I haven’t owned a car for five years, since I was 20 years old and lived in a small town in Vermont.

My foray into car-free life began when I moved to New York City. I loved how active my everyday life became as I swapped driving for walking and biking. Every excursion out of my apartment became its own video game-like journey. Every ride on the Subway was both a cultural experience and a great time to catch up on reading.

When I went home to visit family, I took the Amtrak for the first time. I experienced the superiority of sitting on a train for seven hours, with ample legroom, a cafe car, and wifi, instead of driving for six.

After Living in New York, I Knew I Never Wanted to Own a Car Again

So I haven’t. Since leaving New York in 2022, I’ve been a full-time traveler. I’ve spent time in all the places in almost all the U.S. metro areas you think of as the most car-dependent. I’ve taken public buses, used bike shares, and walked in cities including…

• Los Angeles, CA
• Orange County, CA ← This is what I’ve done most regularly
• Austin, TX
• Denver, CO
• Phoenix, AZ
• Louisville, KY
• Miami + Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Orlando, FL
• Pittsburgh, PA

Not to mention, the cities that are not so hostile to those who don’t own cars including…

• Chicago, IL
• Philadelphia, PA
• Washington, DC
• Boston, MA

I’ve seen the best and the worst of car-dependent infrastructure in the United States, and I’ve figured out how to thrive in all of it.

Along the way, the journey has been a hell of a lot of fun. Driving in traffic sucks, and exploring cities on foot, bus, and bike is frankly just better. (I’m getting ahead of myself. For the benefits of living car-free, you can scroll down towards the end.)

Car-Free Living is NOT Just Reserved For Outrageously Expensive Big Cities

When you think of car-free living, you may think of expensive, rapidly gentrifying big cities like New York and San Francisco. Of course (if you can afford it), those will be the easiest places to live car-free.

I lived in a shoebox on New York’s Lower East Side for $1500 a month. Then it went up to $1770. That was a stretch. Once it went up again, I was out. Our housing crisis made sure that urban backpacking adventures would be my next move.

I’ve discovered that, even if it’s challenging, and it is, living car-free in the U.S. can be exciting and fulfilling.

It doesn’t need to just be for the SF tech bros and NYC finance bros. You don’t need your yuppie card.

Expensive Car Ownership + Housing Crisis = BAD

In fact, most of those who don’t own cars aren’t the wealthy city slickers. Despite the cultural imagination that “everyone drives,” this is not not true. Around 8% of U.S. households down own a car.

The average cost of car ownership is $1000 a month in the U.S. Couple that with the fact that, according to 2022 Harvard research, 42 million Americans were considered burdened by housing costs. This is people who spend at least 30% of their income on housing.

Pile our nationwide housing crisis on top of expensive costs of car ownership, and it’s no wonder people are looking places and ways to live car-free without moving to Manhattan.

I get into how our car dependent culture is an impediment to people succeeding in the United States in this article on the hidden costs of cars.

So keep in mind that millions of people do live this way. Of course, we need to advocate for improvement on local and national scales to make car-free live easier. But I know, even as we stand, it’s possible.

21 Tips to Live Without a Car In The U.S.

The philosophical and The practical

1) You Can’t Be Afraid to Be Different

For almost two years I have worked virtually for a company based in Orange County, California. Since then, I’ve visited the offices about four times a year. I remember the first time I told a colleague that I took the bus from my friend’s house where I was staying to the office, she looked at me like I had mold on my face.

People will think you’re weird. This is a GOOD thing.

Nobody looks back at their life and says, “Thank GOD I did what everybody else around me did and never tried anything atypical.” What a great training ground to become your own person than living car-free where that’s not the norm.

In fact, come to love that you’re different. I learned this in the context of language learning. It gave me no shame. I don’t care if taking transit makes me weird.

2) Learn to Love The Journey

Non-car transportation in the U.S. won’t be easy. Buses and trains will be late, or even canceled without explanation. Even when it’s on schedule, it will usually be slower than driving. You may be cold in winter or hot in summer as you strut from place to place, while others sit in their climate-controlled movement boxes (cars.)

Again, what an amazing exercise in accepting what comes your way and loving all of it. As the stoics said, “Amor Fati,” or accept your fate.

For me, I’ve found this to be easy because I view getting around car-free is an adventure. I notice my child-like desire for exploration come into play when I’m sitting on a street in LA waiting for a bus to come to take me to a pupusería in Inglewood.

When I took the Amtrak from Pittsburgh to Chicago (and got a private roomette), I didn’t want it to end because the views were so incredible. I could’ve stayed on that train for 48 more hours, and I didn’t care where it was going! Such is the power of embracing the journey, regardless of how long it takes.

