Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

Michael, I understand how you're interested in reducing cars on the road. The truth of the matter is that public transportation isn't for everyone. In many cases there are gaping holes in coverage, and in the amount of buses and trains. It's nowhere close enough to what the average person needs. Try taking a large flat screen TV you just bought in a store with you on a bus.

I have to be honest and say that while I support strong environmental policy, there's no way I'm giving up my car. Give me a hydrogen car and I'm a happy guy, but I'll go where I want, when I want, while taking the route I want. That's the freedom of choice. While driving alone isn't statistically the most environmentally friendly thing, I don't live remotely close to my colleagues, many quite simply can't afford to. Your system is great if people who work together, also live together in very close proximity, and never leave the general area.

Take a look at the nightmare going on in Seattle and the rest of the Puget Sound when it comes to mass transit. Hundreds of millions of dollars for a simple light rail track. The monorail extension failed because it was far too expensive (billions of dollars). Light rail is YEARS behind schedule, even after cutting back several lines. When it comes to your dream of the future and mass transit you have to face the realities of funding. Taxes pay for the construction, then they decide to keep raising taxes each years because maintenance will suddenly need to be done and they'll have gone over budget. We've all seen it time and time again. I simply don't trust mass transit to do it's job. Then when that's all said and done, I hope people don't get too upset when the union workers decide to go on strike, shutting everything down.

I'll quit my dependence on oil, but I'll never give up the freedom to go where I choose in my own car.

Our family has done some things in the past year or so that are different from the regular way of doing things. We moved into the city in which we both work. Now we're less than 5 miles from work rather than 35. New bicycles allow us to ride to work or friend's houses around town instead of taking the car.

Last year we joined a CSA and get good food from within 3 miles of our apartment. I also take public transportation when going on trips where possible. I've sent some letters to senators, told people about Terrapass and Better World Club and also have compact fluorescent light bulbs in our apartment. We also unplug things and don't buy stuff we don't need.

I commute to work by bicycle. It's about 9 miles one way and if I'm going at a good clip, it only takes 30 minutes.
It's funny, it takes me the same amount of commuting time to take my bike v.s. driving.
-about 30 min. door to door biking
-about 30 min. door to door taking car + walking from where car is parked to work.

I only end up driving when I've gotten up late, as biking does take a little more prep time in the morning (checking tires, packing bag with "work clothes" etc...)

I have stepped up my efforts to commute by bike (recumbent actually.) My commute is 22 miles roundtrip. Our local Bus company hase a ridesharing program. They recently gave away 150 ipods to people who pledged to commute 2 days a week by bike, carpool or by bus this summer. The bus company's website www.ridefinders.com tells the story.
I commute to work by bike on occasion anyway, so this will be further incentive.
I also have a blog: http://pedaledconomics.blogspot.com to help with healthy food, transportation and health issues.
We all have a choice on how we get to work. The easiest choice of riding in a car may end up being the most "expensive" of all in terms of personal, economic and environmental health. I can't decide for you.

I live within a Mile of grocery shopping, Target, restaurants, copy center, and medium bike distance from the hardware store. I have tried in vain to find ridesharing to work - I live only 9 miles from work, and can't find anyone within even a 5-mile radius to share with. In some ways I live TOO CLOSE to things to be able to cut back on anything, so I try not to worry if I have to drive a quick trip to the store for something I can't carry on my bike. If I could take a bus to work, I would. I would ride a bike the 9 miles to work if it were not on treacherous back roads. Some people do ride these roads, and they take their lives in their hands. Not worth the risk...

I live 16 miles from school, and 9 miles from work. I attend school 4 days a week and work the other 3. Before, I used to drive to school. Weekly, I was driving about 182 miles just to get where i needed to go.

Recently, I've been taking the the bus to school; I just drive to the park and ride lot (1 mile from home), and the bus takes me directly to school. Mileage savings: 120 per week, 480 per month. Fuel savings: about 22 gallons per month.

Grocery stores and shopping are all within 3 miles from home.

I gave up my car about a year ago and I've never been happier. I cycle just about everywhere but am subscribed to a car sharing service which I use less than once a month when I need to get to some remote area not serviced by public transport.

