Living Car Free - Where have you lived Car-free?

Las Vegas, NV 3 years

Davis, CA 2 years

Ocean Park, BC 26 years or so

Victoria, BC 2 years

Surrey, BC (yuck) 7 years (estimate)

Vancouver, BC 9 months and counting...

My car-free experiences:
San Jose, CA: 1 year
St. Petersburg, FL: 4 years

I'm car-lite now....I need the mobility at this point in my life.

Fort Collins: 1+7.5 = 8.5 years
On the road cycle touring: 1+1 = 2 years (US, Australia, New Zealand, India, Russia, China, Thailand, Western Europe)

The first of those two years of touring my home address was technically San Jose, CA and the second it was technically Fort Collins, CO.

I lived in Boulder, Co for years car-free. I lived that way for maybe 10 years as an adult. When I went back to school though, I was a full time student and worked full time, so I had to get a car. I do truly miss those days.

Israel: 23 years (1/1980-12/2002)
Palm Springs, FL: 5 months (currently)

Totally car free:

Calgary 1-year

Toronto - 3-years

everything else is car light (I have never owned a car, but have often had easy access)

I have not been a car owner since five years ago. I am a Zipcar member and I use them about once every two months or so. I am in Seattle, Washington. The bus transit system here is reasonably cheap and wide ranging, if a bit grimy especially in the city centre.

Phoenix Arizona 2 years
Scottsdale Arizona 1 year
Tempe Arizona 1.5 years
Crystal Minnesota 13 years
Loretto Minnesota 3 years

OK, you can add Australia to the list.

Actually, I 'lived' in Australia for 3 months back in 2004, cycling all over the east coast, incl. Tasmania and I didn't own a car then.

I'm back in Australia now and don't own a car just now either. Right now I'm living just north-east of Melbourne, out in the country.

Are we just talking car-free cyclists here?

I recall reading that both Toronto and Montreal have about 50% of households that are car free - but that was prior to the amalgamations of those cities with their respective suburbs. I suspect Manhattan has a significant (likely higher) proportion of households that are car free.

Are we just talking car-free cyclists here?

I recall reading that both Toronto and Montreal have about 50% of households that are car free - but that was prior to the amalgamations of those cities with their respective suburbs. I suspect Manhattan has a significant (likely higher) proportion of households that are car free.

I consider car free...car free, as in don't own one and don't ride in them regularly. Bicycle optional, I am inherently lazy and don't want to walk any further than I have to 4-5 blocks tops, so I bike. I have seldom lived where mass transit was even remotely viable, so I bike.

Aaron:)

Philadelphia PA 2 years
Denver 1 year
Oceanside CA 0.75 year :)

Here, Murfreesboro, TN. I've been car-free for a year and three months, but I've been car-lite for just under three years. This is not the best place in which to be car-free, but I think it's probably better suited than the other towns I've visited in Tennessee.

Victoria: 1 year total, I think.

I do own a car, but it's a project, no where near running, or street legal for quite a while yet.

Philadelphia, PA - 1.5 years and counting.

Long Beach, CA - just shy of 1 year

Seattle WA. I have lived carfree my entire life. I've never had a driver's license, never owned a car. Don't want one, don't need one, love living without one. Used to ride a bike but then got into walking, did that for the last ten years. Now looking to get back into biking. So put me down for car-free in Seattle for 20+ years.

Eugene, Oregon: 4 years many years ago
Anchorage, AK: 3 years year-round

I'm an American, but my only car-free experience was in England --

Shefford (Bedfordshire) for 1 year; Mildenhall (East Anglia) for 3 years.

Car-light (no driving at all, will accept rides):
Edison, NJ (3 years)
Highland Park, NJ (half a year)

Car-lite (driving on the weekends only):
New Brunswick, NJ (2 years)
Jersey City, NJ (3 years)

four cities in three countries.

Mexico City, Mexico - 3 years and counting

Richmond, VA 2 years and counting

Extremely car light (no driving unless taking sick husband to the hospital, or pets to the far away vet.) 7 months Longmont, CO.

Can't wait to move to a more bike friendly/bus friendly area!

North Florida
South Florida

Central Florida - Houston Texas - South Florida

Central Florida was all rural living so the roads were quiet but the "folks" were not use to seeing a person "in the road" on a bicycle - I had lots of very kind and caring people explain to me that bikes do not use the road like a car.... :o(

Houston was ok...I learned my "aggressive" skills during the 5 years I spent there :o)

South Florida - A WHOLE DIFFERENT BALLGAME - Thank god I learned my patience with people from my Central Florida days and got my training in "Take the lane SANELY" skills while in Houston - Because here, on some days, it takes everything in my magic messenger bag to get home safely :o/

Be safe out there
Lofi

Amherst, MA (Paradise!) for 3 years.

OK, you can add Australia to the list.

Actually, I 'lived' in Australia for 3 months back in 2004, cycling all over the east coast, incl. Tasmania and I didn't own a car then.

I'm back in Australia now and don't own a car just now either. Right now I'm living just north-east of Melbourne, out in the country.


The list hasn't been updated lately, but when it is, you can put down Australia for me ... and about 4 months.

The car-ownership-free situation has ended (again) for now.

Sweden 4 years and counting:)

Toronto ON...7 years.

