October 2008

Are you considering moving to a new community where you don’t need to depend on a car? As many of you may know, it’s not enough that St. Louis, Sacramento, or any other community has public transportation. What is even more important is to find neighborhoods in each community where people can easily walk to grocery stores, other shopping, parks and libraries, and (if possible) good public transportation.
So, after checking out the community of your choice, you decide that perhaps it could be a good place to live without owning a car. You start looking for houses or condos that are right for you. After finding a specific house, you call the transit provider to find out how close that house is to transit and how often that transit route operates. But, that’s only part of the answer.
The next place to go is www.walkscore.com. On this website, you type in the address of the house you are considering, and the website gives it a walkability score from 1-100 and a description of what that score means. Here are the guidelines:
90–100 = Walkers’ Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.
70–89 = Very Walkable: It’s possible to get by without owning a car.
50–69 = Somewhat Walkable: Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a bike, public transportation, or car.
25–49 = Car-Dependent: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving or public transportation is a must.
0–24 = Car-Dependent (Driving Only): Virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car!

So, if you are looking for a new place to live within walking distance of stores and other amenities, visit www.walkscore.com first.
One important limitation of this website is that it includes no information about public transportation within walking distance. So, if you really want to live without owning a car, contact the local transit provider’s web site to find out what transit serves the area(s) where you are considering living. You can find most transit websites by going to www.publictransportation.org. On the right side of the home page, near the top, go to “Find public transportation in your
community, and click on the name of your state.”

Today’s spotlighted community is Columbus Ohio. Columbus, the home of Ohio State University, is a particularly affordable place to live. Several affordable neighborhoods are within walking distance of excellent public transportation.
COTA (Central Ohio Transit Administration) buses (except express buses) generally operate seven days a week. COTA buses serve: Franklin County, cities of Columbus, Bexley, Gahanna, Grandview Heights, Grove City, Hilliard, Reynoldsburg, Upper Arlington, Westerville, Whitehall, Worthington. Service also is provided to Dublin, New Albany, Canal Winchester, Obetz, Groveport and Marble Cliff. Portions of Delaware, Licking, and Fairfield counties are also part of COTA’s service territory
If you don’t want to drive, COTA customer service recommends living along one of the following popular bus routes: #1 (Livingston Ave.), #2 (East Main Street), #2 (Ohio State University Campus), or #8 (Hamilton Road).
Walkable neighborhoods with excellent public transit and shopping within walking distance include: Short North, Grandview Heights, Bexley, German Village, and Upper Arlington. Grandview Heights is particularly affordable, according to local residents with whom I spoke.
Visitors without cars can use COTA to reach several popular attractions and destinations. Best neighborhoods to stay are Short North, German Village, Arena District, Ohio State, and Clintonville.
Cyclists will enjoy Columbus. Because it is a flat city, Columbus is a good
place for bicycling. COTA’s popular Bike ‘N Bus program has welcomed over
100,000 bikes since its introduction in 2005. Cyclists may attach their bikes to the
bike racks installed on the front of every COTA coach, free of charge.
Retiring is very affordable in Columbus. Short North and Grandview Heights are popular locations for retirees.

How realistic is it to live without a car in Columbus?
Cleve Ricksecker, an attorney who serves as Executive Director of two
Downtown Business Improvement Districts in Columbus, lived in Columbus without a car for. 30 years. .Here is his story::
“I moved to Columbus from Manhattan in 1977 and decided to try living in Columbus without a car. Thirty years, a divorce, and three school-age children later, I reluctantly purchased my first car after investigating various communal car arrangements without success. This failure to make communal car arrangements is my first car-free set back in Columbus.
“My three children are 9, 11, and 14. Most child-related trips do
not require a car. However, certain activities are difficult to manage without one. For example, area ice rinks for hockey leagues are located on the city’s outer belt highway. Magnate city schools draw from a 200 square mile area, so my oldest child’s friends tend to be scattered through the city.
“Zipcar (formerly Flexcar)has a presence in Columbus on the
Ohio State University campus, which is located about ten blocks from my house. The distance is about a mile. Zipcar locations are just far enough away that they are impractical to use for quick trips.
“I still use transit or walk to work each day. My oldest daughter
takes public transit to school each day. All of my kids love taking the
bus. The younger ones still view public transit as an amusement ride.
“Raising children in the Short North environment has been a great
experience. My kids can walk to 44 movie screens, a public market, a 40-acre
park, 200+ retail stores, public school, church, baby sitting jobs, soccer practice,
an NHL arena, and the homes of their friends.
“My house is the place where my 14-year old daughter’s friends
prefer meeting because it offers them independence. Rather than being tied to their parents’ cars, they can walk to their activities once they are brought to the Short North. This situation is an interesting switch from several years ago.
“When my 14-year old was younger, she preferred visiting her friends who had big yards and in-ground swimming pools. The tables turned when she reached puberty and she and her friends wanted to exercise some independence.”
For More Information
Visit www.cota.com, or call COTA Customer Service at
(614) 228-1776.

(Resource Box: See Steve’s report about living Car-Free in Columbus, OH. For comments or suggestions for future columns, e-mail steve@carfreeamerica.org )