Living Car Free - Car Light is working for me

As a family man I want to encourage other Dad's to do the same...go car light.
It is doable! I sold my old truck and have only a family car now. I ride my bicycle to work every day except during blizzards or "dangerous" weather. I take public transit when it is really bad out and dangerous to ride (only a few days a year). So far so good. I can ride my bicycle to work in 30 minutes without straining; or 40 minutes for the bus on really nasty days.

The benefits are good for your health, the environment and think of the money you can save too!:D

So don't be afraid, sell that second vehicle...you won't regret it or miss it!

Good points. Same applies to me. One car family since 1993. I ride to work about 150 days per year and take public transit the rest of the time, if there is a lot of ice on the road or very heavy rain.

I suppose you could call me 'car-light', since my extended family has drivers with cars; but I've proven over and over again that their errand-running is something I can do equally well on the bike. My sister's husband isn't having any of it, though, and frequently grates on me about when I'm going to 'man up' and buy a car again.

I sold my last car to the junkyard in 2004. I have two useable trailers, with a third on the wishlist. I may go so far as to break down and get a 3-wheeled scooter for some utility purpose.

I definitely live car light as oppose to car free. I live in the semi suburbs where public transportation is limited. I don't own a car.

Right now I use one of three modes of transportation:

1. My trike
2. public transportation (if service is available at that location) or
3. I get lifts from relatives. When it is too far for me to cycle or no public transpiration is available, my sister or nephew kindly chauffeur me there.

What helps me to live predominately car light is living within walking distance to the supermarket and pharmacy. This alone saves me countless trips by bike.

I also live a relatively comfortable bike distance to my PCP, dentist and the vet.
Again, this saves me from having to ask my relatives for lifts.

I think the key reason why I have been able to live car light for so many years is because I carefully pick out the places where I lived. The place has to be near a major amenity (supermarket, pharmacy, bus or train route). I also make sure I could get to a doctor or dentist (via bus or train at least).

However, it wasn't until I decided to move to Florida to be closer to family that I had to add a new mode of transit - the trike.

Adding the trike has given a whole new meaning to living car light for me.

I live in an older style suburb, where there is a one-car garage and a basically one-car driveway. My son and his car now live with us and it is a real pain moving cars in and out of the driveway. Then, all these vehicles make it harder to get in an out of the garage with my bicycle.

We used to live with 2 cars, between 1997 and 2004 or so... Double the expense in car upkeep, payments etc.

Going to one car was a very easy decision.

Going to zero cars seems like a much bigger step.

I don't mind rain...or snow, as long as I can get traction and there's not over a few inches or black ice.

Going to one car was a very easy decision.

Going to zero cars seems like a much bigger step.
I've cut way back on car use, but I'm not ready or able to go car free at this point in my life. As long as news reporting is part of my work and as long as I live in this small town, I'll need a car some of the time.

Going car light over the past six or seven years has been a lot of fun and I think I'm now starting to inspire others to follow in my footsteps or tire tracks. If nothing else, they see it can be done.

Most families around here have one car. As for me, I don't own a car, but I'm a member in a carpool, I rent a car several times per year, I take taxi whenever needed. I consider myself car-light, compared to the one-car-per-family norm.

--J

My car has 101,000 miles over 15.5 years, and for about 11 of those years the car was shared between my mother and myself. The overwhelming majority of those miles were racked up on trips over 40 miles. And the thing still gets about 31 mpg on the highway. Between '83 and '95 our family did not own a car. I am confident I have ridden a bike more miles than I have driven a car.

Most families around here have one car. As for me, I don't own a car, but I'm a member in a carpool, I rent a car several times per year, I take taxi whenever needed. I consider myself car-light, compared to the one-car-per-family norm.

--J

Around here, a one-car family would be considered "car light". Many households have more cars than drivers. Good luck finding a taxi.