This fascinated me and really stirs the desire for a more car-lite lifestyle. I’m not ready to pack my bags for NYC or Paris just yet, but eliminating the daily necessity of car dependance would be a breath of fresh air.
Trigger warning…
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This is a nice introductory overview that should enable some fruitful conversations.
I have been on my own car-light journey for more than 2 decades now and have made purposeful decisions about where and how I live with intention to shift what I do by car to what I can do by foot in particular. The key is that one has to make that decision and not expect that it’s just going to either happen or not happen.
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I got really stuck into purposefully NOT DRIVING during the pandemic, and really embraced my 10-20 walking radius and made very intentional decisions about walking to do as many of my daily errands as possible. Unfortunately, as times have normalized (and kids have grown), I find myself driving more and more. I should have realized how many more errands kids school/doctor/dentist/activities added to my necessary weekly driving. WCPSS didn’t help by redistricting us to a different school farther away, then requiring us to drop off/pickup daily to keep our kid in the same school he had already been in for 3 years. #eyeroll
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I keep NYC on my radar. I’ve considered the outer boroughs. I’d probably be more in Queens area, but I’ve liked the investments into biking infrastructure, the conversion of some streets to be local only, and the fact that it ranks lower in crime than a lot of cities.
We’ve also talked about Germany since we have family there.
On the car dependency side. I also believe this is due to government on both federal and local policies. I don’t think cities have really done enough to change. Even given there are some changes, I feel they are more of a afterthought vs. actually looking to implement actual change and provide alternative transport alternatives.
I’ve never understood how the school districting works around here. I’ve seen where people need to travel a long distance to get their kids to school. As we are starting to talk about kids ourselves, we’re considering where we want to raise kids.
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Given the development patterns in the US over the past half-century, it will take decades for cities to evolve into areas where a vehicle is not a necessity, apart from places like DC, NYC, Chicago, and a few others where cars are already less essential. In the near future, Raleigh could become a car-lite city, enabling individuals and families to potentially reduce their car ownership to just one vehicle. This shift would not only lower household expenses but also promote the development of more walkable neighborhoods.
Robo-taxis could significantly impact car-free living in urban areas without public transit. Ideally, within walking or biking distance, most daily needs should be met if we keep up-zoning downtown areas. Rental cars or robo-taxis could be used for the occasional longer trips or weekend getaways. With the cost of new car ownership now approaching over $1,000 per month (roughly $30 per day), reducing car usage can substantially affect financial burdens and save time. Spending over 30 minutes daily in a car has been shown to increase stress and anxiety, prompting consideration of whether traditional suburban living is worth the associated drawbacks.
I often reflect on my schedule and realize that taking just one four-day trip each quarter and a two-week international vacation annually means my car sits idle for an entire month. Despite this, I still incur the $50 ride share cost for each airport ride. Maybe @GucciLittlePig could be my chauffeur!
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i cant speak to your particular situation…as a 6th and 7th graderer in brentwood, when the bus actually went through the neighborhood, i would get get home from school, catch then the Brentwood (CAT) to St Marys for dentestry near Broughton HS, scoot downtown via bus to meet my dad as he got off work at Salisbury St (state govt) near 530 pm and ride back home with him on a outbound CAT. that old system must seem arcane now but if you lived in a certain spot it was oddly workable.
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Wow! I always thought growing up in Brentwood would have been pretty fun. We lived there a few years but moved after our third kid was born. If there was still a bus on Brentwood Rd we probably would have stayed and added on to the house. As it is now, the #1 bus is great for adults. I used it whenever it was too rainy to bike to work, but I wouldn’t have wanted my kids using the crosswalk at Brentwood and Capital. 
We sort of got lucky with the bus system where we live now. We moved to be on the greenway but soon realized the #27 (the #16 at the time) stopped at the end of our street.
It’s been great for my kids. My oldest son can get most anywhere he wants on his own using the bus system. He took the bus to brier creek this evening to meet a friend. He takes the bus a few times a week to various jobs he had. My daughter biked herself to meet with friends at 4pm and should be home in about 15 minutes.
I only share this to encourage anyone who is trying to live car-light with kids. It’s certainly possible, but it takes some creativity—especially outside 440. We’ve lived here 19 years and have only ever had one car. I’m not going to say it’s fun all the time, but neither is buying a car for every person over 16 in my household. The amount of money we have saved is substantial and my kids know it.
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A subway line can move 36,000 people per hour in each direction, which is the equivalent of a 20 lane highway. Mass transit is the answer to a geometry problem.
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The only change I’d make to the graphic is that I’d make the 3rd city skyline larger to indicate that more people are living in it: close to their jobs &/or other activities that are typically accessed by cars.
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