As far as individual actions go, ditching the car is the second most impactful thing you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. Many people say they want to do it, but then don’t. This series will provide guidance and answer questions so that those who want to do meaningful work in healing the planet can begin living their values through choosing to be car-free or car-lite.

It may be possible for some (the vaccinated, the low risk, the able to follow simple protocols) people to begin tiptoeing back out into the world, whether alone or meeting up with friends.

Where to go? What to do? How to even get there?

It’s irritating to begin making plans and then find out the place you had in mind is nowhere near a bus line, or maybe is not that far of a walk, but it’s a terrible walk with no sidewalk or shoulder and you’ll die.

Here are two maps that should assist in your attempt to go see things.

It amazes me that Connecticut breweries — considering the nature of the product — have not yet felt motivated to incentivize patrons to use public transit or bike, even though many have bus stops within a five-minute walk. Any venue that includes parking directions on their website has to ability to add information about what bus or train might be nearby, and if there is bike parking available. Or do we take it as a compliment that bus riders don’t need the coddling given to those arriving by private motor vehicle?

Either way, here are breweries in Greater Hartford that can be reached by bus:

There is plenty else to do that does not involve alcohol.

I do not pretend that this map includes every last cultural venue in Greater Hartford, partly because we may not agree on what counts as culture, and also because certain types of places — let’s say, a drink-and-paint shop — seem less stable than others and then this becomes quickly outdated. For those starting out, this is meant to show that you do not need a car to see a movie, go to the library, visit an art museum, or watch a play.

What do you do with this information though?

Once you find out what buses serve the venue, go to CTtransit, click on the “Schedules” tab, and enter route number. You’ll see route maps and schedules. This will show where you can board and how late the bus runs. If you, for instance, are in Hartford but want to visit Alvarium, you’ll find that the bus with stops near the brewery is the 510, which does not originate in Hartford. But, following those directions shows that you can catch the 510 at the Downtown New Britain CTfastrak station, and various buses — including the 101, 102, and 128 — will take you there from here. Something to note, is that while there is some bus service to Alvarium, it’s pretty limited — so you might want to bring your bicycle or plan on walking a bit to the CTfastrak station. Or, you might decide to skip this spot in favor of a different brewery that’s closer to the CTfastrak station.

Pay attention to schedules. It can’t hurt to have an alternate mode of transportation in mind so you can enjoy yourself and not worry about being stranded somewhere. Although I avoid using hipster taxis, I keep one of those apps on my phone just in case. Going with that previous example, this could be handy if I went to Alvarium, missed the return bus, and decided to get dropped off somewhere closer to downtown New Britain, where I could then take the cheaper option the rest of the way home. Have I walked from Alvarium to the CTfastrak station before? Yes. Could I do it again? Yes. Would I want to? That depends.

Not impressed by the availability or frequency of a particular bus? Provide feedback to CTtransit. Far too often I hear people who can easily choose any mode of transportation they like complain, but rather than use their privilege — which includes time — to advocate for better service, they grumble and return to their cars. Don’t be that person. Ask for the kind of public transportation we should have in Connecticut.