Unexpected Perks of Ditching the Car

for a day, a week... or a whole new life

WHAT IF driving less often wasn’t a personal sacrifice — something begrudgingly endured to lower our carbon footprint? What if it was actually a gift? A liberation from stress? An invitation to enjoy the journey(s) a bit more?

Back in 2019, I finally got the chance to fulfill a dream and move to a tiny urban studio, but there was one caveat: studios in my building didn’t include a parking spot. I had no idea if I could actually live—and work—in Denver without a car, but the simple fact was: I wanted to live downtown more than I wanted my car.

So I took the leap, not knowing what I’d learn… here’s what I found:

a small sampling of wonder at my feet on urban walks — a quick search in my iphoto collection tells me I have over 900 similar photos with “feet”

If looking for random discoveries on the city-sidewalk isn’t your thing (although I might note it can be profitable, having once stepped on a $100 bill and successfully reunited it with it’s owner, so, profitable in the racking up good-karma sense), here are a few other bonuses I’ve discovered in my three years without a car.

UNEXPECTED PERKS of going car-less:

• $10,360 SAVINGS, per year — yes you read that right — here’s the math:

  • annual cost associated with driving: $10,728 (AAA estimate for 2022, think gas, insurance, parking, repairs, car payments, maintenance, registration, etc.)

  • actual dollars I spent on public transit in ‘22: $240, plus $128 for a kick-ass new pair of Hoka walking shoes

• 4.6 METRIC TONS of CO2 SPARED, per year

  • according to the EPA (2022), the average passenger vehicle emits approximately 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year

  • this means, in three years, I’ve spared the atmosphere of 13.8 metric tons of CO2… imagine if several of us did this… and our friends, and their friends…

  • if you’re thinking, it’s ok I’ll just plant some trees, here’s your assignment: it takes 31-46 fully-grown TREES (saplings don’t count) 100 YEARS to offset ONE metric ton of carbon dioxide

• ZERO…

  • number of parking/speeding/tail-light tickets I’ve gotten in the last three years

• MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS

  • dramatic drop in all stress associated with driving: traffic, aggressive drivers, road-rage, pot-holes, near-miss accidents, weather-related driving anxiety, getting lost, finding a parking spot, etc.

• PHYSICAL HEALTH BENEFITS

  • health benefits of walking: reduced stress, increased cardiovascular and pulmonary fitness, reduced risk of heart disease and stroke, strengthening of bones and muscles, increased energy, and so many more

• HAPPINESS BENEFITS

  • instead of spending time in a sealed box, speeding over pavement, lost in a sea of cars… now you’re walking in fresh air and finding routes that make the journey positive, mind-clearing part of your commute, often sparking curious thoughts and interesting connections* along the way

    *connections that often morph into Good Footprints posts like this one

• EMPOWERMENT

  • feeling of accomplishment when you figure out the bus/transit system

  • feeling of satisfaction looking at your step-count at the end of the day

• PEACE OF MIND

  • no more driving around (and around and around) looking for a place to park

    • and no more later wondering, “where did I park again?”

  • no more anxiety wondering if you locked the car even though you know you did and walking back only to add imagined extra lockiness

  • no more panicked “oh crap, are my brakes going? what’s that rattle? did it always sound like that? when did I change the oil last? it’s time to register the car already again? oh please… not the check engine light!!”

  • no more worrying when a violent spring storm spits frozen baseballs from the sky if your windshield will still be there when it’s over

• MORE BONUSES

  • ironically (this was the biggest surprise for me) an increased sense of freedom not being tied down by car ownership

  • no more guilt burning nonrenewable, fossilized trees and injecting the carbon they stored safely for hundreds-of-millions of years directly into the atmosphere

  • no more siphoning dollars out of your bank account into the hands of oil executives (this may be my favorite one)

Frequently asked questions:

Q: Sure but, do you just use uber all the time?

A: I’ve become interested in reducing all of my single-passenger-vehicle use, so in three years, I’ve only used uber or cabs when traveling to places that don’t offer public transportation to airports or train stations (also, why are there still places that don’t offer public transportation from airports or train stations??)

Q: Do you miss your car?

A: NO. Never. Not once (OK once: when there was an aurora borealis nearby I would have chased outside the city but, other than that, not once). There’s always the option to rent or car-share, but I haven’t done it yet. I can get everywhere I need to go — including deep into the mountains (thank you, Amtrak & Bustang!) — without one.

Q: Do you miss anything about having a car?

A: I miss listening to NPR while I drive. That’s it. OK and I do miss jumping in the car for a spontaneous fall-foliage road trip — I might break down this year and do my first rental for that. I’ll be looking to rent a hybrid or electric.

Resources and ways to drive a little less (you don’t have to get rid of your car to live more car-free):

• RTD if you’re in Denver, this service is more reliable than you think, and you can park your car for free at light-rail stations to reduce the car-bound part of a commute, also:

  • ALERT!! HB23-1101 PASSED in the legislative session that just ended, which means during “ozone season” (yes, that’s officially a thing now), RTD is offering FREE TRANSIT FOR ALL for JULY AND AUGUST! If you’re bothered by our brown-sky, “ozone hazard days” and don’t want to contribute, park your car and RIDE for FREE this summer!

• Bustang — coach-style bus service operated by Colorado that is, frankly, amazing. Affordable, comfortable, and travels all directions from Denver, including into the mountains to popular ski areas and destinations west

• Amtrak — Denver is lucky to be a major stop on the California Zephyr, and trains depart daily from here east through Omaha to Chicago (where you can pick up trains east and south) and west to Glenwood Springs, Salt Lake City and on to San Francisco. It’s a great alternative to a road trip. I’m a frequent rider so please ask any questions you have about Amtrak. Also see THIS article for more amusing Amtrak tales.

• Googlemaps — public transportation overlays and the option to select “transit” when you need directions to places — it gives you bus/train/subway numbers, times, frequency, etc.

I realize the car-free life-style isn’t possible in so many places — our public infrastructure needs so much work. I read recently that GenZ is the first to come along to be driving later and less. As with so many critical issues, they’ll be the ones to finally demand improvements to public transportation en masse. My admiration for them is another post for another day…

Until then, keep leaving Good Footprints, my friends!

Have you considered reducing car-use? I’d love to hear your thoughts…