a broken gear cable changes things up. I wasn't able to ride between the Kiva Coffeehouse (pictured, not a bad spot to break down on a cold morning) and Canonville. The descent between Boulder and Escalante was too scary to take photos (think 25 mph sidewinds on a narrow road on a cliff with no shoulder, heavy traffic and construction) so I found a few online for you. This spring I rode my bicycle across southern Utah to view the spectacular remote desert landscape and explore seven national parks: Colorado NM, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP. My friend Ross and I left April 30 from Breckenridge, Colorado, and took 3 weeks to ride nearly 1,000 miles / 600 km to Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah — taking in the sights and spending some quality time on the road and in camp, plus a few “rest days” in Moab, Utah.The ride was mostly fantastic — amazing scenic landscapes and no traffic — but came with some challenges: very long and strenuous climbs over mountain passes, temperatures ranging from below freezing to 95F/35C, isolation from people and civilization, long distances between bike shops, the steep dirt/gravel Burr Trail, and long stretches without access to food (and no real supermarkets) or water (I carried over 2 gallons and still had to ask car tourists for water a few times).I talk about the landscapes, people, challenges and more in the summary episode but be sure to check out the mini journals recorded from my tent or along the road. I will post a new episode every 1-2 days so you can follow along in front of your campfire. ROUTE: Colorado, Part 1 | Colorado, Part 2 | Utah

Part 5: the historic Burr Trail in all its glory and struggle (info), through Capitol Reef National Park & Grand-Staircase-Escalane National Monument. This spring I rode my bicycle across southern Utah to view the spectacular remote desert landscape and explore seven national parks: Colorado NM, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP. My friend Ross and I left April 30 from Breckenridge, Colorado, and took 3 weeks to ride nearly 1,000 miles / 600 km to Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah — taking in the sights and spending some quality time on the road and in camp, plus a few “rest days” in Moab, Utah.The ride was mostly fantastic — amazing scenic landscapes and no traffic — but came with some challenges: very long and strenuous climbs over mountain passes, temperatures ranging from below freezing to 95F/35C, isolation from people and civilization, long distances between bike shops, the steep dirt/gravel Burr Trail, and long stretches without access to food (and no real supermarkets) or water (I carried over 2 gallons and still had to ask car tourists for water a few times).I talk about the landscapes, people, challenges and more in the summary episode but be sure to check out the mini journals recorded from my tent or along the road. I will post a new episode every 1-2 days so you can follow along in front of your campfire. ROUTE: Colorado, Part 1 | Colorado, Part 2 | Utah

Part 4: from Blanding to Bullfrog, camping before crossing the Colorado River on the Lake Powell Ferry. Complete with climbing and headwinds. This spring I rode my bicycle across southern Utah to view the spectacular remote desert landscape and explore seven national parks: Colorado NM, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP. My friend Ross and I left April 30 from Breckenridge, Colorado, and took 3 weeks to ride nearly 1,000 miles / 600 km to Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah — taking in the sights and spending some quality time on the road and in camp, plus a few “rest days” in Moab, Utah.The ride was mostly fantastic — amazing scenic landscapes and no traffic — but came with some challenges: very long and strenuous climbs over mountain passes, temperatures ranging from below freezing to 95F/35C, isolation from people and civilization, long distances between bike shops, the steep dirt/gravel Burr Trail, and long stretches without access to food (and no real supermarkets) or water (I carried over 2 gallons and still had to ask car tourists for water a few times).I talk about the landscapes, people, challenges and more in the summary episode but be sure to check out the mini journals recorded from my tent or along the road. I will post a new episode every 1-2 days so you can follow along in front of your campfire. ROUTE: Colorado, Part 1 | Colorado, Part 2 | Utah

