The Car-Free Life Isn't a Fantasy - Actually, There Is the First Car-Free Neighborhood

 A car is expensive to buy and maintain. Also when it's "off duty" while being repaired that creates major inconvenience and juggling. With aging comes the added difficulty of "driving at night." So, there is the fantasy of being car-free.

As New Yorkers know, that isn't a fantasy. It's reality. Public transportation is plentiful in Manhattan and nearby. 

Now, though, for those outside major metro areas the option of making it w/o a car is possible. The first neighborhood that is car-free, reportes CNBC, is Culdesac in Tempe, Arizona. 

Meanwhile electric bikes, electric scooters and more are opening the door to the possibility of being car-free in other communities. 

From the New York City area I have been getting by with a adult tricycle which will soon be retrofitted to electric. 

There have been other times in my life, after I left NYC metro, when I was w/o a car. One had been when starting my communications career in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I had wanted to buy a house. The way I could pull it off is if I sold the car. Public transporation in that city is amazing. Before that was when I was a doctoral student in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

This time around, while residing in small city Sierra Vista, AZ (population about 44,000), was the result of a recent serious car accident, involving personal injury. That happened on April 27th of this year. Less than five years ago I also had an accident. Though not serious, the latter still gets the attention of underwriters. Quotes to get insurance for a replacement vehicle were wild. My age also, I have a hunch, factored in.

There is a main drag in this city where everything can be accessible by bike, scooter or even walking. Public transportation is available. And, yes, of course there are Uber and Enterprise car rental. Surprise, there is towing service that can be purchased for electric bikes. 

A side benefit is weight loss. In the two months since I have been biking it I had knocked off 10 pounds. That's quite an accomplishment for someone in her 70s and with sedentary at-home work. 

Life isn't all rosy relying on a bike, though. This week I had a flat. Fortunately, the store where I purchased the trike has home-fixit service. But that didn't happen for two days. During that time I was limited to my two feet. I have yet to figure out the bus schedule. Also, the heat, as everywhere, can make for a sweaty experience. 

I checked with Enterprise. When I need to "get out of town" I can do that affordably if I book an economy car. Of course, I will have to pay for its insurance on the rental since I don't have my own car insurance. My first adventure will be to drive through ghost towns in AZ and New Mexico. 

Overall, the money saved? A king's ransom.

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