About This Project

I spend, on average, one and half hours a day doing nothing. Now, this shouldn't come as such a surprise with the average American spending four hours a day watching television (and I watch my fair share) but my issue is that I spend one and a half hours each day doing nothing against my will.

I am held captive by the commute. About 45 minutes one way, 30 if I'm lucky, and then 45 minutes back again the other. To add to the frustration, it's in traffic light happy Jacksonville, Florida where even minor driveways warrant four-way poorly timed traffic-light complexes.

Its not really the distance of the commute that I take issue with. I realize it's a necessary evil of living at the beach (which I wouldn't trade for anything) and working in the city. The go-getter that I am, I just feel like I'm not getting anything accomplished while I'm sitting in the car waiting for lights to turn green. Coupled with the fact that no one carpools, adding to urban pollution, and $2.00+ gas prices and that's enough to get me thinking about other options.

Having traveled to Europe and thoroughly enjoyed the efficiency and mass-acceptance of public transportation, I thought, how could a country as innovative as America not achieve the same thing?

I knew Jacksonville had a bus system, but that was about it. I didn't know anyone who had ever rode the bus. I didn't know how much the buses cost. And I didn't even know if I could get from Atlantic Beach to the city in less than two hours.

This led me to explore the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's (JTA) website. I was very surprised with the ease of use of their Plan Your Trip web application. By simply inputting my starting destination and ending destination, clicking a couple custom options, and BOOM! My route was easily outlined on the screen.

I found that there's a route that starts a block away from my house in Atlantic Beach and ends right by my office. No stops. $1.35 each way. Seemed too easy.

So for the greater enlightenment of Jacksonville's citizens and my unending search for adventures, I've set out to ride the bus to and from work for a week, documenting each ride. I'm going to see how practical a solution the Jacksonville Transit system is for someone in a high-paced professional career.

November 27^th through December 1^st are the dates. I'm going to ride the bus. We're going to see if all the urban rumors of smelly people and uncomfortable rides are true, or if the Jacksonville bus system should be forthright in the minds of professionals as a safe and effective transportation option. Let's hope the latter's true!

So, hop on board! All the cool kids to the back of the bus!