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One thing that doesn't get mentioned in articles like this is that people need to "slow down" their lives. If you walk, bike, or use public transportation inste

One thing that doesn't get mentioned in articles like this is that people need to "slow down" their lives. If you walk, bike, or use public transportation instead of driving, many things will take longer to accomplish. I went car-free for 19 years. By bike, my commute took twice as long. (It was three times longer using public transportation.) Errands that could be made in one car trip, might take several trips if walking or biking, since I could carry less in a backpack or on my bike. You learn that some trips are "unnecessary." > Many of the car trips that people take are within biking distance — say, to dinner, or an activity like a movie theater. Maybe; but, I don't want to be sweaty when I sit down to dinner or watch a movie. I'd walk or take the bus.

cranky908canuck 5y ago
"may take several trips ... less in a backpack or on my bike" EBikes help here. I have a 'ready-bike' for these sorts of things, electric (euro-legal pedelec) and a trailer hooked up to it. The trailer will take a week of groceries, and the electric means I can dash out without worrying about the added weight if it's just a tin of beans. So, a lot of errands work for this. Hooking up the trailer is a bit of a chore, so keeping it on is key (for me) to making this the 'go-to' vehicle. Trailers are somewhat pricey new, but show up on used/swap sites for cheap; and as a bonus it seems as if people reckon you have a child on board (which I sometimes do, that's what it was originally purchased for) and give you a bit more space.