The Car-Free Professor

Elyse Ashburn's story about Jay Lennartson's life without a car captures the essence of Jay: dedicated environmentalist, exercise enthusiast, and whimsical transportation experimenter. He's one of the world's nicest people.

I especially liked Elyse's pointed observation that Jay passed her photographer's car in the bike lane on Spring Garden St., "the only one in Greensboro."

But I think she got one thing a little wrong:

[Lennartson] seems conspicuously out of place on a campus where students drive from one end to the other rather than walk.

I'm sure some stundets are doing this.

But UNCG is experiencing a big surge in bicycle culture this year: several people have commented that for the first time ever, bike racks are full to overflowing. Posters and flyers have started appearing everywhere, promoting biking-around-town events and bicycle advocacy groups. And the new pedestrian areas along what used to be College Avenue and McIver Street (thank you, taxpayers of North Carolina!) are full of walking students.

So maybe Jay is actually part of a trend.

In any case, here's a suggestion for the N&R's next "alternative transportation pioneer" story: Greensboro architect John Linn.

John lives in Jamestown and rides the bus to his downtown office every day. He keeps an economy car parked downtown for visiting clients (he knows the secret, free spots) , then rides the bus home every evening.