Part 3 from Moab, the last large town on our route. This spring I rode my bicycle across southern Utah to view the spectacular remote desert landscape and explore seven national parks: Colorado NM, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP. My friend Ross and I left April 30 from Breckenridge, Colorado, and took 3 weeks to ride nearly 1,000 miles / 600 km to Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah — taking in the sights and spending some quality time on the road and in camp, plus a few “rest days” in Moab, Utah.The ride was mostly fantastic — amazing scenic landscapes and no traffic — but came with some challenges: very long and strenuous climbs over mountain passes, temperatures ranging from below freezing to 95F/35C, isolation from people and civilization, long distances between bike shops, the steep dirt/gravel Burr Trail, and long stretches without access to food (and no real supermarkets) or water (I carried over 2 gallons and still had to ask car tourists for water a few times).I talk about the landscapes, people, challenges and more in the summary episode but be sure to check out the mini journals recorded from my tent or along the road. I will post a new episode every 1-2 days so you can follow along in front of your campfire. ROUTE: Colorado, Part 1 | Colorado, Part 2 | Utah

Part 2: from Fruita, Colorado into Utah, camping in Moab, then a side tour into Arches & Canyonlands National Parks. This spring I rode my bicycle across southern Utah to view the spectacular remote desert landscape and explore seven national parks: Colorado NM, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP. My friend Ross and I left April 30 from Breckenridge, Colorado, and took 3 weeks to ride nearly 1,000 miles / 600 km to Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah — taking in the sights and spending some quality time on the road and in camp, plus a few “rest days” in Moab, Utah.The ride was mostly fantastic — amazing scenic landscapes and no traffic — but came with some challenges: very long and strenuous climbs over mountain passes, temperatures ranging from below freezing to 95F/35C, isolation from people and civilization, long distances between bike shops, the steep dirt/gravel Burr Trail, and long stretches without access to food (and no real supermarkets) or water (I carried over 2 gallons and still had to ask car tourists for water a few times).I talk about the landscapes, people, challenges and more in the summary episode but be sure to check out the mini journals recorded from my tent or along the road. I will post a new episode every 1-2 days so you can follow along in front of your campfire. ROUTE: Colorado, Part 1 | Colorado, Part 2 | Utah

This spring I rode my bicycle across southern Utah to view the spectacular remote desert landscape and explore seven national parks: Colorado NM, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP. My friend Ross and I left April 30 from Breckenridge, Colorado, and took 3 weeks to ride nearly 1,000 miles / 600 km to Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah — taking in the sights and spending some quality time on the road and in camp, plus a few “rest days” in Moab, Utah. The ride was mostly fantastic — amazing scenic landscapes and no traffic — but came with some challenges: very long and strenuous climbs over mountain passes, temperatures ranging from below freezing to 95F/35C, isolation from people and civilization, long distances between bike shops, the steep dirt/gravel Burr Trail, and long stretches without access to food (and no real supermarkets) or water (I carried over 2 gallons and still had to ask car tourists for water a few times). I talk about the landscapes, people, challenges and more in the summary episode but be sure to check out the mini journals recorded from my tent or along the road. I will post a new episode every 1-2 days so you can follow along in front of your campfire. Check the route here: Colorado, Part 1: https://goo.gl/maps/5EzT9wdoJ232 Coloardo, Part 2: https://goo.gl/maps/zFqPvWiBLkL2 Utah: https://goo.gl/maps/zTeVp9cXHV82

I made an appearance on this week's episode of Pedalshift with Tim Mooney, which reminded me I hadn't shared this episode from my winter bike overnight in February on my Brompton folding bike. It was perhaps more successful than Tim's most recent ride on the C&O Trail, albeit shorter, a few degrees warmer and solo (sans dog). Notice how there was no snow in Denver but about four feet at my apartment just 75 miles west (and 4,000 feet higher) in Breckenridge. Breakfast in Morrison, CO Red Rocks Park Waiting for the Bus in Frisco, CO Snacking in Red Rocks Park Bear Creek Trail Red Rocks Amphitheater Roundabout on the bike path Home in Breckenridge (photo from same week)

Some strange twists as a train mishap leaves me walking around Northampton, Mass., and exploring/spending the night in Holyoke, Mass. This episode includes musings on transit with two old advocate friends I bumped into. Then it's off to some new adventures. Spoiler alert: I've been in Colorado since then. INTRO: In late August I moved out of my apartment in Boston, put about 8 boxes into storage, and took a bus to Brunswick, Maine with my bike and camping gear. By popular request for tour updates, I decided to record a series of brief, daily, mostly unedited episodes to share here. Let me know what you think! More updates still coming...

