Living Car Free

     Is it possible to live without a car? Of course! People around the world do it all their lives. But in our fast-paced, turn-of-the-millennium world, the car is the only way to travel, right? Not necessarily.

     A friend of mine was a single dad with two young children when I met him. He had been car-free since the kids were toddlers. The kids walked or biked to where they needed to go. My friend shopped, commuted to work, and lived on his bike. If the family needed to go out of town, he rented a car. In town, they took the bus or a cab. My friend could afford a car; he just saw no reason to have one.

     I, too, was car-free for twelve years, and even though I now own a car, it is rarely used. I bike to work and most other places. When big events fill the streets and parking lots, I enjoy zipping by everyone without a care and finding a "parking spot" right by the door to my destination. Consider the following:
80 percent of car trips made in the United States are not work related. So if you must drive to or during work, look at your other trips. Can those be made by bike, foot or public transportation?

     The vast majority of car trips are shorter than five miles. The trip to pick up a few items at the store, a video for Saturday evening, a six-pack for the game are often right around the corner. Do you need to drive? How about a nice walk or bike ride instead?

     The Centers for Disease Control suggests that we get a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day, and it’s OK to break this up into two or three shorter segments. Amazingly, most Americans don’t even get this much exercise. A 15-minute bike ride to work or to do errands every day would fulfill this with little effort.

     Bicyclists often reach their destination before motorists when motorists and cyclists are traveling five miles or less. Are you sure driving is faster for your commute or errands?

     Americans spend thousands of dollars each year for each car they own. Could your family get by with only one car and use that money for something else? When my round-trip daily car commute was 14 miles, I needed to fill my gas tank about twice per month. By not buying gas for just those trips, I can buy myself a basic bike every year or a really nice bike every two years. Here are some tips to make transportation by bicycle easier:

• Keep your bike and accessories handy and in good working order. Then they are ready when you are ­ no pumping the tires, looking for a bag for the bike, fumbling for a lock, searching for your helmet or light, or discovering that the chain is rusty.
• Decide where you will keep your bike so it is as easy to get as your car. If you have to carry it from the basement or move everything in the garage to start riding, biking will seem like a chore. How about parking it in front of your car ­ then it’s the easy choice.
• Know your bike routes. The way you drive by car is rarely the safest or most enjoyable route by bike. Investigate alternatives when you are out for a leisurely ride so you will know them when you want to leave the car at home.
• Equip your bike with bags, baskets, a child carrier or trailer for groceries and bulky transport.
• Live in a compact, older neighborhood. The neighborhood where I live is close to shopping, work, my friends, and many eating and entertainment options. I bought my house before I owned a car and chose this type of neighborhood. Many of my friends bicycle. They either don’t own cars or rarely use them. They have great legs!

       Even in the winter, it’s not impossible to ride a bike. Most of our roads are plowed, salted and sanded. Future articles will discuss foul weather and nighttime riding and the equipment and clothes that make it comfortable and safe. But for the moment, try using your bike for those jaunts to the store or over to a friend’s house. You may find yourself reaching for the helmet instead of the car keys more and more.

       Robbie Webber is the program manager for the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin.