| Going Car-lite
In her first career, Tori Wishart worked in an office on
the Cornell Campus and for a long time paid the full price
for a parking permit right outside the building. After her
husband, John, retired they worked out a system that involved
him driving her to work and making the return trip in the
afternoon to pick her up. On occasion, she would take the
bus to their home near Community Corners. Tori was never particularly
interested in the walking option as it seemed like too much
bother and time.
A couple years ago, Tori decided to come out of retirement,
taking a job in Day Hall in the central part of campus. The
old routine of her husband serving as driver was becoming
a hassle; the higher gas prices in combination with a traffic
snarl on East Ave., and her husband’s expanded schedule
(as he found increasingly more creative ways to spend his
retirement time) were not stacking up well. To top it off,
Tori had been undergoing medical tests to determine the extent
of some of her heart-related health issues. All of these factors
converged and challenged John and Tori to think creatively
about devising a new commute strategy that would minimize
driving on East Ave., free up John’s commitment and
give Tori a chance to get more exercise.
The plan they devised is really quite simple. For the morning
trip, John drops her off near Hasbrouck Apartments and she
walks the rest of the way to Day Hall through North Campus.
The return trip has John even happier. Tori takes the bus
from Day Hall to North Campus and walks the rest of the way
home. She says the walk in the morning is a nice way to start
the day; the walk home is a relaxing way to unwind and the
extra exercise she’s incorporated into her routine is
a great addition to her overall health. She says she is much
more appreciative of the beauty of Cornell's campus. She also
gets to listen to lots of books on tape!
Hats off to the Wisharts for being open to thinking out of
the box. They ended up changing the way they have long thought
about commuting and came up with a creative solution. Curbing
your car doesn’t always mean giving up a car; in their
case they’ve devised a healthier, “car-lite”
option that is workable for them. Tori is healthier, John
is free to schedule his retirement activities and there’s
one less car on campus as a result.
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