As I sit here on this World Car Free Day at work after making an approximately 17 km trek from Elmwood to St James, I reflect personally on this day on how we can move closer to a carless society.
For those who do not know, World Car Free Day has been around since September 22, 2000, thanks to Carbusters, coinciding with Europe’s Car Free Day. This day asks how we as citizens can get around without cars and use alternative methods, including cycling, walking, or public transportation.
For most, the idea of not moving around without an automobile is a no-go and a swear word, a sin. Well, you get the point. Car culture has seduced North Americans, and we and have accepted it as the status quo. At times, I have been considered an oddball by some I had met when I told them I commute all year round by bicycle. Others suggest I should get my driver’s license and get a small car. Good luck with that.
While they have good intentions for me, I believe they do not get the significance of the car-free movement and address some of the critical issues we face. I am now going to share my thoughts on why we should celebrate this day.
Most commutes can be done by getting around in sneakers or peddling
Let’s face it; most automotive trips are less than 10 km. Even nuttier is that 80% of Manitobans take their automobiles to work, while public transportation, cycling, and walking make up the rest of the transportation pie. There seems to be a growing movement for cycling in Winnipeg. However, I also believe there is still a lot of work to do in engaging Manitobans and Winnipeggers on the importance of choosing careless transportation methods. We often hear that it’s too cold and snowy to cycle to work and make necessary trips during winter. Yet, the increased popularity of fat bikes is slowly tearing this myth down, as fat bikes seem to be in hot demand. The best way to engage skeptical people in our city and province on the benefits of active transportation is by having those simple conversations related to its many benefits. For me, outside of environmental reasons, I appreciate going carless by cycling as my form of commuting. I get an efficient form of daily exercise while giving a reason to go somewhere. The reason to commute by bike 17km from St James to Elmwood in the evening provides excellent cardiovascular exercise to complement the resistance band training I do most days. If I can do 34 km of commuting many days, cycling 10km daily for basic tasks or even walking 5 km is a good start. So grab your bike or walking shoes and get a move on it.
We owe it to our children’s children and ourselves
I remember watching the 1992 animated movie Ferngully: The Last Rainforest. One of the lasting things that stuck out to me was the credits was “For our Children’s Children.” For some reason, this has stuck with me almost to this day, 30 years later. Fast forward to today, I believe this has even more significance to this day. Cycling, walking, or taking public transit is the most adult thing you can do if you have children (or even if you don’t have kids like me); as the IPCC recently said in their most recent report, the impacts of climate change continue to accelerate. We as humans need to draw down our carbon emissions use or face the worst effects as this century moves along. Even for myself, who does not plan to have kids, I owe it to myself to reduce my transportation emissions as much as I can by cycling, walking, and taking Winnipeg Transit when necessary for future generations and the developing world.
Going Carless Smashes Down Walls
One thing I have found by not driving a car is the freedom it can provide. When you don’t drive a car, you save money on gas which goes to the largest fossil fuel companies. You save money on car payments that go to the large banks. By going carless, you keep that money in your pocket that you can save for other things in your life, including planning house repairs or planning to go to a major sporting event. Car freedom can break down the walls to new possibilities.
You Own It
Often I hear those who don’t own automobiles or drive are a societal misfit, meandering into nowhere. As mentioned earlier, I get occasionally asked if I own a car or buy one. To many’s (non)surprise, I told them I already had a vehicle: My bicycle. I always get a bewildered look from my answer. I don’t know why. When I say that my bicycle is my vehicle, I am making a clear statement that I choose to go carless, and it’s part of my civic duty to ensure we have open spaces for everyone to enjoy. By going carless, you own the idea there can be better and efficient ways to get around to work and in life. Own this issue and feel empowered.
Stop Wasting Time in Automotive Traffic
Recently, I heard on Hot 100.5 FM’s morning show with Mark & Dilly that the most significant time waster not involving technology is being stuck in traffic. According to TomTom, we spend an extra six minutes each morning and an additional 9 minutes in the evening in hour traffic. Yearly we lose 62 hours due to Rush hour traffic here in Winnipeg. So stop wasting time in traffic. Get up, walk to the corner store, dust off the bike and ride to work. As the motivational speaker, Eric Thomas said you owe it to yourself to stop making excuses. Look at why you are stuck in traffic and start finding the most efficient use of your commuting time. Now is no better time than to start when possible active modes of transportation.
World Car Free Day may only be once a year, but you can make it more than once a year by just doing the little things daily that can make your world carless.
Adam M. Johnston, B.A. 