I understand not everyone can do this, but everyone can reduce the number of car trips they make. It's way too tempting when that big hunk of metal is waiting for you outside the door.

As for bringing home large flat screen TVs or other oversized purchases (I understand there are other reasons to have a car but this, on its own, isn't one), most shops deliver for a small charge or you can take a taxi if its not the size of a refrigerator. It still comes out cheaper than owning a car unless you buy several TVs per week :)

I find the best way to convince people of the benefits of being car-free (and making car-free choices when deciding where to live and work) is to use money as a motivator.

Here in Toronto, the Canadian Automobile Association reports that the average car costs $9,000 per year to own, maintain, and use. For a 2-car family that's $18,000 per year.

Think long-term with those numbers.... over 10 years, a 2-car family pisses away $180,000 on car-related expenses. Over a 30 year career, that works out to $540,000.

I'm sure most people would prefer to put that money towards better stuff - like a nice vacation every year, or retiring early!

The office I currently work at is 17 miles from where I live. The city in which I reside has ample entertainment, and grocery stores within walking distance, plenty of parks and great public transportation that connects it to the major city of which it is a suburb. The city in which I work has a very poor public transportation system, no real connection to the main arteries serving the rest of the area and seems to be full of people who would drive down their 50' driveway to get their mail instead of walking. My office is currently planning on moving even further into the suburbs to appease most of my coworkers. Right now my simple solution is find a new job which will become a full time pursuit in a couple of weeks. I have already located similar firms near my house that I can bike to and look forward to putting my new fuel efficient car in the garage for most of it's life. I will miss carpooling with my girlfriend but it will be a small price to pay to be able to give up my car almost completely. Now we just have to find a closer job for her so she can bike too.

we live in the middle of our job locations... i'm 30 miles away from my work and my partner is 17 miles away from his work. so i carpool w/my coworker. recently we've been biking a lot more too. instead of driving to everything within a 10-mile radius, we bike. you can save quite a bit by doing that because a lot of trips are short local trips.

A year ago I moved so that I was closer to work. I used to drive about 98 miles per day for commuting, and now walk a little over a mile instead.

I'm still using the car for shopping about once a week, but I'm planning on getting a bicycle and panniers so that I can get groceries without needing to drive.

Nowadays when my coworkers complain about the price of gas, I just smile to myself and hope the prices go higher.

We bought a small house close to the train station in Mountain View, CA.

We have one car but my wife takes the train to work and I take my bike on the light rail. The light rail gives me the time to read. Public transportation can be inconvenient but car expenses and the stress of driving can be the greater evil.

We have an older car but since we drive it infrequently it would not make much difference if we traded it in for a new hybrid.

I bike 20 miles a day, and I buy local produce from the farmer's market, and I DO NOT FLY UNLESS IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY (Basically 1 flight per year, but even that is too much).

The Earth is dying, so there is no excuse for making the situation worse. If I hear one more person say "but I love the freedom my car gives me" than I think my head will explode! How about the freedom that the Biosphere gives you by letting you live?

I moved from a rural location 25 miles from work to a town 3 miles from work. I had just spent £1000 fitting a new engine, only for the car to be written off a week later. Used the insurance money for deposit on a flat, now have no car, and i'm loving it.

I now spend 30% of the time taking the bus, and cycle to work 70% of the time.

I loved my car, tuned it up, spent a lot on maintenance, and that's where i'm saving huge amounts of cash now. My bike has cost me £3.50 in 6 months (new inner tube) - with the car you get used to random large bills all the time, but you just accept it.

What really bugged me in the end was the mileage I was doing, something like 22,000 miles a year.

So that's 1.2 tons of metal, which had to be propelled at 60mph, once round the Earth every year, just to stay alive? Madness!

Is there a more wasteful species on Earth than humans?

To paraphrase Brian: "I'll quit my dependence on oil, but I'll never give up the freedom to go where I choose on my own bike."

I walk, cycle, take public transportation, telecommute and carpool. When I need a car, I rent one. If I've rented a car to go out of town, I try to fill it with friends. If my coworkers are driving to lunch, I encourage them to take 1 full car rather than separate cars. I chose a house that's 6 km from where I work, 8 km from where my husband works, 1 km from a grocery store, and close to restaurants, theatres, a train station, a bus station, and a community pool.