I made it to Burlington! It's one of those places you always read about and want to experience for yourself. I did a fantastic loop around Lake Champlain, dealt with churches and the police, and spent a few days back in town decompressing before continuing west. INTRO: In late August I moved out of my apartment in Boston, put about 8 boxes into storage, and took a bus to Brunswick, Maine with my bike and camping gear. By popular request for tour updates, I decided to record a series of brief, daily, mostly unedited episodes to share here. Let me know what you think!

An update from my fall tour of northwestern Vermont: starting in Rutland and heading north to Burlington and beyond. Not quite as hilly as the rocky Maine coast but even better views and more ferries. INTRO: In late August I moved out of my apartment in Boston, put about 8 boxes into storage, and took a bus to Brunswick, Maine with my bike and camping gear. By popular request for tour updates, I decided to record a series of brief, daily, mostly unedited episodes to share here. Let me know what you think!

Here is some listener feedback on free transit. First I chat with transportation activist Eli Damon from Northampton, MA, who wrote in about free transit and also shares some insight into the transit environment in Western Massachusetts. Then I read a listener email. UPDATE: Corrected version. The previous file was missing the interview due to an editing error. If you downloaded the show in the first few days, try this one instead. Hopefully the repost will make it appear in iTunes again. Thanks to listener Dan for pointing out the error.

At long last, here is Part 3 of my bike tour of Coastal Maine in September. This episode included Acadia National Park and the final days before a two-week hiatus. INTRO: In late August I moved out of my apartment in Boston, put about 8 boxes into storage, and took a bus to Brunswick, Maine with my bike and camping gear. By popular request for tour updates, I decided to record a series of brief, daily, mostly unedited episodes to share here. More episodes coming soon!

Despite its tremendous value and egalitarian mission, public transportation remains the only essential public service that charges a fare. The only reason we still collect fares is because we always have, ever since the early days of horse-car transit. Now, user fees make up only a small portion of total revenue yet create a significant barrier to people of all incomes and lifestyles, slow down transit and cost millions to collect -- all without any justification.I explain why cities and towns everywhere should provide free transit services and debunk the five main arguments for the status quo. Note: I have come to these "radical" ideas throughout my years of transit service planning and advocacy. Please listen to the episode before sending me hate mail. Thanks! But please do send me your thoughts and I will gladly share them (anonymously if you'd like). Riders seen waiting in line pay, regardless of weather. Buses spend up to 30% of their travel time waiting to collect fares, depending on the volume of passengers. Comments? Suggestions? Please visit CriticalTransit.com or email feedback@criticaltransit.com. Follow me Twitter @CriticalTransit and follow and support my work in Boston via TransitMatters.info. Your support goes a long way!

This episode covers from Belfast to Blue Hill, one day before reaching Bar Harbor. INTRO: In late August I moved out of my apartment in Boston, put about 8 boxes into storage, and took a bus to Brunswick, Maine with my bike and camping gear. By popular request for tour updates, I decided to record a series of brief, daily, mostly unedited episodes to share here. Note that at the time of upload, I have completed my tour in Burlington, Vermont, and I will be compiling and uploading the remaining episodes very soon.

In late August I moved out of my apartment in Boston, put about 8 boxes into storage, and took a bus to Brunswick, Maine with my bike and camping gear. This episode covers from Brunswick to Belfast.By popular request for tour updates, I decided to record a series of brief, daily, mostly unedited episodes to share here. Note that at the time of upload, I have completed my tour in Burlington, Vermont, and I will be compiling and uploading the episodes very soon.

