notes on going carless

yesterday after work, i decided to route my walk by CVS at 12th and i-35 to get some contact solution. from 11th to 5th, i walked on the sidewalk right next to the northbound access road of 35.

i noticed it was very lonely. i was one of the few people on foot, and both i-35 and its access roads were jammed with people in cars.

it doesn't feel lonely to be on foot downtown. downtown is designed for walking. it was created when people walked or used horses. it is a seamlessly walkable area of austin.

but in places there are gaps. places where there's no sidewalk, only footpaths showing caliche, like between red river and 35 on 12th street. also between sabine and 35 on 4th.

and oddly, there are places where sidewalks don't match up from one block to the next. you have to wonder, what were these people thinking? "hey, i think i'll make my sidewalk...DIFFERENT! whee!" the block between san jacinto and trinity on 15th, north side, is like that. it even has a detour around a tree, but it is yards away from matching up with the sidewalks on adjacent blocks. go figure!

on a better note, i learned that capitol metro sells half-price bus passes at its store at 323 congress. i stopped in this morning and bought a $5 bus pass that gives me 20 free rides. then i caught a dillo up to 11th, which is free.