Could You Live Without a Car?

I’ve been looking forward to writing this sentence for a long time now. I haven’t let myself say anything until it’s official, but now I’m allowed to:

I can officially say I’m living without a car.

It might not sound like much of an amazing declaration to some, but that’s ok. Living without a car is, at the very least, a great challenge. I’ve been using my bicycle as exclusively as possible for the past 5 months, so there’s really nothing different now, it’s simply a matter of principle. Lots of people ask why I’ve been doing this. If your curious, check out these two articles that start to explain why:

• Cycling
• 21 Reasons to Bike

There’s a few factors working against me:

• I commute to a college that’s in a different town Tuesday through Thursday. It amounts to a 30 mile round trip.

• There’s a major lack of bike friendly streets/trails. There’s one trail that goes through the middle of town and that’s about it.

• There’s majorly lacking (read: none) public transportation. I think there’s a city bus system, but I’ve never used it and never intend to. Biking gets me places faster anyways.

• Living car-free isn’t accepted as normal like it would be in a big city.

  Exhibit A:          

Not owning a car is freeing. I don’t have to deal with gas, insurance, upkeep, or repairs. I get to focus on things that matter. I feel more free than I have in months.

As you probably know, cars cost quite a bit. The sticker price certainly hurts your wallet, but all the costs associated with owning a car are what really take its toll. You better be well prepared for all the things that come with owning a car.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with owning a car. I just believe people worship their car as if they can’t live without it. I want more people to experience the freedom that comes with not relying on their car. I’ve been experiencing that freedom lately and my hope is that more will!

How about you? Do you think you could ever give up your car?

 -Adam Conway

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[Note: I do have a motorcycle that I use once every few weeks to avoid over training. I’ve spent 60 dollars in gas the past 5 months which illustrates how often I use it. Riding my bike over 100 miles a week for 5 months starts to add up.]

Photo Cred: onelowerlight.com