Washington, D.C. (4 months)
Cleveland, OH (5 months and counting)

Chicago, IL, 9 years
Oakland, CA, 1 year
San Francisco and Berkeley, CA, 1 year and counting... call it "SF Bay Area, CA, 2 years"

Portland Oregon-4 years
St. John's Newfoundland -1.5 years
Edmonton Alberta-2 years and counting

Burlington, ON, Canada, 12 years (still haven't bothered to get a Canadian licence)

Amanzimtoti, South Africa 3 years if you count 18 as adult.

Burlington, ON, Canada, 12 years (still haven't bothered to get a Canadian licence)

Amanzimtoti, South Africa 3 years if you count 18 as adult.


I never bothered switching my US license to a Canadian one...I dont think I'd even get one if we did get a vehicle in the future as I hate driving and for sure dont want to go through the graduated license process.

Toronto, Ontario. 11 years.

Berlin, Germany: 8 years
Ithaca, NY: 2 years (I'm a car-share member but only use it every other month or so)

Washington, DC, for two years in the 90's. Lived in Adams-Morgan, which is an urban neighborhood with lots of bus service. Worked in Northern Virginia in a building directly over a Metro station. So, car free was easy. I even reduced my rent by subleasing the parking place that came with my apartment. Used the bike of course, but mainly for exercise and enjoyment rather than basic transportation, since walking or taking the bus was more convenient for errands and commuting.

I'd like to get a running tally of where folks here have lived car-free as adults. I'll try to keep the list continually updated in this post.

I'll start:

CANADA

Winnipeg, MB - Machka (6 years)
Red Deer, AB - Machka (1.5 years)
Calgary, AB - Buglady (1 year)
Victoria, BC - Buglady (7 years)
St. Catharines, ON - ryanz4 (5 years)


CHINA

Xinyang, Henen, P.R. - Robert C (3 years)


GERMANY

Munich - djwid (1 year)
Bamburg - benajah (2 years)


IRELAND

Carrickmacross - benajah (1 year)


ITALY

Vicenza - benajah (2 years)


MEXICO

Tijuana, BCN - Ekdog (2 years)
Cd. Juárez, Chih - Ekdog (1year)


SPAIN

Seville - Ekdog (20 years)


SWITZERLAND

St. Gallen, CH - chrisch (8.5 years)


U.K.

York - benajah (2 years)
Hampshire - rbrian (5 years)
Aberdeenshire - rbrian (1 year)


U.S.

Cambridge, MA - uke (4 years)
Boston, MA - Jim from Boston (20 years)
North Attleboro, MA - DX Rider (12 years)

Seattle, WA - bragi (5 years), daxr (1 year)
Bremerton, WA - bmclaughlin807 (2 years)
Kirkland, WA - djwid (2 years)

Columbus, OH - pedex (8.5 years), politicalgeek (3 mo)

Denver Metro, CO - bmclaughlin807 ( 5 years), ban guzzi (2 years)

Lakeside, AZ - bmclaughlin807 (1 year)
Phoenix, AZ - DanMach (1 year)

Alameda, CA - bmclaughlin807 (1 year)
San Diego, CA - Ekdog (20 years), dingster41 (1 year), Roody (1 year)
Glendale, CA - Ekdog (2 years)
San Francisco, CA - Ekdog (1 year)
Los Angeles, CA - Artkansas (? years), booger1 (32 years)
Santa Barbara, CA - Artkansas (? years)
Chico, CA - Robert C (2 years)
Tustin, CA - DX Rider (3 years)
Inland Empire, CA - mijome07 (6 years)
Irvine, CA - Zian (3 years)
Santa Cruz, CA - daxr (.5 year)

Hampton, VA - bmclaughlin807 (1 year)
Reston, VA - BretM (1 year)
Blacksburg, VA - djwid (3 years)

Orlando, FL - bmclaughlin807 (1 year)

El Paso, TX - Ekdog (1 year)
Dallas, TX - platy (2 years)
Austin, TX - platy (6 years)
Fort Worth, TX - urban_assault (2 years)

Little Rock, AR - Artkansas (? years)

Starkville, MS - toThinkistoBe (2 years)
Gautier, MS - toThinkistoBe (2 years)

Iowa City, IA - mesasone (1.5 years)

Highland Park, MI - Roody (3 years)
Jackson, MI - Roody (4 years)
Lansing, MI - Roody (10 years)
Detroit, MI - Jim from Boston (1 year)
Ann Arbor, MI - Jim from Boston (4 years)

Memphis, TN - DX Rider (1 year)

Sarasota Springs, NY - jasonpraxis (1 year)
NYC, NY - jasonpraxis (3 years), baldsue (3 years)

Chicago, IL - jasonpraxis (5 years), LoRoK (9 years)

St. Cloud, MN - Scheherezade (1 year)
Northfield, MN - rockmom (4 years)

Fayetteville, NC - wahoonc (2 years)
Greensboro, NC - wahoonc (4 years), AllenG (? years)

Newport, RI - billew (35 years)

Portland, OR - rockmom (1 year), daxr (1 year), RobCG (2 years)
Beaverton, OR - djwid (6 years)

Salt Lake City, UT - rockmom (2.5 years)

Madison, WI - rockmom (8 years)

Albuquerque, NM - LoRoK (5 years)

Athens, GA - AllenG (1 year)
Atlanta, GA - urban_assault (8 years)

Baltiimore, Maryland 8 years

Seattle, for about eight years now.

Miami FL, 1.5 years.

Toronto -- 4 years