My strategy for encouraging other people not to drive everywhere is to mention how much I feel I gain from not owning a car. In the past 5 years, gas prices have almost doubled and transit pass prices have gone up by $3. Last year, I bought a house using a downpayment I saved by not owning a car.

i reduce my dependency on cars by not owning one. I cycle, bus and train most places and when I need a car (which is rare) i just rent one.

I can't remember the last time i needed to bring a flat screen t.v. from the shops but whatever.

i think absence is one good method of forming habits.

I can relate to Brian's desire to go where he wants, when he wants, by what route he wants, and I also can't put up with the cost and delays of public transportation. That's the reason I bike everywhere. That's real personal freedom. Here in New York City, I rack up about a hundred miles each week.

"Try taking a large flat screen TV you just bought in a store with you on a bus."

Try reading a book while you drive.

"I'll quit my dependence on oil, but I'll never give up the freedom to go where I choose in my own car."

Were it not for the rest of the post, I would accuse the author of Socratic irony.

I live in an area (Atlanta, Georgia) that most people consider unliveable without a car. I have substantially reduced my driving the last four years from about 15,000 miles/year to about 4,000. I bike to work (10 miles round trip) and do grocery shopping and routine errands on my way home several times a week. I use public transit in inclement weather, and have begun using it for some social events in the evenings and on weekends. I have found that I really enjoy the relaxation of public transit, despite the increased time, in place of the aggravation I often experience behind the wheel. When FlexCar opens up shop in Atlanta this summer, I may decide it is time to let my personal car go altogether. With FlexCar, I'll have access to a vehicle when I need one, and I will be able to rent vehicles appropriate to the purpose of my trip (pick-up for large hardware; van for a group of friends). For nightclubbing and for visiting familiy and friends, I may use a scooter (which is not perfect, but has enormous environmental and congestion improvements over a car). For work I'll stay with the bicycle, as I really enjoy the exercise. For emergencies, I'll take a taxi. And I have already started discussing with friends how they would like to be conpensated if they find themselves to always be the carpool driver (most say an occasional meal would keep them satisfied). I've already gotten to the point that using the car feels like more of a burden than doing without it, and I hope to completely make the break within a year.

"Try taking a large flat screen TV you just bought in a store with you on a bus."

Try reading a book while you drive.

"I'll quit my dependence on oil, but I'll never give up the freedom to go where I choose in my own car."

The (Socratic) irony of this statement is not lost on me.

With that said, I agree: Public transportation and bike riding are less convenient than taking a car. Sometimes public transportation is so inconvenient I find myself gazing out the window at the passing scenery. Sometimes, on the bike, I find myself breathing fresh air. Stopping to smell the flowers? You wouldn't believe me anyway.

Alas, the cost of these inconveniences is that I am left with little time to enjoy a flat screen TV.

YMMV

I've taken two main steps. 1) I bought a bike and started to use it as much as I can, and 2) I traded my 15mpg jeep for a 40mpg Jetta that uses biodiesel. I ride the bike to work most days. It's an 8 mile round trip. I either walk or ride to the grocery store (depending on which one I want to go to), and most other things I buy are also within walking or riding distance. It helps that a lot of my friends live nearby and are also cyclists, so we usually bike to each others houses when we hang out, and go on rides together. I end up driving only when I'm with a group of people and we all need to go someplace far away, if time is a major concern, or if it's really wet out. I've only driven 35 miles in the last two weeks. I think the main reason that I'm able to do all of this is my choice of where to live. If I had chosen to live out in some suburb (which many people did) it would be much more difficult for me to maintain this low level of car usage.

