Going car-lite

[emily_in_nc]

I agree with the sentiment which was posted upthread, that if you really want to cut out driving, you need to live in the right spot. Living within walking distance of a grocery store can will out an amazing number of trips.

Tis true - we live almost within eyeshot of a very nice grocery store and walk there all the time. We can also cycle (weather permitting) or take public transportation (free buses!) to a farmer's market, to our food co-op, to Trader Joe's, or Whole Foods. Makes a big difference in our ability to be car-lite. The car is mostly just used for trips and for my work commute. Pretty much everywhere else we prefer to go without it for all the reasons you mentioned (traffic, parking, gas, etc!) I love letting someone else do the driving while we ride the bus as I can completely relax instead of stressing out as I do when driving in traffic!

[Geonz]

Is public transportation that inexpensive where you all live? I'm only 7miles from work, and commute by bike (weather permitting). The bus doesn't really stop near my office, so I would have to walk or ride a distance anyhow.
I fortunately live literally across the street from the grocery store, and unless I'm getting a whole load of stuff (including dog food, cat food/litter) I walk or ride - my panniers carry more than my arms
We also live within walking or riding distance of our favorite restaurants/coffee shops/train. But the train can cost more than driving. It's $14 round trip for DH and I to go downtown; its only 15 miles one way and doesn't cost that much in gas to drive that far. We usually use the train for convenience like when parking will be a hassle (sporting events, festivals, or concerts). And even at 15 miles one way, we'll take the bikes to an event depending on what it is - Coors Field has secured bike parking for Rockies Games, and B-cycle offers secured bike parking at festivals - so if the weather is nice, and it's okay for us to show up looking like we're riding bikes, we do that.
I've never taken the bus here, but the train is just too expensive to use on a routine basis for the trips we take.

A year's pass for our bus system is $60.

No kidding !

NOw, shampoo-banana is not that *big,* but it meant that I didn't even think of hopping on the bike today in teh snow. (I've got a studded-tyre bike, but cars slide, too.)

When I read on the Xtracycle site that it would "change your life," I figured "not me!" because i already rode a *lot.* However, within a month it was talking to me... that day after the tornado warnings when the winds were going at 35 mph still, and it said 'yes, so if there's stuff in the road you can get around it betteR!" was a bit of a benchmark. The question of the morning shifted from "ride or drive?" to "do I *have* to drive?" to "What do I wear for riding?" So... when my brother needed a newer car to do his taxi driving from, I sold it to him. That was May 2008 and I put the money in the bank and figured I could buy something come winter if I wanted... but there are only a couple times a year when I sort of wish I had a car and an awful lot of times (like, every time I see an "are you paying too much for car insurance?" ad) when I don't.
I rent a car to drive to my sister's -- the weekend usually ends up being about $150, including the extra for insurance; I would love to find a way to get good ol' State Farm or Geico to insure my rental driving.
I'm also signed up for ZipCar -- but have only used it once. It's, I think, $8/hour (gas and all expenses included). They don't have trucks but it came in handy for buying a 32 gallon trash can
My recommendation is to figure out the "drill" for riding the way you figured it out without knowing it for driving. YOu know, "Helmet, gloves, water bottle, wallet and keys, bike lock, lights, CHECK!" ... Then, when you've figured out how to streamline that (generator lights, lock on the bike all the time) ... you find yourself trying to remember how to do the car thing and it feels (if you're a helmet person) extremely odd to walk outside without a helmet on your head, as I did this morning for the bus.
Oh, okay, the other cognitive angle is whenever you're confronted with "I'd ride the bike BUT..." go on to think "and how could I *solve* that problem?" (Hence, my Xtracycle.)

[soprano]

A year's pass for our bus system is $60.

