A Boost to the North County Transportation Woes

Getting around in North County continues to be a challenge. Traffic is the issue, of course, and now that summer is here it has gotten worse.

The freeway tends to be more of a parking lot since we had the San Diego County Fair a few weeks ago, the racing season at Del Mar is currently in full swing, and there are more tourists (and local residents whose kids are not in school) out enjoying the terrific weather and all the things to do. I avoid the freeway at all costs, especially at rush hour (which seems to be rush hours...about 6 of them or more a day) unless I feel like sitting in traffic (link is to traffic report).

There are a good number of people who rely on public transportation - some to avoid traffic and parking issues, and others because they don't have cars (hard to imagine in this state where the auto reigns supreme).

Options for transportation here in North County are fairly good, actually. There is the Coaster (the train that runs between Oceanside and San Diego) and Amtrak (not really a commuter train but if you need to get up to LA and some other coastal towns this is the way to go). There is also the Breeze (the buses) although because it supposedly is so simple to get around (it's a breeze) they don't refer to them as buses but just by the name.

The NEW ADDITION to the transportation system that will help locals and visitors, especially those going east and west (yep, those roads, like 78, get real ugly too), is the new light rail line running from Escondido to Oceanside - the SPRINTER. The lines are already under construction and expected to be completed in December 2007.

And of course you can always travel by bike, skate board, roller blades, on foot, or motorcycle. And downtown San Diego offers other options, like those bicycle taxi things in the gas lamp district. But I shouldn't complain - there are other cities in the world with far worse traffic than us - like Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Bangkok, Tokyo and more. Have you been to Atlanta or Washington, DC lately?

We Live in a Mobile World

Before I moved to San Diego I had traveled to California quite a bit for business and pleasure. So I was pretty used to the traffic and all the freeways - back East there is really nothing to compare to the roads here in terms of size and traffic volume (BTW we called them highways on the East Coast!). Wow - there are 21 lanes of cars at the junction of the 5 adn the 805 at La Jolla. That's impressive!

Once I moved here it really hit home, however, about how we live in a mobile world, and how dependent we are on our cars. I know that is nothing none of you readers don't already know. It is not only the volume of cars (more cars in LA than people I've been told), but the distances people travels, the speed at which they drive, the number of expensive cars, and so on. People often drive rather than walking, even short distances - I remember the Steve Martin film "LA Story" poking fun at this and other traffic related stuff (e.g., the electronic signs along the freeways in LA).

One of the things I really like about being here is the easy access to beaches. You can park just about anywhere near our favorite beach and for free. I expect folks here take that for granted - it really IS much more car friendly - but back East this is a rarity. Even lots of beaches are not public, and finding parking is often a challenge, and pricey (unless you are a resident).

But it is much more than us and our cars on the road.

We have mobile pet grooming - I see these services all over the place. There is mobile car detailing (that's another thing I have noticed - seems folks here are much more into caring for their cars, inside and out - car washes everywhere, getting you car detailed regularly, and so on). Mobile advertising is becoming much more prevalent - magnetic car signs, license plates, painted signs on car windows, the big mobile sign trucks.

Certainly drive through fast food is EVERYWHERE and has been for years, but now it seems just about every type of food imaginable can be obtained without leaving your car. There is drive-through coffee, drive-through liquor stores, drive-through pharmacies and drive-through groceries. Food deliveries by car have become even more popular, and higher end restaurants will deliver - or a chef will come to your home and cook for you. And you can have your pet food delivered too!

The list goes on. I have not seen them but there are drive though funeral parlors if you want a quick viewing. And there are mobile veterinarians and mobile doctors and mobile dentists. Vehicles will come pick up the elderly, the disabled, your kids for day care, your dogs for doggy day care. Your dry cleaning is now mobile - you can drop if off from your car or have it delivered to you.

I find it fascinating...and I know this is just a small list of the mobile services and products out there. Who knows what will be next?

Any unusual mobile services you have seen? What are your thoughts on our mobile society - it must be strange for someone from a country where these sorts of things do not exist.