Since 2000, World Car Free Day has been regularly celebrated each year on September 22. According to the World Carfree Network:"World Carfree Day is an annual celebration of cities and public life, free from the noise, stress and pollution of cars."I don't know about you, but where I live, life without a car isn't practical. That said, I think World Car Free Day is a wonderful opportunity to examine society's over-dependence upon the automobile. If you - like me - can't eliminate car usage entirely, try to reduce your dependence upon automobiles and learn to use them more efficiently. Some ideas to consider:
- Sit down with your family and look at a map of your neighborhood. When running errands, is there some way to make one loop around town instead of zigzagging back and forth?
- The next time you go shopping, is there a place to park your car that allows you to walk from store to store instead of parking - and driving - to each?
- Have you looked into all types of public transit offered in your area? Would these travel options - buses, monorail, trains, etc. - work for anyone in the family?
- Are you missing opportunities to get to know classmates or co-workers by carpooling?
Serious about going car free? Green LA Girl has ideas for renting out your car, supporting public transit, biking, and more. Check out Car Free Mondays, a series of interviews with women living (happily) sans automobile in Los Angeles.
Photo credit: Anuradha Sengupta, via flickr // CC BY 2.0
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