Eco-Apartment Living: Getting Around The City Without A Car
Sunday, April 22nd, 2018
Uptown Waterloo is beautiful. It is the core of a very vibrant and growing region; full of possibilities, adventures, and activities. At the heart of that vibrancy and growth is the desire to do better than the populations that came before. With today being Earth Day, it is the perfect time to reflect on ways you can personally do better: by doing good.
Strut That Strut
One way you can be more environmentally conscious is by walking to your destination instead of driving. One of the beauties of living uptown at the Barrel Yards is the central location. Take a short stroll, and you will find yourself sipping a latte, sitting at your desk, or meandering down grocery store aisles. With everything so close to your home, it definitely makes living without a vehicle possible.
Walking also has many health benefits associated with it. While you may already know that walking can help you maintain a healthy body weight, you may not know that walking can also help:
- Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
- Strengthen your bones and muscles.
- Improve your mood.
- Improve your balance and coordination.
So whatever your motive is, whether it is health or environment driven, get to stepping!
Put the Pedal to the Concrete
Environmental Lawyer from The Star, Albert Koehl, reported that Canadian drivers make an average of “2,000 trips each year that are less than three kilometres, trips that can easily be made by bike.” Instead of driving the five minutes it takes to get to work, hop on a bike and pedal onward! Biking minimizes the emission of harmful air pollutants into the atmosphere, emissions that would otherwise be released by vehicle use. Not to mention, think about all the leg muscle GAINS!
Try A Carpool Party
Carpooling reduces the impact on the earth by limiting the amount of vehicles on the road. With fewer vehicles on the road, fewer gas emissions are being expelled into the air we breathe, and in turn reduces the impact on our planet. Do you live close to a colleague? Hitch a ride to work together! This will both save you money on gas and who knows, it may even turn your morning ritual into a karaoke dance party!
Hop A Ride On The ION Light Rail
The Waterloo Region is constantly growing and innovating. It is quickly becoming the cultural hub where city-dwellers want to settle and plant roots. Later this year, city residents will be able to enjoy the new Light Rail Transit (LRT) system that runs between Waterloo, Kitchener, and Cambridge. The ION train and bus routes will make it easier for inhabitants to travel longer distances without the need for a vehicle. Currently, the ION is in its testing phases, but stay tuned for news on its completion!
Today is Earth Day. Let’s celebrate by doing our part daily to make this planet clean and sustainable. Being eco-friendly does not mean having to drastically change your lifestyle. You can still live comfortably in this vibrant city by making small changes to your natural routine. Who knows, you may love the extra steps so much that you’ll crave some place to finish the job. For those times, the Barrel Yards in-house gym has your back!
