Car Free

Introduction

Mobility

Mobility is a key to thriving, healthy, sustainable communities. Equal access to mobility improves connectivity between patients and their doctors, customers and employees with businesses, families and tourists to local amenities, as well a providing important infrastructure for evacuations or aid in emergency situations.


Equality & Quality of Life


"For many people, systemic racism has created barriers and challenges for how they move around communities, public spaces and the world. We envision a world where all people have the freedom and resources to walk, bike, take transit and drive with dignity and respect. Mobility justice, at a local level, looks different for each community, but should be centered around people and grounded in providing access to services for everyone." - PeopleForBikes: Racial Injustice


Policies that Focus on Fairness Improves Success

""You've got to give people a genuine choice: not just make it expensive to drive, but an opportunity to switch to walking or public transport," [Mark Watts] explains. "Barcelona introduced free travel for three years for those who got rid of polluting cars, Stockholm expanded bus services, London, around Ulez, has offered discounts on car-clubs, bike hire and scrappage.""  - BBC

Growing Popularity

"When the city of Ljubljana in Slovenia pedestrianised its city centre in 2007, opposition was considerable, with residents fearing restricted access to their homes – yet a little over decade later, roughly 90% said they were against reintroducing cars." - BBC

Initial Resistance

""The moment before you do something is the most precarious political moment of all, because of all the fearmongering," says Doug Gordon, a safe-streets advocate and co-host of the provocatively titled podcast War on Cars. "But, in my experience, the fears also don't usually come to pass and the benefits do."  - BBC

The "Goodwin Curve" of Acceptance

"There is even a curve that predicts this change in attitudes, according to Leo Murray, director of innovation at climate charity Possible. Named the "Goodwin curve" after the work of Philip Goodwin, emeritus professor of transport policy at University College London, the curve (or dip) charts how public support for road pricing schemes tend to begin well, with recognition of the need for intervention. That support then falls away as more specific details are released ahead of enforcement, only to rise again after implementation.

"We can't find a single example of a traffic-reduction measure that's been in place for more than two years that's then gone on to be removed because of a lack of public support," Murray notes, pointing to an Edinburgh study which showed initial opposition to speed limits shifting to support. He also cites Spain's reassuring message to Wales when the latter was considering introducing speed limit change.

"But the process of getting there is painful and always follows these curves," Murray adds. "So what is required is political courage and sensible scheduling. You don't want to be running for re-election at the start of the Goodwin curve."" - BBC

Space Used

Despite covering a shocking amount of our planet with farms (particularly for livestock and their feed), only around 1% of the planet's habitable space is covered with urban build up. This is expected to grow to an estimated 2% as our population continues to grow, but with rising property costs and the many other problems associated with expanding out, community planners understand the importance of keeping our communities condensed.


Valuable space is used up by privately owned vehicles that could better be utilized by walking, biking, bus or other forms of public transport. Parking shortages can cause conflict in cramped communities, and roadways split up lively communities, turning them into run down communities with higher crime rates. 


Making matters worse "Private cars sit parked 95% of the time. In fact, a single car usually occupies at least two parking spots: one at home, another at work. Because of this, contemporary cities have roads clogged with traffic, while premium spaces sit empty or occupied by a parked car." - MIT Senseable City Lab


Communities that take back their space from cars by implementing better public transportation, bike or car sharing programs, bike lanes, lower road speed limits, and closing off streets to motorized traffic find their communities income, safety, and other metrics for wellbeing start to increase.

Air Quality & Emissions

"Transport accounts for around one-fifth of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions [24% if we only consider CO2 emissions from energy]. In some countries – often richer countries with populations that travel often – transport can be one of the largest segments of an individual’s carbon footprint."


"Using a bike instead of a car for short trips would reduce your travel emissions by ~75%. Taking a train instead of a car for medium-length distances would cut your emissions by ~80%. Using a train instead of a domestic flight would reduce your emissions by ~84%."

Current Trends

Solutions

Congestion Pricing & Tolls

Tolls on congestion encourage lorries to go around city centers instead of through. They can also encourage drivers to use public transportation or active transit options. 

Tolls from drivers can be funneled into projects that improve or expand safe sidewalks and public transport systems, making alternatives better choices than driving, even as the number of added users increases. 

Many such projects have been underfunded for decades or more, so the added money is particularly important to communities struggling to implement walkable spaces, or make sure their public transport runs smoothly and frequently enough.

Places Already Implementing Congestion Pricing

Cities

Existing

Suggested

Countries

Why New York Will Charge $23/Day To Drive Into Manhattan

12:42 minute video about Manhattan's new congestion toll program.

New Jersey has been fighting New York's congestion pricing scheme due to fears that it will increase their own congestion and air pollution. However plans to Extend NYC subway to New Jersey could help alleviate this problem.

Infrastructure

4:52 minute video

Improve Walkability

Bikes 

Riding a bicycle is a great mode of green transportation.  Riding a bicycle instead of driving a car reduces your personal carbon footprint,  it’s a great workout, and the cost to own and maintain a bicycle is much less than a car.  Learn more, including links to bicycling organizations worldwide, in the Solutions section - Bicycles and Infrastructure.

Improve Public Transport

We need to improve, update, and expand public transport. In some places this can mean adding in more bus stops and increasing frequency, as well as improving/building sheltered bus stops and ensuring accessible routes to these bus stops.

Free Public Transit Opportunities

Free public transit helps the people who most desperately need to be able travel, do so. This may mean injured people can get to a doctor's visit, a person with vision problems can safely get to their optician, children can go to after school activities, and college students or young parents can make it to their jobs or schools.

International

Europe

Scotland

Oceana

Australia

Organizations

International

North America

USA

Maps

North America

USA

Washington

Grants & Funding

Asia

North America

USA