Recent MBTA news and advocacy battles encouraged me to record a podcast to counter the dominant narrative. Let's review what's causing this mess and how to stop the bleeding and operate a reliable and effective network. Why a well functioning and affordable T should matter to everyone, because we all depend on transit even if we never use it (some of the reasons). And right now it's neither.The population of Boston has increased 10 percent since 2004 and T ridership is up 30 percent on major lines, causing severe overcrowding, yet no significant improvements have been made since at least 2000, and service quality is declining. People cite transit as a primary reason the want to live in big cities.The MBTA is chronically underfunded, promoting inefficient operating practices such as a reliance on overtime, deferred maintenance and an inability to plan for upgrades. Instead of addressing these problems, the control board has chosen to vilify transit workers.Rapidly rising rents and declining wages have forced large numbers of people to move to places with slow, infrequent and expensive transit service. We have repeatedly cut service and raised fares on these "low ridership" services, while ignoring others with great potential.Fares impact everyone, including those most vulnerable to rising costs, middle class riders who are more likely to choose other options, and everyone impacted by increase traffic on our streets (i.e. everyone). Bus, subway and commuter rail fares have more than doubled since 1991, while the gas tax has increased only 3 cents. Like transit, roads and highways are heavily subsidized, yet only transit riders are being asked for more. Governor Baker says a fee is a tax, but apparently not if it's a transit fare.Finally I discuss several alternatives to raise revenue -- focusing on better and faster service -- without increasing the fee for users. But no efficiencies will fill the $7 Billion budget gap -- and that's just to reliably run what we have, never mind desperately needed upgrades. A transit network is a valuable public service, not a business, and it's time we started treating it like one.Comments? Suggestions? Please visit CriticalTransit.com, email feedback@criticaltransit.com. Follow me on Facebook and especially Twitter @CriticalTransit and follow and support my work in Boston via TransitMatters.info. Your support goes a long way!

Expanding our focus beyond Boston, we speak with Jeff Wood, a San Francisco-based consultant (The Overhead Wire) and operator of The Direct Transfer, a daily news source on transit, cities and urban design. Jeff also hosts Talking Headways, a weekly transportation podcast, and his work includes media, cartography, data analysis and research on transit modes and land use strategies. He also contributed to a new TCRP report on transit and land use connections (PDF).Some topics include finding and pursuing a vision for transit, urban politics, gentrification and displacement, big project management, and achieving better bus service. Are private transit and taxis good for cities? Is there a transit space race? And an update on San Francisco's implementation of off-board fare payment on trains and buses. Check out the Transit Matters podcast for more transportation news, analysis and interviews. We're working to build a more reliable and effective transit network in Boston. Visit Transit Matters to learn about our mission and our vision for transit, become a member and get involved.Follow me @CriticalTransit for more frequent info and thoughts. Share this podcast: tell your friends and colleagues, and subscribe to the RSS feed to be notified of new posts and episodes.

Critical Transit resumes with Nick Pendergrast, sociologist, one-time urban planner and co-host of Progressive Podcast Australia. Nick is a lecturer in Sociology and Anthropology at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia.We talk about transportation and urban design, housing, demographics, social and environmental justice, related structural issues, and the importance of connecting public transit and urban planning with other progressive issues. Also, how we might go about solving the housing and transportation crises in our cities, and dealing with anti-development NIMBY types and people fearful of gentrification. A few links from today's show: Becca Bor (clip on the history and structural issues around car-free transport); animal-only bridges in Germany; Beeliar Wetlands and Roe Highway Development (facebook); and why electric vehicles won’t solve the suburbs' transport woes (covered on Critical Transit episode 38, and we'll revisit this issue soon in the context of self-driving cars). Listen also to my interview on episode 114 of Progressive Podcast Australia.Follow me and my work on Twitter, Facebook and through my local organization TransitMatters.Subscribe to the blog and podcast to be notified of new episodes and share it around. 

Critical Transit is back after an unplanned break, and we're moving in a new (local) direction as part of a push for better transit in Boston. Learn all about the future of Critical Transit in this mini episode. Subscribe to the blog and podcast (iTunes), follow my thoughts on @criticaltransit on Twitter, like the Facebook page, and stay in tough with your reactions, discoveries and suggestions for topics or guests. Email feedback-at-criticaltransit.com or use the contact form.

This is the first of several episodes featuring content from TRB Annual Meeting sessions in Washington, DC, starting with the common themes of transport data, automation and the idea that technology will solve more than a few of our problems. From the sessions, we learn how to successfully insert a light rail transit (LRT) line into a city streetscape dominated by car culture, informed by experience in small French and Spanish cities; why industrial design matters at every stage of a project; and the importance of informal social paths (or, why attempting to corral pedestrians into designated crossing locations makes walking less safe). Do you have thoughts on these topics? Of course you do, so share them with the world! Suggest other viewpoints, new perspectives and ideas for further research, show topics and/or guests, by emailing feedback@criticaltransit.com or using the contact form or those social media tools. Find me at Planning Camp on February 1 in Philadelphia, at the Human Transit talk in New York on February 6, and otherwise riding trains and buses around the northeast.Finally, if you enjoy this time dump very useful transit project, please help support my work by sharing it with your friends and colleagues, leaving a review on iTunes and other places, and consider sponsoring an episode if you are able to.

