Arlington's Car-Free Diet Blog

Car-Free in Arlington: First by Choice and Now by Necessity

I live and work in Arlington and have always tried to live a car-free/car-lite lifestyle. With two small kids and unforgiving deadlines for drop-offs and pick-ups, however, I must admit that I have not always been able to live up to my car-free standards. Then I had foot surgery in early January. While the surgery took only two hours, recovery requires two months in a cast and on crutches, plus one month in one of those stylish walking boots. Oh, and NO DRIVING for the three-month duration. 

I'm at the halfway point and the transition has been remarkably easy. Why?  One word: options...

1. I live just two houses down from a street served by three bus lines and just four blocks from the closest Metro train station. These transit options get me almost everywhere I need to go.

2. My employer offers transit benefits so buses and Metro rides are no extra expense.

3. I've been carpooling with my family and hitching rides with friends and neighbors when needed, particularly for school and extracurricular activities.

4. I've taken the occasional cab, though only when absolutely necessary.

Just yesterday, my choices in this final category multiplied with the addition of EnviroCab to the Arlington scene.

Billed as the first carbon-negative taxi operator in the country, EnviroCab uses only hybrid vehicles that conserve gas by running on electric motors at certain speeds. Since these cars still emit carbons, EnviroCab plans to buy carbon offsets from carbonfund.org to achieve its carbon-negative goal.

EnviroCab hit Arlington streets on February 11, with 15 taxis. Another 25 will be added to the fleet by the end of February. All are Ford Escape or Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles.

As luck would have it, I had an opportunity to try this new green Arlington cab service yesterday when I found myself without any other way to pick up my kids from the extended day program at school. Minutes after calling 703-920-3333, I was met by a friendly cab driver in his brightly painted green and white Toyota Prius, threw my crutches in the pristine back seat, and fastened my seatbelt.

In the short round-trip to my kids' school , we attracted a lot of attention from fellow commuters as well as from the elementary school kids who saw us pull up alongside the playground. Once inside the cab, my 8-year-old son marvelled at the high-tech mapping and tracking devices that helped us navigate the 1.5-mile trip home. My daughter liked the colorful paint job and knowing that we weren't polluting.

Minutes later, we were back home. The fare was no more than a traditional cab ride, and the emissions were far less. The trip was also educational, as I learned that Arlington-based Red Top cab purchased five hybrid Escapes last year, providing yet another green cab option here in Arlington.

While I would have preferred not to undergo foot surgery or the subsequent marathon recovery,  I sure am glad I could recover in Arlington. Whether bus or metro, car-pooling or green cabs, Arlington has a car-free or car-lite option for everyone -- and you don't even have to be on crutches to try them all!

Lauren Hassel, Arlington, Virginia

Go Car-Free and Feel Zenned Out, Relaxed and Lighter

Last month we found found inspiration for going car-free in a story from Los Angeles (Inspiration for Going Car-Free from L.A. Yes, That's Los Angeles, December 16, 2007) about Simon Pastucha, city planner and father of two, who went car-free. So now comes another inspirational car-free story from the city everyone associates with the automobile. This time, L.A. Times blogger Seil - who writes the environmental blog Emerald City: Siel Follows The Road To Green Living Los Angeles - shares the story of "L.A. girl Kathryn Pope" (Car-Free in L.A.: Girl Meets Motorboard, January 17) who is going car-free by using a combination of an electric motorboard scooter, public transit and carsharing. Says Kathryn:

"Then once this October, while the car was in the shop, I decided not to let my car interfere with my life anymore, and I took the bus. I read while I traveled. I watched people around me. I looked out the window. And when I got where I was going, I was downright zenned out."

The zen-like experience led Kathryn to make the decision to eventually go car-free. And now she says:

"The thing I'm enjoying most about being car-free is how relaxed I've become. It actually feels like a luxury to let someone else drive me from place to place. I feel more a part of the community, because I'm not isolated from it, and I feel considerably lighter."

Now that's very nicely said, isn't it?

You can follow Kathryn's story in Siel's "De-car-ing" series.

