10. The Car-free Option

Patrick Gonzalez and his wife live car-free in Washington, D.C. Patrick’s commute starts with an invigorating walk, then taking the Metro. His environmentally conscious employer, the Nature Conservancy, is located at a Metro station, making the entire journey convenient.

Patrick was formerly a volunteer with the Peace Corps in Africa where he hiked across Senegal, interviewing villagers and surveying once forested areas that were becoming desert. By being car-free the Gonzalez’s reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that led to disappearing forests, desertification, and lack of water for people.

While the sprawl of many cities forces long commutes, there are three U.S. cities where at least 30% of employment is within 3 miles of the central business district: New York, San Francisco, and Portland. In these cities, people find it easy to take light-rail or buses between work and home. A surprising number walk. For those that drive, they save by traveling fewer miles. Some estimate that two-thirds of the urban areas that will exist in 2030 do not exist today. This gives us an incredible opportunity to develop in a sustainable way with near-zero emission transportation.

Central Park is a spring explosion of flowers, blossoms, aromas, and joyful children. Central Park is summer celebration of runners, bikers, soccer players, picnickers, and concert goers. Central Park is a fall that rains red and yellow leaves on all who walk the trails and shorelines. Central Park is the winter that gathers families for the holidays and covers slopes with snow for shouting children riding toboggans.

In the past, Central Park was also a raceway for frustrated drivers leaning on their horns. In 2004, the people of New York reclaimed their park from the cars. Car-free Sundays are now part of more communities across the nation.

Learn about living car free and reducing the carbon footprint of transportation in John Addison’s new book - Save Gas, Save the Planet.

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