Carmaggedeon: Bikes Beat Plane in a Race Across LA
If you live in Southern California like we do, you probably heard about Carmaggedeon. (Or Carma-kidding, as it was, since most people heeded advice and stayed home.) One would think that the lack of cars on the road would be great news for the environment. People were encouraged to ditch the car and utilize options like public transportation,…
If you live in Southern California like we do, you probably heard about Carmaggedeon. (Or Carma-kidding, as it was, since most people heeded advice and stayed home.)
One would think that the lack of cars on the road would be great news for the environment. People were encouraged to ditch the car and utilize options like public transportation, bicycles, or walking.
But one company decided that convenience trumped green. JetBlue offered $4 plane tickets from Long Beach to Burbank during the Carmaggedeon weekend. (Am I the only one wondering how much the tickets really were when you factor in taxes/fees?)
A group of cyclists challenged a blogger to see what was faster—a bike or a plane. The two groups started at an intersection in North Hollywood. The cyclists traveled straight to Long Beach, but the blogger had a more challenging journey.
He had to drive from North Hollywood to the Burbank airport, arrive over an hour before the flight took off, and go through security. When he finally arrived in Long Beach, he had to find a bus and travel to the aquarium—the finish line.
Who won? The cyclists ended up arriving before the blogger even left the airport. (It took them an hour and a half to make the 40 mile journey.)
Conclusion: Don’t fly between Long Beach and Burbank.
You can read more here.