Ooo, nice. Here in Austin, TX, a 31-day pass for the commuter rail/express bus system is $64. Definitely cheaper than paying for gas, tolls, and parking every day downtown, but I'm certainly jealous of $60/year! (For anyone interested, a "regular" bus pass that does not include the train or express busses is $30 for 31 days.) I'm lucky because I'm a student at our community college and ride for free

I *think* that you can get a liability insurance policy as a non-car owner. It's worth calling around to a few agents to ask. Don't rule out independent agents - I love my independent agent. A good credit card will pick up collision/comprehensive.

My husband and I downgraded to one car in July 09. He drives our car to work everyday, and I primarily commute by bike. I've reached a point where I feel like driving is a nuisance. I took a carshare car to Costco today and was so glad when it was over. Traffic and parking are such a pain.

[Eden]

Wow Jenn - that seems super expensive for the train.... even the Sounder train up here only costs at most $4.75 per person - and that is to go all the way to the next city (either to Tacoma or Everett).

If you get a full fare regional pass up here (its good in 5 different counties and on the inter-county Sounder system) it can cost up to $171 a month (that's if you have a max fare commute) - *but* local governments give huge incentives to employers to lower SOV commuting around here, so I get a permanent (well, as long as I work there) one totally free through my work (and that's on top of incentives given to cyclists ). A fair number of the big companies up here give free or reduced passes of some sort.

[Crankin]

If I take the commuter rail into Cambridge or Boston, it's 12.50 round trip. A monthly pass is 200.00. If I worked in the city, I would do it, although I wonder if it's less than driving. Right now I drive to the terminus of the train line, about 20 minutes from my house to get to class, where I take the train 2 or 3 stops. The commuter rail does not mesh up with the times I need to get there or home. I have a Charlie Card, so a one way trip is 1.70. I load it up with money about once a month. I don't get a monthly pass, since I only use the train twice a week. It's worth it to me. When the other students are worrying that the money is running out in the parking meter, I don't. I won't drive in the city; the drivers are nuts. The university reimburses me for the parking garage fee ($7.00) as they don't want people clogging up the streets in Cambridge. Even with driving to the train line parking garage 2x a week and driving to my internship 3x a week (about 30 miles rt), I only fill my car up about every 10 days or 2 weeks. My car gets average gas mileage, nothing special. I just am very careful about where I drive. I don't mind driving, but it's on my own terms; nothing that stresses me out.

[Jolt]

I have been so bad about this lately...number one, because it's winter so we have ice/snow to deal with (and I just don't find it pleasant to ride when it's cold, can't seem to get around the numb fingers/toes issue on the bike and do much better running/walking), number two, because of the odd hours I work right now (very early mornings some days, late nights others, and the early mornings are in a place that would be really sketchy to walk through at that time) and number three, because some of the places I get sent to work are just too far away to ride (currently doing agency nursing). I agree with the people who have said driving just drains the energy out of you...it's stressful with traffic and it just isn't fun to be confined like that. Hopefully I will have a permanent job soon and be able to live close enough to work that I can walk or bike, weather permitting. That would cut out a ton of driving, and I'm sure I could find ways to do a lot of my errands by bike too (if I can do it here in Worcester...). Then the car would be mostly for the longer trips or if there's a lot of stuff to be hauled.

[Karma007]

I try to limit my driving to one day per week. I just try to make the most of it when I do take my car. I run as many errands as I can, and will try to meet a friend for lunch that day as well. It's a new system, but it seems to be working well so far.

[JennK13]

Wow Jenn - that seems super expensive for the train.... even the Sounder train up here only costs at most $4.75 per person - and that is to go all the way to the next city (either to Tacoma or Everett).

If you get a full fare regional pass up here (its good in 5 different counties and on the inter-county Sounder system) it can cost up to $171 a month (that's if you have a max fare commute) - *but* local governments give huge incentives to employers to lower SOV commuting around here, so I get a permanent (well, as long as I work there) one totally free through my work (and that's on top of incentives given to cyclists ). A fair number of the big companies up here give free or reduced passes of some sort.