Even when it was as bad as bad, like on my 7-hour Greyhound bus to Louisville that ended in, well, not the nicest part of Louisville, I viewed it as a true moment in my exploration of what it means to be American. It means if you don’t own a car, you’re often a second-class citizen, dropped off next to broken glass and a half-vacant strip mall. (If you find yourself considering the Greyhound, read my article on tips to thrive on the Greyhound bus.)

3) Become a Puzzle Solver

To succeed car-free, you must accept that you’re going to have to solve puzzles of how to get from A to B. Yes, tools and apps can help you, but you’ll have to strategize. Think of your transportation experiences as solving puzzles. When you solve the puzzle, you may get a nice jolt of dopamine. I put the feeling of getting somewhere by bus or train when it’s challenging right under above the feeling of sunny, spring days in NYC and right below taking MDMA. It hits me like a drug.

4) Accept That You Can’t Have It All

There will be restrictions to living car-free. Some things you may just opt out of going to because it’ll be too far, too impractical. Other times, you’ll choose to Uber and wait 17 minutes for a car.

This can lead to frustration of feeling like you’re missing out, followed by elation for choosing what matters most to you, and knowing you can’t have it all. Yes, you may be saying no to the convenience of taking your own car, but you’re saying yes to so much else in exchange. (Again, see the benefits section towards the end.)

I don’t need to get anywhere at anytime, or be anywhere at anytime. I can just be, and accept what I have. What a freeing concept.

All of these big ideas have made car-free life a pillar of my existence. It has taught me to love and embrace it all and helped me see how even negative experiences can have silver linings, lessons, and adventures.

Okay, Let’s Move on To The Practical

Enough of my philosophical musings. Now that you’re armed with what I think is the right mindset for living car-free in car-dependent places, let’s get into what you came here: practical tips.

Know Your Options

Often there are more than you think. In the public imagination, we think that if there’s no train you’re screwed. But this limits you to not very many metro areas and only the expensive ones.

5) Don’t Underestimate The Bus Network

In most U.S. metro areas, buses are going to be the main transit vehicle option.

Few cities have heavy rail, and if you live in one of those cities, then you still more options when you consider buses.

New York unlocked another transit level for me when I figured out the buses. They stop more often, have more crosstown routes than the subway, and are key for transit outside of Manhattan.

Most U.S. metro areas have very reasonably functioning buses. Yes, they’re infrequent (mostly coming only every hour, and sometimes only during commuting times) and slower than driving, but they’re usually on-time, clean, and comfortable.

6) Embrace The Bike

Then, you have biking. Bigger cities tend to have bike shares. This is where there are bikes with docks where you can grab a bike and leave it somewhere else. In New York I logged nearly 1000 citi bike miles over my 3 years.

It was the cheapest way to get around, and perfect for trips that were a sweet spot of too far to walk, too close to train. In more car-dependent places, you’ll have to get your own bike.

Isn’t biking dangerous? How to stay safe.

Yes, biking can be dangerous, but that’s because of cars! Not the bikes. The argument against biking, and walking for that matter, because people die doing both neglects the fact that it’s almost always the cars doing the killing. Specifically trucks. Pedestrians rarely drop dead, and if they do, it’s not the walking that killed them.

Look up the bike paths and lanes where it’s safe.

In Burlington, VT, for example, there are major bike paths that can take you through the city.

In New York, I knew from experience that in Lower Manhattan, 12th and 13th street on the ones you want to take to get across town because they have protected bike lanes.

This will take some research, but if you talk to locals and explore online you’ll figure out the safer routes with slower traffic and protected lanes.

Of course, take some other obvious steps like wearing a helmet.

When I lived in New York, biking was my default. I realized how much it opened up my options. 40 minute walks are often 15 minute bike ride, so it greatly expands what’s in an easy commuting distance.

The rule of thumb for among New Yorkers is to not have a bike that’s worth stealing. Depending on where you are, this may or may not hold up. In London, I saw lots of nicer bikes casually locked up. But I think it’s generally good advice.

Don’t spend $2000 on your first commuter bike. A $300 will suffice. Also, invest in a good bike lock.

7) Bike to the Buses

Then, you have a combination. This is underrated. Even if you plan on mostly taking the bus, consider having a bike too.

15-minute walks to a bus stop might be excessive, but you can cut that to five minutes by biking to the stop.

On most U.S. buses you can bring your bike without any issues. Sometimes they’ll have a bike rack on the outside of the bus, other times you just walk on with your bike.

8) Ride Shares Are Still Cheaper Than Car Ownership

Although only a last resort for me, any U.S. metro area will be serviced by ride shares and taxis. It’s good to know you have them in case you ever get stranded, which is common at night when there’s less transit service. Yes, these rides can be expensive, but as we’ll talk about later, the occasional ride share is still way cheaper than owning a car.