Our guest today is transit data and communications consultant Aaron Antrim of Trillium Solutions. We learn how to manage, present and use transit information to improve mobility and expand freedom by making transit networks easier to use. Find Aaron's work at Trillium Solutions, including his analysis of social media for transit and what makes a great transit website. Or find him on Twitter.Other links include: Detroit Bus Company; Rome2rio international trip planner; San Francisco Bay Area transit summary; Social Media is Bullshit by B. J. Mendelson.Do you have thoughts on any of these topics? Share them with the world (or just transit nerds) by emailing feedback@criticaltransit.com or using the contact form or those social media tools. Find me this week at Transportation Camp and the TRB Annual Meeting in Washington DC, and hopefully testing out some new Epic Transit Journeys. Please get in touch if we might connect soon in Washington or elsewhere in the northeast.UPDATE: If you're in Washington this week you might like another event called GTFS in the World, a workshop on open transit data.Finally, if you enjoy what you hear each week, please help support this project by sharing it with your friends and colleagues, leaving a review on iTunes and other places, and consider sponsoring an episode if you are able to.

A new year, a new challenge to the deity of traffic engineering: the traffic light. Streets.mn contributor and recent Minneapolis City Council candidate Matt Steele says we have too many traffic signals and explains why that's a big problem for everyone. Choosing alternative measures of traffic control offers significant benefits to pedestrians, bicyclists, cars and trucks, and even help transit run more reliably. Links include Strong Towns, the relation between speed and death, roundabouts and a very successful shared space project at a busy junction in Poynton, England.Today's news selection features a fantastic Bikeyface comic on what snow says about our cities' priorities, another cyclist hit without accountability, and another oil train derailment and explosion near Fargo, North Dakota. We recap the horror that is fracking (natural gas drilling) and play two songs about fracking ("We'll Be There" & "My Water's on Fire").A listener suggests that automation in transit operations may actually decrease safety as the humans involved become less alert. The same has happened with private cars as they've become safer for the people inside. Very interesting stuff.UPDATE: Here's a link to the book I couldn't remember the name of, about the phenomenon of drivers being less attentive given increasing automation: Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do by Tom Vanderbilt.May 2014 be the year in which we finally take traffic violence seriously and focus our attention and investments on sustainable transportation modes: walking, cycling, skating and especially public transit. Help support this show and my other work by sharing it widely and by making a donation to my Transit Tour Fund if you are able to. I am headed to the northeast very soon; please get in touch if we might connect.

An informative panel discussion with four winter bicycling veterans in Minneapolis. We cover bike handling, what to wear and how to prepare your two-wheeled vehicle for our favorite season. Sneak away from the holiday dinner for this special episode and get ready to ride across a frozen lake, visit an ice shanty, ride a ski bike, go mountain biking, make your own DIY winter tire solution or just buy a fat bike and impress your friends.Alternatively, you could stay inside and read Kat's excellent Grease Rag post on winter bike safety & handling, all about Ice Biking, what not to ride in the winter, and get your snowy terminology in order. Then go back listen to Episode 33 for Low's perspective on building community and supporting new and old bicyclists.

In light of the latest Metro-North Railroad derailment, fellow New Yorker Marc Ebuna, now a Boston-based transit advocate and editor of Transit Matters, joins me to explain what we can learn from the recent series of incidents this year on the nation's busiest commuter rail network.Topics include technology, maintenance, funding, regulations and more, including considering whether bus and train operators should continue working the split shifts that are standard practice throughout the industry. We also remind you that, contrary to popular headlines, using a car is still by far the most dangerous way to get around. Read more about the crash and investigation. Follow Transit Matters and @transitmatters on Twitter.What ideas do you have for improving transit safety? Send comments, suggestions and ideas for show topics/guests to feedback@criticaltransit.com or use the contact form. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook. Also share your thoughts on the new web site look; more improvements to come.UPDATE: Transit Matters is growing into a transit advocacy organization and I'm a part of it. Find out more at transitmatters.info.