I live in an area (Atlanta, Georgia) that most people consider unliveable without a car. I have substantially reduced my driving the last four years from about 15,000 miles/year to about 4,000. I bike to work (10 miles round trip) and do grocery shopping and routine errands on my way home several times a week. I use public transit in inclement weather, and have begun using it for some social events in the evenings and on weekends. I have found that I really enjoy the relaxation of public transit, despite the increased time, in place of the aggravation I often experience behind the wheel. When FlexCar opens up shop in Atlanta this summer, I may decide it is time to let my personal car go altogether. With FlexCar, I'll have access to a vehicle when I need one, and I will be able to rent vehicles appropriate to the purpose of my trip (pick-up for large hardware; van for a group of friends). For nightclubbing and for visiting familiy and friends, I may use a scooter (which is not perfect, but has enormous environmental and congestion improvements over a car). For work I'll stay with the bicycle, as I really enjoy the exercise. For emergencies, I'll take a taxi. And I have already started discussing with friends how they would like to be conpensated if they find themselves to always be the carpool driver (most say an occasional meal would keep them satisfied). I've already gotten to the point that using the car feels like more of a burden than doing without it, and I hope to completely make the break within a year.

I sold my car over a year ago and haven't replaced it. Since then, I walk, bike, or use public transportation to get around. The next car I buy will be a hybrid or I might just use services like zipcar and flexcar. I live in San Francisco so public transportation is very accessible as well as new car sharing businesses.

Brian-- I get more freedom from not owning a car than dealing with the thing collecting parking tickets all week. You outline the fact that owning a car is a mandate for 99% of people in the US - it's not a choice, in much of the US you will literally starve to death if you don't own one.

That's a terrible problem, and the answer is better infrastucture that allows for walking, biking, transit, etc...

The bottom line is it's going to be 50 years at least before we adjust to the problems our car-only development has gotten us in, so in the meantime, by all means keep your car, but vote for improvements! Use a bike when you can! And buy a home that doesn't force you to drive all the time!

I bought a bike last summer, and while it has taken a bit of getting used to, I now love it. I ride my bike whenever I can and pretty much only drive when I'm shooting a wedding or once every two weeks to go to the grocery store. If I weren't a professional photographer, I'd give up my car in an instant. Or if there were a car-sharing service (FlexCar, ZipCar) around here.

That being said, I think the stats on how expensive a car is to own are very misleading, because they always include depreciation. I don't give a fuck about the depreciation on the car, I bought it to get me from point A to point B and will drive it into the ground. I didn't buy it as an investment, and "losing value" is not a real cost for me (though the actual car payments are).

Also, the solution to the car problem has to include denser cities, which has to include affordable housing for the folks already there. If we simply gentrify cities and push poor people out to the suburbs we haven't solved the problem.

I actually just sold my car (see my site for details). I drove a very nice Mercedes Benz coupe and now I ride the bus, bike, walk, and rent a Kia when I need to go to Costco, Target, etc...
I am saving money, getting exercise, and enjoying my life considerably more. The first poster talked about freedom and choice. I agree that having a car does grant you freedom and give you options but it all comes down to choices doesn't it?
I chose to live in an urban area with walking access to three grocery stores, clothing retailers, and great restaurants. I choose to check my consumption of goods and services and thereby more carefully consider each purchase (such as bigger televisions) and its impact on my life, my happiness, and the world. Also I use Amazon. A lot. No seriously the FedEx guy sticks around for coffee.
It takes determination and will power for me to make it work, but all in all it’s been an easy transition for me. After the first week or so I discovered that places I wanted to drive to were not necessarily important to my survival, The Mall of America for instance or the closest drive through. So in addition to not having a $400 a month car payment plus $120 a month for insurance and then various sums for gas and maintenance, I am also saving money and energy by not driving somewhere just for the sake of going. Of course there are challenges like transporting my kayak to the lake and other such automotive grunt work, but not having the car to fall back on has forced me to be more creative in my problem solving. Also I now have to think ahead and prioritize my time. I rent a car once a month and run my major errands and make my big purchases if any. Again though, thinking ahead gives you time to contemplate your choices and decide what really is necessary and what isn’t.
Now I am lucky in many respects. I work for myself pretty much full time and I can connect with clients via the net most of the time. When face time is necessary I am, as I mentioned conveniently and centrally located. But some of it wasn’t luck; some of it was by design and choice. My locations, my career, how I get around are all choices that I have made and then made work together. Can I hop in my car and just take off down the road on a whim? No. But do I really need to?

