Other Car-Free People!

Earlier this week I began browsing the Internet, looking for information for and about bicycle commuters and other people who choose to use cars less or not at all. I was surprised and impressed by what I found: there are websites, forums, and blogs all devoted to car-free living or bicycle commuting.

Did you know that between the 2000 Census and the 2008 Census, there was a 43% increase in people who commuted to work by bicycle? Granted, bicycle commuters still only constitute around a mere 0.5% of all commuters nationwide. Of course, that's an average. In Stanford, California, bicycles account for 44.92% of the transportation options taken by commuters. Surprisingly, in Missoula, Montana, where the winters are fierce, bicyclists account for 5.88% of commuters.

I was also surprised to learn that "Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008"--better known as the Wall Street Bailout--includes provisions allowing employers to take a tax credit for reimbursing bicycle commuters for reasonable expenses associated with their commute. The program is similar to others already in place that provide benefits to employees who commute via mass transit or carpooling. I was excited to hear about this--perhaps the turning of a new leaf?--until I saw that the bicycle commuter benefits were limited to $20 a month, or $240 per year, while the carpooling benefits can be as high as $115 per month, a whopping $1,380 per year. It seems like while bicycle commuting is receiving some notice, it is still playing second-fiddle to the car and other internal combustion vehicles.

Not everyone is enthralled with cars, though, and not everyone can afford to own and maintain one. Internet forums such as "Bike Forums: Car-free Living" are packed with people who use bikes rather than cars. I was incredibly impressed to learn that there are people who have been car-free for years. Not all of them live in warm, sunny climates. If you want to see some inspiring photos of winter commuting, check out this link: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=591869 . This couple lives in rural Maine and are car-free; he for two years, she for one. When it gets snowy, they are out there going to work. Actually, he points out that he gets there sooner than his co-workers, because while they are out shoveling their driveways, he is on his bike and riding.

Reading stories like this one make me feel a little bit more confident about the coming winter. They also challenge me with the question of what I'll do after the semester is over. Start driving the car again? Stick to the bike? Some combination of the two?