Carfree Information
In the US, it is assumed most people either should own a car or want to own a car. We disagree.
Here's some information about the costs of car ownership, the benefits of not owning a car, and how to arrange your life to enjoy a car-free or car-lite lifestyle. We'll be adding more information to these pages over time.
- Some facts on automobiles and the environment - a brief summary of the effects cars have on the environment, using data culled mostly from US government documents.
- Cost of car ownership - Few people realize how much their automobiles actually cost. This page includes a calculator with default US averages, and also calculates what you could achieve in terms of retirement savings, a college education, or home ownership if you didn't own a car.
- The carfree census database popular- its easier to live carfree when there are others in your community who do the same. We compiled this database of over 5000 communities in the US from Census data on carfree commuting behavior and household data to help identify where it's easier to live carfree. It includes data from both the 1990 and 2000 census to help observe trends.
- Tips for going carfree - some suggestions for living a carfree or carlite lifestyle.
- Going shopping carfree - shopping without a car need not be difficult. Here are some things to consider to make your trip easier.
- Improving bicycling conditions in your community - If your community lacks adequate bicycle facilities, here's some suggestions on how you might improve the situation.
- New! Some links of interest:
- Carfree City, USA - a group working to establish the first carfree city in the United States.
- Carfree Cities - web site companion to the book, Carfree Cities.
- Carfree mailing list - Yahoo email list that "explore[s] issues related to eliminating or reducing one's reliance on automotive transport."
