Membership Report - Buses, Bikes & Footwear

There has been a theme lately in the customer comments. Members who live in the immediate vicinity of the Wedge are suggesting that the co-op find a way to reduce the number of vehicles driven into the area by our shoppers. The locals are concerned about congestion and air quality in the neighborhood, as well as the worries we all share about global warming. Suggestions include a "carrot" for not driving (a discount) and/or a "stick" such as charging for parking.

Ouch. This puts the person who responds to these comments, namely me, in a sticky situation. I lived in the area for a decade, and know that the congestion problems that were considerable in the 1980's are worse now. Our crowded parking lot makes it look as if the co-op is a major contributor to the problem. Our mission statement mentions environmental responsibility and one of the seven cooperative principles is Concern for Community. This rightly leads people to assume that we would want to tackle such an urgent issue. And if it were in our power, we would. It is a wonderful compliment that members hope and believe that we can take on so many of the world's pressing problems.

Let's look at the carrot/stick approach mentioned above. It is likely that most shoppers who can easily bike, bus or walk to the Wedge already do so. A number of people drive here on their way somewhere else, especially those who work nearby, so aren't putting on extra miles by stopping here. Charging for parking would more likely anger people than discourage them from driving. We certainly don't want to discourage people from getting food from co-ops! They might drive even further to a co-op or private natural food store that doesn't charge for parking. Or, in my mind worse, people might give up on co-ops altogether.

Discounts are a risky way to run the business and largely unfair. In this case they would penalize people with small children or disabilities, and those who don't live in areas well served by public transportation. Additionally, there is no evidence that people who drive a long distance for organic food would be motivated to spend hours on the bus by a few cents off each dollar at the check stand.

Now, I live 6 miles from the Wedge. Busing requires two transfers and 40-60 minutes each way. I can't carry a week's worth of groceries - (repetitive motion injuries make both carrying heavy loads and bicycling painful) so I'd have to devote hours a week to getting groceries. My son is old enough to help now, but when he was little there would have been no way to look after his safety and carry food unless shopping became a daily event - not plausible for an employed parent. The remaining options, to avoid driving, would be to shop here less often and eat more food from the local conventional grocer - not good for my family, organic farmers, the cooperative, or the natural food producers my food dollars support.

Traffic is a major issue in the region due to a growing population. To reduce traffic we need a great public transportation system. That will require concerted, focused citizen input into the political process. Trying to reduce the number of cars driving to the Wedge might feel good, but does nothing to address the real problems. In the mean time, there are creative groups trying to address the issue on a much larger level than anything the co-op could do. I was intrigued by the hOur Car co-op that was a candidate for the WedgeShare grants this year.

I'd like to hear from members who are working on this issue. Especially helpful would be contacts for our other members, so they can participate in the activities to get MN DOT on the right track.