On the weekends, I bike or walk- I live within 2 miles of all the stores I ever need to visit. My husband and I recently bought a cargo trailer for my bike, and we can haul upwards of 50 pounds of groceries in it (plenty for the two of us for a week.) We've also hauled a new 23" widescreen monitor- not QUITE a flat-screen TV, but getting close. I can't say enough good things about having a bike trailer- I don't know how we got along without it. We thought about panniers, but our take-along grocery bag (one of those foldable mesh cubes) wouldn't fit in them.
During the week, I carpool. I live 14 miles from work, and there's no safe way for me to bike there. My husband works 10 miles in the opposite direction- he just stared at his office, though, and he hasn't found a carpool yet. The bus system isn't a very good option, either; it's a nearly 3 hour trip. We're currently looking to see if there are decent bike trails all the way there.
He drives a Civic hybrid, and I drive an old Ford Contour that gets 33-35 mpg, so I'm waiting for the next generation to trade in for something better.

People will often say: "oh, public transportation project YZ cost $X millions! Look at how expensive it is! etc"

But what they forget to do is look at the price for an individual and benefits of the project.

I'm 100% sure that all the public transportation infrastructures of the area where you live cost you less in taxes per year than what a car would cost you, and that they cost a lot less than a lot of other more or less necessary things that taxpayers pay for.

You must also consider how much more energy efficient it is (and it's even possible to run many forms of public transportation on renewable energy), how much money and productivity is saved by reducing traffic, stress & road rage, road wear, accidents, smog, global warming, etc.

I think the stats on how expensive a car is to own are very misleading, because they always include depreciation. I don't give a fuck about the depreciation on the car, I bought it to get me from point A to point B and will drive it into the ground. I didn't buy it as an investment, and "losing value" is not a real cost for me (though the actual car payments are).

You may not care about depreciation, but it's still a cost. The "financing" cost only applies to the interest payments - not payments of principal. So depreciation is a measurement of where you stand with respect to equity relative to what you paid for something. You just have it embedded in your car payments, so you don't think it's real.

http://www.edmunds.com/apps/cto/about.jsp

I am in the process of pruchasing my first house. It will be 1.5 miles from my wife's vet school, and 6 miles from my law school. She intends to walk, I intend to bike and bus. The houses main draw was its location. I see these kinds of location becoming very valuable in the future as gas prices rise and rise and rise. I am still rather timid about getting rid of my car altogether. It will take some time before I give up my car, but at least it only costs $3000 for 15k of operation including insurance, gas and maintenance.

Last summer I moved from the suburbs to the downtown area of a city... so now I can walk to the grocery store, drug store, restaurants, theatres, and almost anything else I want. Now I am also only two blocks from the Metro (train) station and can use that to move about town. By making a conscious decision to live closer to things I need, I have reduced my dependence on my car. I love being able to leave my car parked for the entire weekend, yet still be able to get all of my shopping done.

If I find a suitable job closer to home, I will bike-commute, as I have in the past and loved it. I dream of it everyday.

I also bought a TerraPass this year to help offset my car's emissions.

When you start to talk about decreasing car use, so many people's immediate thoughts are of deprivation. This is natural, because you are literally talking about decreasing something. Realistically, this is not an effective way to promote a good idea.

Instead, I think it's crucial to promote the good stuff, and avoid encouraging negative thinking from the start (such as asking people if they have "reduced your dependence on cars?").

So, how about asking people to think about what their most comfortable, enjoyable, environmentally friendly, and practical way of travelling is? How about asking people to consider what options they would like to see available that aren't already? This offers people an opportunity to focus on positive, forward thinking, and solution-oriented ideas. It's really a win-win way to approach the subject. One reason why I love Treehugger so much is because you folks do look for the good ideas far more often than wallowing in the bad ideas out there. And transportation is a case where the world really, really needs more good ideas!

As for my own great ideas in transportation, I have a few:

1. I decked out my already well-equipt commuter bike with a flatbed trailer and some brightly colored flags sticking out the side. This makes me not only more visible (so that motorists don't treat me like a two-dimentional object on the roads) and it allows me to carry tons (not literally) of stuff.

2. I'd love to see non-profit organizations (NGOs) step into the public transit arena and create a vast network of short and long distance routes for buses and trains, as well as offering affordable rentable electric cars, scooters, bikes, and boats even. Taking the profit (greed) and the government out of the public transportation equation alleviates many of the beurocratic crap and money issues that have stagnated many transportation programs up to now.