Tips to Plan Your Route

If you live car-free, you’ll have to put in extra effort to plan. This could lead to a mess of figuring out bus schedules on poorly-designed city and county websites.

9) Use The “Arrive By” and “Leave By” Features on Google or Apple Maps

On both leading maps apps you can see what time you’d have to leave to get too your destination at a certain time. Here’s a real screenshot of this, when I had to take a bus in Pittsburgh to catch the midnight Amtrak on route to Chicago. To arrive at 11:47, I had to leave at 11:25.

11) For Important Trips, Double Check Timetables

If it’s important, double-check on the timetable. Timetables may seem confusing and so 20th century, but it’s nice to know when things are supposed to come. Nearly every city website will have these. Plus, Google and Apple may seem like they’re all-knowing (scary thought), but they do get transit times wrong from time to time. Get the schedule right from the source as well if it’s something you can’t miss.

12) Plan to Arrive Early

Relatedly, plan to arrive at least five minutes before a bus or train comes. Because if you miss it, you’ll often have to wait an hour, which frankly means you’re just not going. Such is the reality of car-free life in the U.S. for now. Sigh.

Prep for The Ride Bus or Train Ride

Just a few quick tips from a bus veteran.

13) Bring $1 Bills

Since I travel so much, I’ve lost patience figuring out how to pay for the bus in every freaking city in the country. Sometimes you gotta download an app, sometimes you can tap your credit card,

They all take cash, and all cost less than $3. (Most are $1-$2). They can’t give change, so carry around $1 bills.

I’ve made mistakes like this, and good samaritans have given me change for a ten dollar bill, so now I carry around plenty of ones and play my own role as public transit angel.

14) Bring Something to Do On Public Transit

In other words, Always Carry a Book (ACAB). This is good life advice, in addition to good transit advice. One the awesome things about taking public transit is you can do whatever you want and you don’t have the stress of driving. So bring a book!

15) Travel Light!

Another unintended benefit of living car-free, is it has taught me to be a minimalist. I feel like when I owned a car, things I never used piled up in my car, and my life just felt a bit more scattered.

It also meant I often bought things “in bulk” or just unnecessary things which then just took up a ton of space, and then you wind up being the type of person who has to “clean out the cupboard.” I found this annoying.

Now I know that all I ever need to live can fit in a backpack. This is part of my urban backpacking lifestyle. It means if I can’t fit something in my backpack, I probably won’t buy it.

How to Find The Right Area to Live Car-Free

Now let’s get into how to decide where to live. There are a lot of layers to this.

16) First, Choose a City You Want to Live In!

This doesn’t just include big cities either. Some suburban-like areas have the density and infrastructure. For me, that was the case with Orange County, California. Santa Ana has tons of buses and a good amount in walking distance of anywhere. I stayed with my friend in Old Towne Orange, and how no issues. With a bike, it would’ve been even easier.

Small cities also have options too, like Burlington, Vermont and its surrounding area. Don’t limit yourself to just the hyper-expensive areas like New York, Boston, LA, and the Bay Area.

In some places I would say I “just got by.” But I had great car-free successful visiting more affordable cities like Pittsburgh and Louisville, to name a few examples.

If you already have a community you love, don’t assume you need to leave it, you may just need to head to a different part of town.

If you’re looking for affordable areas you can live car-free, those exists too.

17) Find The Right Zip Code and the Housing + transit equation

Every single metropolitan area I’ve been to in U.S had at least a few sections that were walkable and not hard to enjoy car-free.

Unfortunately, often these are more expensive neighborhoods. But if you want to get all of your needs met walking and biking, then you may choose to pay a little more for the ideal neighborhoods. Keep in mind the cost of transit and housing together. If you spend 30% of your income on housing, but spend very little on transit, you can likely live comfortably.

To find the right ZIP code, it’s best to know the place firsthand. Again, if you’re staying in your broader area, you’ll probably already have a few places in mind. You can also check a website like Walk Score, which gives a good jumping off point for things like walkability and biking ease.

18) The Right Block Matters More

While the right neighborhood is important, I think the right block matters even more. You could live in a very car-dependent area, but if you just happen to live a 2-minute walk from a bus stop that takes you where you need to go, that can make up for a lot of drawbacks.

In contrast, if you live in a zip code with lots of walking options but you’re a 12-minute walk to the bus that takes you to other parts of town, that’s a huge mental and logistical difference.

Short walks to transit is really a big morale boost because you can leave four minutes before the bus comes. If it’s a 12-minute walk, you’ll probably leave 20 minutes before the bus comes, so the time adds up.

This is partially why housing new train stations is almost always more expensive. But the buses aren’t so popular, so it might not matter much.