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Chris Hamilton is the Commuter Services Chief for Arlington County, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a biking/Metro commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria.

Car-Free in Milwaukee!?

A couple of weeks ago I was riding the Metro and overheard an interesting interaction.  A newbie rider got on, and a conversation ensued between her and a couple of other riders, who seemed to be regulars.  She mentioned that she was from Milwaukee, and one of her interlocutors mentioned that he had gone to college there a decade or so ago.  So, as people will, they chatted about various places they knew in common and were having quite a pleasant little talk.  Then out of nowhere the gentleman who had gone to college there said, ". . .and it's easy to live there without a car."
What a surprise!--for a couple of reasons.

First, the whole idea of relating to a stranger that living without a car is an advantage in our car-culture society was quite unusual.  And second, Milwaukee is not a city that immediately comes to mind when one thinks of places to live without owning cars.

So if they can do it in Milwaukee, then the Car-Free diet in Arlington should be even easier.  Those of you who read Chris Balish's How to Live Well Without a Car may recall that the author started out in St. Louis, which is probably not that dissimilar from Milwaukee for living car-free.
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Steve Offutt is an Arlington resident who lives car-lite, but yearns for the day he can be car-free again.

A couple of weeks ago I was riding the Metro and overheard an interesting interaction.  A newbie rider got on, and a conversation ensued between her and a couple of other riders, who seemed to be regulars.  She mentioned that she was from Milwaukee, and one of her interlocutors mentioned that he had gone to college there a decade or so ago.  So, as people will, they chatted about various places they knew in common and were having quite a pleasant little talk.  Then out of nowhere the gentleman who had gone to college there said, ". . .and it's easy to live there without a car."
What a surprise!--for a couple of reasons.

First, the whole idea of relating to a stranger that living without a car is an advantage in our car-culture society was quite unusual.  And second, Milwaukee is not a city that immediately comes to mind when one thinks of places to live without owning cars.

So if they can do it in Milwaukee, then the Car-Free diet in Arlington should be even easier.  Those of you who read Chris Balish's How to Live Well Without a Car may recall that the author started out in St. Louis, which is probably not that dissimilar from Milwaukee for living car-free.
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Steve Offutt is an Arlington resident who lives car-lite, but yearns for the day he can be car-free again.

Commuter Kicks Car Habit

Two years ago, Simon Pastucha (pictured here) - an urban designer and planner for the city of Los Angeles - left his Mercedes SUV at the dealership and hasn't looked back. But how does a professional with children and far-flung meetings survive in car-centric Los Angeles without owning an automobile? Quite easily, I found after tagging along with Pastucha on his commute. Click here for the rest of the story from the Daily News in Los Angeles, December 5, 2007 by Kerry Cavanaugh.

Simon Pastucha, Los Angeles, California

A Car-Free Day Trip

Arlington schools were closed for teacher planning on election day. Spending the day at home with my two elementary school-age kids sounded like a recipe for disaster.  But what kind of traffic-free day trip could we pull off on a Tuesday, with morning and evening rush hours limiting our options?  Then I had an idea, a wonderful, green, cheap, and car-free idea!

My kids have long admired the double-decker Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter trains from afar, but as Arlington residents, we never had a reason to take a commuter train to the outer suburbs.  I had considered taking them on a VRE ride on a holiday, only to find out that the commuter trains don't run on holidays.  But this day off was different. Since election day is not a holiday, the VRE trains run on normal schedules.  In other words, this was the perfect opportunity to take a day trip via train to the end of the line, be it Manassas or Fredericksburg.

I did some research by calling the VRE information line and got some great tips from a very helpful staff member. He explained that most VRE trains are reserved for commuters, and only certain routes at certain times allow walk-up passengers. For our purposes, none of the Fredericksburg trains met those criteria, but several Manassas runs did.

I learned that my fare would be $7.20 each way, my 8-year-old son's would be 1/2 price, and my 5-year-old daughter would be free. The VRE information specialist further advised me to buy round-trip tickets at the Gray Line booth at Union Station in order to get the half-price fare for my son. Apparently, ticket machines at the stations only sell full-fare tickets.

We arrived at Union Station by metrorail around noon, bought our round-trip VRE Manassas line tickets at the Gray Line tours booth in the Union Station parking garage, then located the track where we could catch the 1:15 train. We spent the next 45 minutes exploring Union Station and people-watching.

At 1:00, we decided to wait on the platform, watching passengers board the Fredericksburg train and forgetting for a moment that we were only going to go about 30 miles west of DC! As the excitement mounted, the Manassas train pulled in.

My kids surged forward, and we made our way up the stairs onto the train, then up again to the top level. They settled into their upholstered seats and minutes later, we were on our way.  The urban scenery from downtown to the Potomac River through Crystal City to Alexandria gave way to vivid autumn trees set off by occasional subdivisions, streams, and VRE stations.

We barely had time to read The Little Engine That Could when we pulled into the historic depot at Manassas, in the heart of Old Town, around 2:30.  We looked around the train station museum, made use of the very clean restrooms, grabbed some information at the adjacent visitors center, and crossed the tracks to eat a late lunch at one of the many restaurants within walking distance of the station.

After lunch, we still had plenty of time to wander around Old Town Manassas and scored some bargains at the local thrift shop minutes before they closed.  We then returned to the pavilion across the tracks from the depot, played catch, and ran around until it was time to get back to the station.

The 5:15 train was right on time, and we boarded and made our way to the upper level without incident.  This train was newer than the first, and we sat at a table with space-age seats that looked like they belonged on a rocket!  It was dark for the return trip, so we decided to play cards instead of admiring the scenery. I taught my son how to play gin rummy while my daughter drew pictures. We looked around, and there was only one other passenger on our car -- a private coach!

Before we knew it, we were back at Union Station and heading to the metro for our return trip to Arlington. We arrived home by 7:00 p.m. feeling energized and triumphant.  After all, we'd avoided the rush hour delays and stress that go with driving, while enjoying some rare quality time, courtesy of a very comfortable and civilized VRE passenger experience. 

So next time you're in the mood for a day trip, look no further than Virginia Railway Express and go car-free!  Just make sure it's a non-holiday weekday and do a little research before you head out!

Lauren Hassel
Arlington

From DC to Rosslyn Car-free

  My morning metro ride from Judiciary Square to Rosslyn gives me a head-start on my work-out.  Each morning I walk up the sometimes seemingly endless escalator at Rosslyn, tallying about 86 steps before I've even had my morning coffee.  The extra steps help get me moving and also make room for a Reese's peanut butter cup in the afternoon-plus I get into the office about 5 minutes faster!

Carly Nider

Car-Lite in Bellview Forest

I don't live close to Metro, so it is a bit more work to go on a reduced car diet. I can take the 15L Metrobus in the AM or the ART bus to Rosslyn or Ballston. I Metro or take the 23A Metrobus to Crystal City. Then it is the Metrobus 9S.  It is a bit of work, but no parking woes!

Yvette Hopkins, Bellview Forest

Car-lite in Clarendon-Courthouse

The four of us—mom, dad, and two kids—live in Clarendon-Courthouse with one car. Dad bikes to work, mom takes the Metro, and we walk to elementary school and drive the preschooler. We walk to the grocery store, the farmer’s market, etc. As the kids get older, there are more and competing demands on the car . . . that’s when a Zipcar comes in handy. But sometimes we bike to make up the difference—our seven-year-old loves that. We consider living in a walkable and bikeable community to be a huge blessing and an important choice. The extra money we spent on housing is balanced by the money we save on gas, no car payment, less insurance, and less time spent commuting. Walking and biking places makes us healthier and better connects us to the community.

- Kristine Wood

Biking and walking in Clarendon

I’ve been a walking commuter in Arlington for quite some time. When I was a kid, my bike was my transportation. Then I grew up and was able to drive myself to wherever I needed (or wanted) to go. Now I’ve seen my future, and it’s back in my past! Biking in Arlington is awesome. When I originally thought about getting a bike, I thought I would be doing more recreational, fun biking—e.g., on the many trails around here. But now that I’m becoming more comfortable on the bike and more familiar with the bike lanes and bike ways, I’m discovering that bike as transport is incredibly convenient. And, yes, fun. I found this neat wire basket that snaps right onto the rear rack of my bike. It’s sturdy and has a handle, so I can carry it right into the store, into work, and even around the farmer’s market. And since it snaps onto that standard rack, my husband can use it, too. The other morning, I biked to a meeting at Central Library, then I biked to my office at Courthouse Plaza. A quick commute in the gorgeous weather—and fun, too!

- Diana Sun

Car-lite in Columbia Pike

My family just sold our second car and are doing great without it. We stopped using our second car about six months ago to determine if car-lite living would work for us. Our little experiment proves to me that we’ll thrive as a one-car family. Our initial inspiration for car-lite living was the film Who Killed the Electric Car? Although we own a gas-electric hybrid car, our hybrids of choice are human-electric hybrids—namely, electric bicycles. We have substantially minimized our driving, saved money formerly spent on car repairs and gas, improved our fitness, and reduced our waistlines. Plus, our bicycles are much more fun than driving. The electric bikes virtually flatten hills and make restarts at traffic signals easy. Since our nearest Metrorail station is approximately three miles away, I was initially hesitant to give up our second car. It turns out that transportation without a car is easier than I expected. I walk to stores that are near my home and commute to work by bicycle. I ride Metrobus on the few days that the weather is snowy or icy and have signed up for Flexcar in the rare case I need a car for a few hours.

- Amy Adler

Car-lite in Ballston

I guess we would fall under the car-lite category. We have just the one car, a small Geo Prizm for a family of four. We bought it for its fuel economy. The car is used pretty much daily to take our son to preschool and to run errands, but we don’t put many miles on it. It’s twelve years old and going strong, since we use it so little. We try to avoid driving. I’d much rather be doing other things. I walk about 1.5 miles to the Ballston Metro each day to ride downtown to work, and then I walk about four blocks downtown to my office. I do the reverse to get home. I’ve been doing it every day from this house for the last ten years. When we were shopping for our house back then, it was a requirement that it be walking distance to Metro. I’ve been taking Metro to work for sixteen years. The walk each day is a relaxing way to unwind after work as I come home, and it really keeps me in shape. We walk to the nearby playgrounds, and walk to the Safeway for small trips to pick up a handful of items if we have run out of something. Our daughter and I ride bikes on the nearby bike paths for fun.

- Karen and Daniel Ruff

Car-free in Arlington

I’m actually kind of a poster boy for no-car living. I’m forty-eight and have never owned a car in my life! I’m lucky. For twenty years I’ve lived near the subway for getting to work, so public transportation is easy for me. I bike to work when the weather is warm enough and dry. I use my bike and panniers for routine shopping trips. I use my bike for exercise and to stay in shape. I keep a shopping list going and save up errands or heavy purchases (like jugs of detergent) and then I rent a car, usually about once or twice a month. I also try to organize my shopping trips for Saturdays, then use the car in the evening to go to a party or visit friends. Sometimes friends will loan me a car if they go out of town. I always return it full of gas and usually I wash the car and vacuum it for them so they get it back fresh and clean. With a little planning, it’s really quite easy to live without a car if you plan ahead and don’t have to be spontaneous every moment!

- Jeff Morin

Car-Lite in Virginia Square

My wife, eighteen-year-old daughter, and I do very nicely with only one car. We live in Arlington, about a mile from the Virginia Square Metro station and only a few blocks' walk from the supermarket, pharmacy, and hardware store. Normally, my wife and I bicycle to work (about six to seven miles each way). On days when bicycling doesn't work, one or both of us bicycle to the Metro. Or one or the other walks two blocks to the bus stop and takes the bus to Metro. Our daughter sometimes bicycles, sometimes gets a ride from a friend, and sometimes drives our car. In a pinch one of us will take a taxi.

- Peter Harnik, 58, center director