Could you go a week without driving?
A BlogHer post has issued a challenge: go one week without using your car.
I know what the immediate reaction will be ”sure, New Yorker, easy for you to say!” And it’s true, living in Brooklyn and working in Manhattan, it’s a whole lot easier for me to go carless than for most people. But give it a shot. Try some alternatives.
Walk! It’s a good form of exercise, so you’re helping the environment and your health. You definitely don’t need to drive from your house to another house in your neighborhood, so allow yourself a few extra minutes and hoof it over there.
If you need to get somewhere that’s a little too far to walk, ride a bike. Of course, if you’re like me and you grew up not learning how to do that, look for a learn-to-ride course, buy a used cycle, and pedal away!
And there’s always public transportation. Even if you don’t live somewhere with a system like New York (or Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston or San Francisco) you should check out your city’s website and see what the bus schedule is like. You might be surprised at how easy and economical it is to ride with the people.
I know firsthand that living car-less in a car town is hard. My first two years of college I relied on buses and kindhearted friends to navigate Athens, GA. I’m not going to lie – it was a lot easier once I got a car. But it was possible. So give it a try! -Liza
(photo via opensource.boxwith.com)
