Car Free America

• Steve's Carfree Journey

  • Car Free Journey—April, 2009 By Steve Atlas As summer approaches, it's time for most of us to think about our summer vacation—or perhaps summer weekends. Too often, it's easy to assume that we need a car on the vacation: both to get where we are going, and then for daily excursions and outings once we have arrived at our vacation destination. But you and I know that we don't need a car to enjoy a great vacation. Walking, renting a bicycle, enjoying a boat trip or a train ... - #

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• Recent Posts

  • Steve’s car Free Journey (April 2009)
  • Steve’s Car Free Journey (March 2009)
  • Article from Taiwan E-News on Region’s Public Transportation Efforts
  • Article from: American Public Transportation Association’s WebSite
  • Steve’s Car-Free Journey (February 2009)

• Recent Comments

  • Binghamton Neighborhoods - New York (NY) - City-Data Forum on Binghamton, NY
  • Andrew Louden on Columbia, MD
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  • My Car-Free Journey (August 2008) : Car Free America on Binghamton, NY

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Author Archive

• 

  Welcome to Car Free America’s Web Site..

  Hi. I’m Steve Atlas, founder of CarFreeAmerica.org. I appreciate you visiting our web site. I hope you have viewed some of our city profiles—places with walkable neighborhoods where you can live without needing to depend on a car. If you haven’t already, look at our “gasoline price ticker” on the bottom left side of our home page. As you see the price of gas steadily increase (or temporarily decrease to under $4 a gallon), do you remember when gas cost less than $1 per gallon? Nearly every week, there is at least one newspaper article about how people are coping with the high cost of gasoline. Carpooling, selling large homes in communities far from public transportation, biking or using public transportation instead of driving—these are just a few ways people are changing the way they live. Reducing our dependency on a car doesn’t need to be a grim business—like taking an unpleasant medicine. Driving less can be fun. Walking, cycling, and using public transit can improve our health, and help us appreciate our neighborhood and community in a way that simply isn’t possible when you just drive past a neighborhood. If you take time to read some of the success stories on our web site, you will see how other people are improving their lives by driving less or not at all. Do you want to drive less, but don’t know how to get started? Write to us and we will try to provide some answers and tips? Are you looking for a new community or neighborhood where you won’t need to drive as much as you do now? Check out our city profiles for ideas. Are you planning a vacation where you can have a great time without needing to rent a car or buy gas? CarFreeAmerica.org will be developing a list of vacation ideas where driving isn’t necessary. Have you enjoyed a vacation where you didn’t need to drive? Do you live in a community or neighborhood that you would recommend to other people who don’t want to drive?. Write to me and tell me why you would recommend your neighborhood, community, or vacation location, and if we may use your name—or at least part of your name. Do you have tips or suggestions that could make it easier for others who don’t want to drive—not only where to live, but how to live (getting groceries, social life, getting to work, or anything else that is important to others who don’t want to be car dependent. Are you living now either without a car or with little or no need to drive? Tell us your success story, and what has worked for you. We may be able to include it in our success story section. You can E-mail your letters and comments to myself, Steve or to Doug my webmaster
  Be sure to follow my Column on the Left: “Steve’s Car Free Journey.”
  
  Thank You. Sincerely, Steve and Doug

• Other Resources

  • Live feed of Car Free Conference Portland, Oregon – June 2008
  • Suggest Ideas

• U.S. Car-Free News

  • 10.7 Billion Trips Taken On U.S. Public Transportation In 2008 -- Highest Level in 52 Years; Ridership Increased as Gas Prices Decline and Jobs Were Lost Transit News March 9, 2009 contacts: Virginia Miller (202) 496-4816 vmiller@apta.com (Download In Adobe PDF format) Despite falling gas prices and an economic recession, increasing numbers of Americans took 10.7 billion trips on public transportation in 2008, the highest level of ridership in 52 years and a modern ridership record, according to a report released today by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). This represents a 4.0 percent increase over the number ... - #

• International Car-Free News

  • Public transportation meeting opens in Taipei Central News Agency 2009-03-11 12:42 AM A regional conference on public transportation opened yesterday in Taipei, with 300 delegates from 22 countries gathering to discuss aspects of sustainable urban development and to observe Taiwan's progress in this regard. The March 10-13 Asia-Pacific Assembly of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) is being held under the theme "Helping Cities Breathe - Public Transport: The Key to Urban Sustainable Development." Taipei ... - #