The Oil Drum

Now that's a beast. My dealer in Mt Airy was renting one of those out for parades.

Happy Birthday to The Oil Drum

Commuters give weeks to the ride

BALTIMORE (Map) - You know you’re from Maryland if one hour is an easy commute to work.
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Crashes and congestion permitting, that’s about the time it takes to travel 25 miles Beltway-to-Beltway between Baltimore and Washington, two centers that have spread steadily, as more workers take jobs in the suburbs and commute from adjacent counties. That’s two hours a day commuting time. Or about 500 hours a year of dodging unsafe drivers and sitting in endless lines of fume-spewing stop-and-go traffic.
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“I used to drive,” said Gallaudet University employee Dierdre Mullervy, who takes the MARC commuter train from Baltimore to Washington. “It was horribly congested. Now I take the train.”
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“I take the train because of the bad traffic, the cost of gas, and because the service is easier and cheaper,” said Zarica Whalen, who takes the MARC from Baltimore to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Hyattsville.
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Then there’s the reliability of rails. Riders feel like they’re going to get to work on time.

“Ninety percent of the time it is great — on time and everything,” said Richard Greenlee, who has taken the MARC for the last four months while his girlfriend drives their shared car. “Only about 10 percent of the time do we experience delays.”

http://www.examiner.com/a-632566~Commuters_give_weeks_to_the_ride.html

Johns Hopkins, Flexcar embark on automobile-sharing program

BALTIMORE - Baltimore’s first car-sharing program hit the road this week at Johns Hopkins’ Homewood campus.

The university and Flexcar, a national chain, hope to set a new standard on how businesses and individuals can take an active role in reducing global warming and greenhouse gases that contribute to climate changes.
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Hopkins is providing parking spaces for Flexcar and helping with the maintenance of the vehicles. The cars can be rented by anyone in the Baltimore region.
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It costs $35 to join the Flexcar program. Rental rates are $9 per hour, which includes free gas, insurance and 150 free miles. The daily rate is $60 and vehicles can be rented for up to three days.

http://www.examiner.com/a-632552~Johns_Hopkins__Flexcar_embark_on_automo...