Brock Dittus and Aaron Flores take a break from hosting The Sprocket Podcast to join me from rainy Portland, Oregon, for a discussion of biking in cold and wet weather. We discuss the three elements -- clothing, bike setup, behavior -- of a warm and dry trip, without any fancy gear or sacrifices.Most importantly, do what works for you. And if you want to avoid the rain altogether you might try saving up for a velomobile.Head over to The Sprocket Podcast for more info on these fine Cascadians.Share your comments and suggestions for topics/guests by emailing feedback@criticaltransit.com, using the contact form or following my work on Facebook and Twitter. If you enjoy what you hear, please consider supporting better, more frequent shows by making a donation, sharing it with your friends and colleagues, and leaving a review on iTunes and other places.

Fear of cycling in traffic is the greatest barrier to bicycle transportation, but safe bicycling is possible when you take control of your space and drive defensively. Our guest today is cycling instructor Keri Caffrey, co-founder of CyclingSavvy and editor of Commute Orlando. She is working to increase confidence and prevent crashes by educating bicyclists on how to safely operate a slow, narrow vehicle on roads designed for fast, wide vehicles. Also check out this video in which Keri reviews the basics (and shows off her cargo bike). Later we share some interesting bike news (the good, the bad and the super cool), including: a New York Times op-ed on the near total lack of penalties for drivers killing cyclists, plus victim blaming, with a perfect response from the great Bike Snob NYC; a cyclist assaulted by an SUV passenger; a tool for finding apartments close to transit (may be helpful along with Walk Score); a kit for bicycling across water bodies (seriously!) and a DIY bicycle elevator.We close with a listener email on highway bypass roads and other suburban wastefulness, including the difficulty of providing useful transit in such places. It reminds me of a recent experience in the suburbs of Denver. Share your comments and suggestions for topics/guests by emailing feedback@criticaltransit.com, using the contact form or following my work on Facebook and Twitter.If you enjoy what you hear, please consider supporting better, more frequent shows by making a donation, sharing it with your friends and colleagues, and leaving a review on iTunes and other places.

Oh look ... guess who's on the latest Streets.mn podcast? Yep, yours truly. We discuss the effects of last week's Minneapolis city election, politics and transportation. It's mostly with a local focus but most things also apply elsewhere. Go listen here. Remember you can also find my local transit writing on the same site. Hopefully the impending cold weather will mean more writing.

Andrew Austin stops by from Americans for Transit (twitter: @A4Transit) to share some impacts of the government shutdown and how it fits in with the ongoing austerity culture. We learn about transit diversity, labor issues and the BART strike, and review why it's critical for transit agencies to support their employees and maintain a positive work environment. That means listening to employees and riders, such as by hosting town hall meetings on buses. Later, why smaller cars, electric cars, self-driving cars, personal rapid transit and other pretend solutions fail to move us forward. The real solution is to dismantle car culture but these things promote it and leave us further from the sustainable places we so desperately need.Check out my latest Streets.mn article critiquing the backwards transit planning process that has led Minneapolis to consider building an expensive rail line in a low-density corridor instead of improving mobility where actual needs exist.Moreover, what are we trying to accomplish here? That’s the first question a transit planner or advocate should be asking of any proposal. I’m afraid we’re doing it all backwards. ... From the very start we have asked not “How can we improve our transit network?” but “Where should we put our next rail line?” That makes no sense.See some facts on Metro Transit. I also mentioned two existing routes that are due for capacity upgrades: TranksLink 99 B Line bus rapid transit, Vancouver, BC. (episode 23 and/or capacity post); MBTA Green Line light rail, BostonWhy good health care depends on transit, courtesy of previous guest Scott Bogren (CTAA). Daniel shares his thoughts on a new bus route making its only stop at a major university in the largest North American city without any public transit. Enjoy the show? Please share this show around, follow me on Facebook on Twitter, leave reviews, tell your friends and consider making a donation to support this work.