Our train also has a pass that employers can buy for their employees, but I imagine the ones who do that are probably the big companies downtown. I would think others in the Tech Center might do it, too, but my work doesn't. Wish it was cheaper for your average Jane to get a pass! Students also ride free here.

While $7 a person is "expensive" it certainly beats $20 for parking at a Broncos game Like I said, events are usually the only time we take the train as we don't really live all that far from downtown.

[shootingstar]

Is public transportation that inexpensive where you all live? I'm only 7miles from work, and commute by bike (weather permitting). The bus doesn't really stop near my office, so I would have to walk or ride a distance anyhow.
I fortunately live literally across the street from the grocery store, and unless I'm getting a whole load of stuff (including dog food, cat food/litter) I walk or ride - my panniers carry more than my arms .

The local transit train is free in the downtown core not far for me. I hop onto it only 5% of the time, because most times I walk for winter exercise. But it is handy for cutting down a walk when it gets very cold..meaning colder than -20 degrees C and more in winter. There are all sorts of bus stops not far, but I haven't figured out where they all go...because my need is pretty rare to go get something by bus far out in winter.

Of course in warm weather, I would bike..if knew where I was going. Still a newbie.

[silentlysailing]

Is public transportation that inexpensive where you all live?

Here the bus is free due to the university. The route I live off of the bus comes by every 7 minutes. My thing is that you get so crammed as in like the style you see video's about. Me being a little bit claustrophobic doesn't help though either so I try to avoid it.

I think I'm going to make an effort to go car lite though too. I finally got a good set of tires today on my bike after hitting a little dirt in the road and eating pavement litterally before and messing up my face. Rode around Austin like all day today and that was really liberating and fun so I want to try a little harder now. Maybe I could get car-free as I'm not enjoying my car payments. I'm not lucky enough to have a grocery store right here but Target and the grociery store is about a mile away so it's definately doable and my commute is about 3 miles. My thing is I tend to wimp out if it gets cold or too hot/rainy. I guess to put it simple is that I find an excuse lol.

[emily_in_nc]

Our bus system within Chapel Hill-Carrboro city limits is also free thanks to UNC.

The regional transit bus is $2 per ticket, with various passes available that get it down to $1.60. I am planning to start riding the transit bus to work a couple of days a week come springtime. I will still drive a couple of days since the bus ride will add time to my commute, and I want to get home early enough to cycle after work a couple of days a week. I also work at home one day a week. If I could get down to driving to work just two days a week, I'd be very pleased indeed. Especially since we have only the one car and rarely drive anywhere on the weekends -- last night's Super Bowl party excepted.

[shootingstar]

Will still be car-free when I move...3 blocks away. I mentioned this earlier. http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=41463 Plus a new separated bike lane will be installed nearby. I don't think this city's cyclists will be prepared for the furor it will cause among drivers since I am familiar with this street.

But now, new home will put me 1 block away from the bike-pedestrian riverside path..it's a really popular route with cyclists and joggers. Thankfully in early morning, won't be as many enthusiasts. I still have some side quiet streets of choice, to breeze along.

[Owlie]

It is remarkably easy to be car-free (or at least car-light) here.

Of course, I'm lucky enough to live in an area where I can walk to the grocery store (you'd be amazed what you can fit in a backpack), there's a post office, the bank, and most other things you need on a daily basis that are also within walking distance. This area's also (relatively) bike-friendly. I say relatively, because I mean mostly that the drivers are used to seeing cyclists.

If we need to go to Target/Whole Foods or (heaven forbid) the mall, that's a little more challenging. Bus fare is $2.25 one-way, so if there are transfers involved, it gets quite expensive. You can get a monthly pass for $85, so if you use the bus every day, it's worth it. Problem is, there have been a lot of cutbacks recently. It's usually easier for us to call a friend with a car and say "When are you going to X? Mind if we tag along?"