Clunker Cash for Car-Freedom? September 22 and Beyond!

All the excitement about the success of the Cash for Clunkers program and the release of a recent study about how homes in more walkable neighborhoods are worth more than similar homes in less walkable neighborhoods got me to thinking, what would have happened if car-freedom had been part of the Cash for Clunkers equation?

What if folks who traded in a clunker had been allowed to use their cash to purchase or pay the mortgage on a home in a walkable neighborhood rather than buy a new, more fuel-efficient car?

We've all heard how the Cash for Clunkers program has helped to revive auto sales, but not as much publicity has surrounded the findings of a CEOs for Cities study by Joe Cortright entitled “Walking the Walk: How Walkability Raises Housing Values in U.S. Cities.”

The study analyzed data from 94,000 real estate transactions in 15 major markets, including Arlington. Using additional data from Walk Score, "Walking the Walk" found that in 13 of the 15 markets, higher levels of walkability were directly linked to higher home values.

My theory is that if some of the folks who participated in the Cash for Clunkers program had been given the choice to go car-free, perhaps they might have invested their clunker money in a home in walkable neighborhood.  And just as Cash for Clunkers helped the auto industry, choosing to go car-free could have benefited the economy by enhancing the local tax base. This choice would also contribute to individual wealth by increasing the value of what is, for most people, their biggest asset.

Whether or not you've made the choice to go car-free or car-lite, here's cause for celebration! World Car-Free Day 2009 is this Tuesday, September 22, so make plans now to leave your car at home or go car-lite on Tuesday! Whether you walk, bike, take transit, carpool with a friend, or work from home, car-freedom can be yours! 

Just pledge to go car-free or car-lite at www.carfreemetrodc.com. If you already commute car-free or car-lite, you can still pledge as a way to highlight your choice of using alternative modes of transportation. (Either way, make sure you register so you can win prizes!) 

Then as Car-Free Day turns to Car-Free night, join Arlington County Commuter Services to celebrate your car-freedom at Arlington's Car-Free Diet Celebration. The festive night of car-free fun runs from 4-8 p.m. on Tuesday at Mister Days in Clarendon. We'll be celebrating World Car-Free Day and the launch of Arlington's new Car-Free Diet Seven-Day Plan with free food, raffle drawings, trip planning assistance and more! 

Thanks to Arlington's Car-Free Diet Retail Partners, you can continue the celebration all week with Car-Free Day discounts at participating establishments from September 22-25. Just print out this Car-Free Day coupon and be sure to thank our Retail Partners for supporting World Car-Free Day!

Oh, and if Arlington's World Car-Free Day goings-on aren't enough to convince you to ditch the gas-guzzler, the entire week of September 21-25 is Try Transit Week! What more incentive do you need?

Whether you walk, bike, bus (ART 41 and 77 or Metrobus 38B and 24P) or Metro (Orange Line-Clarendon), we hope to see you at Mister Days on World Car-Free Day!

Lauren Hassel
WALKArlington

Comments

[someone]

Uh, I'm pretty sure the way the CARS program worked was that the money went directly to the dealer. So, no -- nobody used their clunker cash for anything other than a new car.

[Lola]

Is this what you really believe? That is not how cash for clunkers worked. You had to crunch a clunker and purchase a new car that met certain fuel standards. The money did not go to the consumer. So, no, cash for clunkers did not cause more people to move to Arlington County and therefore, increase its tax base.

[Lauren Hassel]

Thanks for your comment. With my comparison, I was trying to provide
folks with a reason to think outside the four-wheeled metal box by
theoretically connecting the successful Cash for Clunkers campaign with
gains in the number of folks choosing car-free lifestyles -- in time for
World Car-Free Day. The intended focus of the blog post was on car
freedom, not the cash for clunkers program, in an effort to provide food
for thought. Thanks for setting the record straight.

Lauren Hassel

WALKArlington Outreach and Promotions Coordinator

Arlington County Commuter Services/Division of Transportation/Department
of Environmental Services

Arlington County Government

Courthouse Plaza

2100 Clarendon Boulevard, Suite 900

Arlington, VA 22201

703.228.0072 (office)

703.597.3343 (cell)

703.228.7548 (fax)

lhassel@arlingtonva.us

www.WALKArlington.com

Office Hours:

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday