Arlington's Car-Free Diet Blog

Why Stop There?

Last year I lived in Falls Church and commuted about 25-30 minutes to Rosslyn every day. I would often have to pay about $8/day for parking and we all know how expensive gas was/is. I "owned" a car that I was shelling out $300/month payments on, another $900+ per year for insurance, unknown hundreds on things like oil changes and tire problems, and of course several hundred dollars in property tax. In August, I moved to Ballston. Initially, I took the Metro and thought, "This is great. Now, I'm only spending $3.15 each day on my commute." But then I thought, "Why stop there?" I pulled out my old touring bike and I have been biking to work every day since September (all you have to do is bundle up in the winter). Not only that, but I sold my car in October! No more payments, and it turns out that biking into work is even faster than taking the Metro (thanks, Arlington bike lanes!).

Danny Cooper, Arlington, VA

Car-Free, Like It Or Not

A few years back, one of the major TV networks had a slogan they used for their prime-time lineup: "Must-See TV." They used that same slogan for several years, and I got a kick out of it when a comedian that starred in one of the shows added, "This year, they're enforcing it."

Well, we're always encouraging people to go Car-Free, but on Inauguration Day many will have no other option. There will be no access for personal cars to drive from Virginia into D.C on January 20. All of the bridges will be reserved for buses, emergency and other authorized vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles. (The Key and Chain Bridges will be open outbound -- you can leave D.C., but you can't go in.)

Even roads that are not officially closed may be closed in effect by heavy volume. For information about transit options, see the CommuterPage.com Inauguration page. There's also plenty of useful information on Arlington County's Inauguration page.

Now that locations for WABA's bike valet service have been pinned down, biking is looking like a good option, as Paul DeMaio notes in his post.

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Joe Chapline is Web Manager for Arlington County Commuter Services

Car-Free for Two Years

Well, what started out as a general frustration with the cost of insurance, gas, etc...ended with me donating my car to charity just to be rid of it all. That was almost two years ago. I ride my bike every day, and every day is like I'm a kid again. The fun factor never dies and just the thought of all the money I'm saving keeps me in a perpetual state of happiness. Not to mention fitness.

Homer, Arlington, VA

Living Car-Lite in Crystal City

I recently moved to the Crystal City area of Arlington. My wife and I have lived in Arlington for about 16 months, but have never lived in an area that was close enough for one of us to walk to work. Now that I both live and work in Crystal City, I have the option to walk to my office each day! This is a welcome change from having to pay an average of $10 per day for  parking; not to mention filling my car up each week with premium gasoline. In the event that I'm running late and don't have the time to make my short walk, the Metrobus 9S is just off my door step! Between my wife driving a hybrid (she works in Arlington too!) and choosing to leave my car in the garage -- we feel pretty good about what we're doing to help the environment. Oh yeah, the weekly savings of not driving my car every day are pretty nice too! My wife and I definitely appreciate the benefits of living in Arlington.

Lloyd Bowers, Arlington, VA

Cross-Train While Commuting

I'm training for a marathon, so several days per week I use part of my commute as a cross-training exercise. On those days, instead of driving to the MARC train station, I bicycle to the Germantown station to commute down to Union Station and then take the Metro to work. Also, each day I walk almost a mile to my office from the Metro stop.

Lori Stone, Germantown, MD

One Car Family

Since moving to the DC area over a year ago, we committed to being a one car family. The locations where we lived have been served by the 21B or 21D routes making it convenient to ride Metrobus and then the Metro to get to work. Being a one car family has taken some getting use to, but now I am even more committed with the cost of gas. There are some minor logistical issues, but we have made the sacrifice and enjoy the cost savings. It has been a great choice.

Michael Davids, Alexandria, VA

You Can Live Without a Car

After moving to the Courthouse area of Arlington I sold my car. After having a car for over 50 years it was very strange. But I found myself learning how to "Metro" and relearned how to walk. Amazing how much better you feel. Whenever a car is required I simply rent with Zipcar. Rent by the hour, gas and insurance included and all the cars are new. All types from sub compacts to pick-ups. Yes you can live without a car.

Robert Chanow, Arlington, VA

Carpool and Walk to School

I now carpool with three other people in the morning on my way to school and walk with friends home from school -- it's nice to know I'm helping the environment and myself and saving my parents' money! Thank you car-free diet!

Katie (age 13)

Don't Have to Rely on a Car

I worked in Arlington from 1990 - 2001. I drove to work every day. When I returned to Arlington in 2007, I began using Metro due to the government subsidy. I take the bus to Metro then to Ballston. Regularly using the transit system has shown me I don't HAVE to rely on a car. I now use Metro as often as I can. A few days a week I take my bicycle into work on Metro after biking to the Metro station, then ride home. I also now use my bicycle for short errands (grocery, library, haircuts). I still need to use my car for long trips to visit family and for scuba trips, but transit has shown me I can avoid much wear/tear on my car, gas prices and parking fees. The biking gets me home around the same time as the transit commute, but I sure burn more calories!

Renee Amodeo, Vienna, VA

Changing My Commuting Habits

I don't live in Arlington, but would like to tell my story:

I drive a 4WD P/U. It gets 16 mgp city. I don't have far to drive to work. It's 2.5 miles. But in that short distance the truck doesn't get to operating temp. So I'm guessing I get around 10 mpg to work. So it's about a gallon a day. I work 6 days a week. I bought a scooter and have been driving it everyday to work all summer. I have to fill the scooter once a week, it takes a whole gallon. I changed vehicles because of high gas prices and $40 billion gas company profits, but I know I'm doing my part to help save the planet. I rode my bike to work 3 - 4 times, I carpooled 5 - 6 times, and walked home 4 times. It's a start!

Thanks for spreading the word!

Glenn Ray, Naselle, WA