The last few weeks have seen a lively discussion in Cabot Wealth Advisory and on our blog about the possibility of a car-free world. Some readers have come out strongly in favor of the idea, while others have taken a slightly different view. I received a few more interesting comments this week and wanted to share them with you here. If you missed the original article and the resulting comments, go to the archives section of our Web site (they can be found under Elyse Andrews).
Cabot Green Investor
“In your email describing car free Vauban, Germany, I was surprised that you made no mention of efforts in this country to reduce reliance on automobiles. Zipcar has been successful in decreasing the number of cars on the road, especially in big cities. GoLoCo is another effort to increase car sharing and improve the socialization of driving. Robin Chase, who founded Zipcar, was recently named one of the 100 most influential persons in the world by Time magazine.”
R.P.R.
New Hampshire
And …
“I am 80 years old and it saddens me to think that future generations may never know the freedom and pleasure of the open road and a fine car, if only for a two-week vacation.”
R.W.
I thought these two letters tied into each other nicely, which is why I chose to re-print them here.
As a lover of road trips, I agree with R.W. that it would be sad to think of future generations missing out on them. I love getting in the car and just driving for hours with the windows down and great music playing on the radio. In fact, this summer I’ll be taking a road trip up to Acadia National Park in Maine, for which I will definitely need my car.
However, R.P.R. brings up another great point. You don’t need to own a car to experience the benefits of them. I have many friends in Boston who rely solely on Zipcars when they need transportation other than a bike or the subway. So even f I didn’t own a car, I’d still be able to take my trip to Acadia since there are several Zipcar locations within minutes of my house.
Zipcar is a very convenient, affordable and environmental way to use automobiles and I imagine this innovative company will only expand its reach in the future. These letters show that daily car-free (or nearly car-free) living and taking road trips aren’t mutually exclusive lifestyles. It’s finding the balance between the two that will be the key to the future of car ownership.