Scott Bogren of the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) joins us to discuss their work supporting and advocating for the growing number of small urban, suburban and rural transportation services. He interviews transit operators on his own CT Podcast and spends a lot of time on Twitter.The second transit strike in just a few months has halted Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) subway service in San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland, with no progress made since the last time. We hear what union members are asking for, and over the weekend a runaway BART maintenance train killed two employees.Meanwhile the social service sector of the US government has reopened without an agreement (or apology from Republicans). As an added bonus we'll be right back in the same place in three months. Share your comments, suggestions, ideas for show topics and/or guests by emailing feedback@criticaltransit.com or contact me this way. Read my work on Streets.mn, follow the show on facebook and twitter, subscribe in iTunes (rss feed) and never miss a show. Tell your friends and colleagues, write reviews or make a donation of any amount to help support the show. I have several interviews in the pipeline, an updated and redesigned web site, and lots of material from the places I visited on my big tour.

As cities respond to growing calls for safer streets and more open space, many have begun holding a series of Open Streets events where streets are closed to cars and opened to everyone else (people, bikes, skates and other non-motorized users). In most cases there is special programming including vendors, music, demonstrations and fun activities, but a few just put up some cones and let people have the street. And of course marathons, road races and charity walks are some examples of active use of streets and highways. For more info and a sampling of what different cities are doing, check out this Momentum Magazine article, the Wikipedia page and the Open Streets Project directory. Read all about the history of ciclovias (open streets) at Ciclovias Recreativas de las Américas. I took to Lyndale Avenue South on a beautiful Sunday in late June for Open Streets Minneapolis. This episode features "in the field" interviews with some of the organizations tabling as well as regular people trying out activities such and the pop-up cycle track and the slow race. Organizations represented are (in order): Metro Transit; Minneapolis Public Works Dept; Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition; Spokes community bike center; Bike Walk Twin Cities (Transit for Livable Communities, Non-motorized Transportation Pilot Program); Nice Ride bike sharing; Minneapolis Sculpture Garden; Hennepin County Medical Center; Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota. The morning event I spoke about is the Brompton US Championship (photos). Please send in your questions, comments and suggestions for future topics and guests to feedback@criticaltransit.com or via the contact page. Follow my work on Facebook and Twitter, and contact the people I interviewed for more information and inspiration.

In this episode I debunk the myth endorsed by Freakonomics in their episode on Mass Transit Hysteria and peddled by many others that cars are more efficient than transit. Each transit route is part of a network which may serve many functions that we believe contribute positively to our society. Transit is a public benefit. Most of the episode is devoted to listener questions on transit service design and operations:How to design a late night transit network,The value of pulse point hubs and transit centers (and why transfers are good),How to keep buses on time and minimize bunching,Whether a series of coordinated green signals lights actually helps buses (not unless you have built-in transit signal priority) or is just a ploy by traffic engineers to pretend to support transit.The fine hosts of the Progressive Podcast share their thoughts on using sustainable transport in places where being car-free is not so common. Listen to their show for informed commentary on political, social and cultural issues as well as sustainable transportation. Share your thoughts and reactions to the show on Twitter, Facebook, and by emailing feedback(at)criticaltransit.com.

IMAG3552 IMAG3666_PGH_Sched Finally a new episode with your feedback as well as some thoughts on recurring transit strikes and worsening climate change. I share some lessons from my experience riding buses and trains in Pittsburgh, including what kinds of information is important to visitors, new residents and seasoned transit users.Links to people, places and systems mentioned on this episode:San Francisco BART transit strike; flooding in Calgary and Toronto; train explosion in Quebec; good news for wildfires; Progressive Podcast Australia; Bikes on Metra commuter rail (The Chainlink forum); riding Divvy bike share (Chicago); Port Authority of Allegheny County (Pittsburgh bus/rail operator); Bike PGH; struggling city of Braddock; ("mini-Detroit"); Stockholm congestion pricing; Bill Lindeke, GaryRidesBikes, Copenhagenize, StrongTowns, walking_boston, bostonrailfan, TheTAdventure.UPDATE: Walking Bostonian (@walking_boston) wrote a great summary of the transit situation in Pittsburgh. Please contribute to the growing conversation about sustainable transportation and spread the word by sharing my work on your favorite social media outlets. Send in your feedback by emailing feedback@criticaltransit.com or using the contact form at criticaltransit.com.