Before you move somewhere, head to Google or Apple Maps and check how long it will take you to get to important places like the grocery store or your job or your gym or wherever it is you go regularly.

Personally, I’d always choose a less nice living situation if it meant a very accessible location. If you live car-free, that proximity to what matters is even more important.

Be an Advocate in Your Community

Traveling around the world and seeing where urbanism goes right and wrong, I’ve mostly been a passive participant in what places have to offer me. But you can make your community more suitable for car-free live by participating.

It may not happen next week, but you can have a direct hand in shaping infrastructure decisions nearby.

I’m from a small town in Vermont where the “elected officials” are often the moms of kids I went to high school with, or kids I tutored, or that guy who owns a local business, or somebody else only one degree away from me.

It’s where the Front Porch Forum is 50% names I recognize.

It’s in growing up in a real community where I’ve seen that actually, my voice does make a difference. In towns and small cities, sadly, very few people vote in non-major elections.

But that means your voice can have a disproportionate impact. Your voice could be the difference between a bus route or bike that would directly improve you life and improve your city.

Admittedly, since I haven’t been “rooted” I haven’t done as much of this as I’d like, but it’s something I’ve done in my hometown in Vermont, and am starting to do more of in my hometown once again.

Here are some simple ways to get involved.

19) Email Your Local Elected Officials!

This is something I do, because I can do it from anywhere. Tell them who you are and what you want out of your community, whether that’s more investment in bike lanes so make it safer from cars, wider sidewalks, more streets closed to cars.

Very few people will do this, so you voice will matter.

20) Find Out About Town Hall and City Hall Events

Since you’re a baddie who takes transit, you already have no shame, which should propel you to go to Town Hall and talk to people about how more roads don’t actually relieve traffic, and that if we’re to avoid the worst of the catastrophic effects of climate change, we need to invest in mass trans NOW.

Be that guy. Or be nice at first, and then be that guy. Even from wherever I’m traveling, I can join in on various town meetings via Zoom.

21) Talk To Your Friends About It

In addition to being involved yourself, be a public transit angel. Annoy your friends by telling them how you reduced your CO2 emissions AND got a workout in by biking. Chew their ear off about how society should be built for people and not cars.

Encourage them to use their car less, and more importantly, to eventually join you at Town Hall to advocate for more car-free access and options in your community.

This is all stuff that I do as part of my personal resolve to be more annoying.

The Benefits of Living of Car-Free and Why I’ll Never Go Back

Okay, you probably already know a lot of this, if you’re seeking out information on how to do it. But if you needed the last nudge, here are some of the benefits.

Save A LOT of Money

Owning a car costs on average $1000 per MONTH according to AAA statistics. That’s an extra rent just to get places. From the cost of the car, to the insurance, parking, gas, inspection, repairs, and more, it’s really expensive.

Spend some time imaging what you could do with that money. Here are some ideas:

• Save it, invest it wisely, and probably have an extra million dollars by the time you retire.
• Hire a private chef once a week. Have them teach you how to cook.
• Hire a personal trainer AND a fancy gym membership.
• Enjoy a luxury travel experience and buy yourself a Roomette on the Amtrak. Or like 12 roomettes.

I don’t know. It’s your life. The options are endless.

Be More More Active and Healthy

Nobody likes to talk about it, but we are one of the most sedentary populations in all of human history. There’s no doubt that this is partly because we don’t move to get places anymore. (In addition to the crap our agriculture system feeds us.)

When you live without a car, you’ll start getting in more steps without even trying. I loved this about living in New York and it’s partially why I insist on car-free live. After biking everywhere, I always felt my cardio was great without putting in any extra effort into my fitness.

Less Stress

Road rage will no longer be a thing. In general, rushing to get places will no longer be a thing. Going anywhere will be both an adventure and time to read, journal, or text your friends.

Help Save The Planet

Cars are one of the biggest causes of emissions. And its not just the gas you put in the car. It’s the deforestation needed to clear space for wide roads, the production and maintenance of cars, including the mining of rare minerals, and more. And electric vehicles won’t solve any of these, so we need to move away from car dependency.

By ditching your car, and more importantly advocating in your community for car-free options, you’ll be making a small dent in this big problem.

You can read more about this in my article on the hidden costs of cars.

More Reading Time

Or whatever you wind up doing on transit. There’s no doubt I read several books per year on transit. It’s a hack for becoming smarter.

More Adventure, More Acceptance

As I’ve said, I love that living car-free has helped me see every excursion as an adventure and a exercise in acceptance about what life throws my way.

In Sum, You’ll Be More Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise

Ben Franklin said, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”

Well, I say that ditching your car and living car-free does the same thing.