3. Overhaul the traffic laws to reflect an equality for all travellers, whether they be on wheels, foot, hoof, or any other form of travel, motorized or not. Remove all the complicated and discriminatory laws that treat cyclists, skatebaorders, scooter riders, horse drawn carriage riders, and cross coutry skiers differently from motorists and pedestrians. Make the bumper sticker slogan, "Same Roads, Same Rules, Same Rights" the law for all. Keep it simple: all traffic stays right (in the Americas) unless passing, before turning yield to travellers going straight, pass only when there is enough space to do so safely, obey all traffic signs and signals, and stay at or below a speed that allows you to stop if there is someone/something in your path (which will vary greatly depending on conditions like visibility, road condition, and stopping power).

I agree that the only way to effectively create sustainable and enjoyable transportation for everyone is for all of us to get together to work from both the top down and from the bottom up while focusing on diverse solutions that satisfy everyone's needs.

I moved.

10,000 miles a year commuting became 1800 miles.

When the car dies I could take the bus, which I do every now and then, although I might just try to find an old diesel car to turn into a veggie oil burner.

Turil, I agree with you that the title could have used a more positive frame, but if you look at the post, the whole second paragraph is about solutions, and it is asking people to share their positive experiences.

Something important that is conveyed in the title is the notion of "dependence" on cars. You will often hear people talk about the "freedom" that their car gives them, but freedom is about choice; if you don't have a choice to use a car (and to pay for it, and endure it when the drive is unpleasant), you are not free, you are dependent, and dependence is usually not something that people brag about..

Wow, I never would have guessed so much hatred would come my way for wanting a hydrogen car. Talk about being in front of a firing squad with you folks. I don't live close to work because I can't afford it. Instead of dwelling on the flaming eyes you all have toward my desire to drive a hydrogen car I'll suggest something for cities that is good for people and bikes and will piss off drivers to no end (something I'm sure you'll all cheer about). Why not close down some of the major streets in cities to motorized transportation for the entire length of that street? European cities do it, and those streets are only for pedestrians and bike riders. This allows people to get through the city more efficiently and the shops on those streets gain added visibility because of the people using them. It's something I've seen done in several European cities. They are always filled with people.

I think this question would be better addressed to the folks over at GM's blogs. Not sure how much attention it would get, however, since it's not about overhead-cam vs. pushrod engines or fake wood trim. Anyhoozle...

I moved as well. Now I'm less than a mile from my job, grocery stores, drug stores, restaurants, bars, our local baseball team, and even a lumber yard.

I'm less than ten miles from everything else. The only thing I could need that would allow me to sell one of our cars is a car sharing program.

However, my wife isn't as lucky. She's going into her last year before getting her masters degree, but the school is almost 30 miles away. She's also a TSS, which means she needs to drive between clients during the day. She hates driving, but it's part of the job.

And now, a true story about cars and the kindness of strangers: I bought a new TV at CostCo, but it wouldn't fit in our biggest car (a Pontiac Vibe). But then a nice couple with a truck offered to give me and the TV a lift home. I accepted, and I didn't have to worry about renting a truck.

Very interesting to read, and amusing that all the blame is placed on passenger cars.

I'm into auto racing but I have a definite green sympathy. I think most of you would cry if you saw my race car. To offset the cost of operating it, I purchased a fuel-efficient second car. I also have a wideband oxygen sensor and I've tuned the car to consume even less fuel than stock for my commute.

That being said, quality of the burn isn't the same as quantity - higher emissions can happen from lower fuel input, as it promotes heat in the chamber, which promotes abnormal combustion such as detonation, increasing NOx, and leaving unburned pockets of HCs.

My entire life is cars. The thought of losing the car and taking public transit is laughable to me. That's like taking a gardener and locking them up in a dungeon!

Rather than spending hundreds of thousands of dollars purchasing cars that have tiny benefits in fuel consumption and emissions - remember these are NOT the same thing though the overly simplistic view is that they are - how about putting several thousand dollars into waste cleanup. If everyone that bought a Prius instead put $4000 USD towards DIRECT air purification instead of secondary, through car emissions, how much more of a difference could be made? How about if just 50 of those people went towards cleaning up a large hydro plant's emissions? That's $200,000 a compan