Change Your Routine for Car Free Day
Traffic. Ugh.
I HATE sitting in traffic. I bet you do too. It’s such a waste of time – not to mention all the pollution we’re causing while our cars idle.
Perhaps it’s Back to School. Perhaps there are road repairs underway or new road constructions.
Whatever the reason, there seems to be more and more traffic each day. More time wasted.
How can you avoid it?
Well, that’s what I’d like you to consider for Car Free Day on September 22nd.
Here you’ll find some options – some logical, others perhaps a little more interesting (including winning some prizes!). And then I’ll share the fascinating local public transport situation here on this beautiful tropical island where I live.
Avoid The Traffic
Often, you need to go places – you can’t stay at home all the time (even though some days that option seems very appealing!).
But how can you avoid the hassle of traffic, delays, and frustration?
It’s easy. You take a break from the traffic and go car free (or “car lite”) on Car Free Day.
And before Car Free Day, if you pledge to go Car Free, you’ll be entered to win prizes from WMATA, Fall Fest, Capital Bikeshare, Kind, CrunchFitness, and more. Cool!
Air quality leader Clean Air Partners and transportation network Commuter Connections are encouraging you to take the Car Free Day pledge – so get ready for the big day and get in with a chance of some prizes!
OK, but how can you go car free if you need to get somewhere?
No problem. There are actually a lot of alternatives – and the great thing is that:
- not only will you be doing the right thing,
- not only will you be in the draw for great prizes,
- but you’ll also be helping the environment by reducing car pollution,
- and you’ll even be improving the air quality in your area!
Now that’s a LOT of positives.
Let’s look at the options.
Car Free Alternatives
Here’s a list of some cool alternatives to car travel, together with a video. Then read to the end for what I do in the tropics.
Biking: Forget the headache of traffic, finding parking, and paying for gas by riding your bike. It could save you more than $1,000 a year! (And you could probably cancel your gym subscription if you cycle often).
Walking: Getting out of your car and walking to your destinations just two days a week can remove 1,600 pounds of pollution in just one year. Burn calories, not gas!
Ridesharing: If you can’t go car free, go “car-lite”! Carpooling with friends and co-workers not only improves air quality, it also gives you a chance to get to know the people in your community better, read a good book, or get a jump start on work emails.
Taking Public Transit: Eliminating one car per household and using public transport instead can save families $10,000+ per year.
(Wow, that’s serious money!). Why not try it out?
Teleworking: Have you checked with your employer recently if they’re OK with teleworking or tele-commuting? Many employers are now seeing the benefits – and employees are really happy about it!
And here’s an interesting fact: If everyone in the US teleworked just one day per week, we could save 2.3 million barrels of oil per year! So, get out of your car and into a new transportation routine!
Transport Options in the Tropics
As many of you know, I now live on a tiny tropical island in the middle of nowhere. The number of cars on the island has increased dramatically recently. Which means more congestion, more sitting wasting time in traffic. And of course, more pollution.
The roads here are not ideal for cycling, but motor bikes are quite common, and there is public transport in the form of buses. But if you live away from the main routes, it’s a problem.
Taxis are commonly used by tourists when they explore the island, but they’re relatively expensive. So what do the locals do?
Well, there’s a really interesting system here. Many islanders use their own cars to offer an informal taxi service. They’re incredibly cheap, and they’re everywhere. So you just stand by the side of the road, and soon enough one of these informal taxis will come along and pick you up.
Often, they are packed full of people, so it’s very green and eco friendly because it’s only one car’s emissions for several people. Plus, you get to see parts of your area you might not know, while people are dropped off at their destinations. Everyone chats away and you make new friends and acquaintances. Sometimes it’s a bit squashed, and the cars are far from new, but they are well-kept.
Or, sometimes, the easiest way to go from A to B is by boat. And yes, there are still some Taxi Boats operating. No pollution. No congestion.
It’s a wonderful way to travel and see a “slice of life” of the real island – one which very few tourists see.
Routine
Often, we use our cars without really thinking about possible alternatives. If you live in a city, you’ll have more options than rural areas. But there are always alternatives – and sometimes you just need to find them and try them out.
And that’s what we should all to do this Car Free Day.
Avoid the traffic hassles, and help to save the planet too!
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How much do you drive – a lot or a little? Let me know in the comments below.
Warm regards,
P.S. Don’t forget to download “Live Well, Live Green” for FREE here!
Related:
- Ride share / car share savings
- Why we don’t care about the environment any more
- These 16 photos show our danger – now (and #5 made my jaw drop).
