Since moving to Boulder in April, I have been living car-free.  By choice.

Even though I’ve gotten used to telling people “I don’t own a car” it still strikes me as very strange – that statement would translate to a life of misery and solitude almost everywhere else I have lived.

It didn’t make sense to move my car out here from the east coast, and I knew from my previous summer here that I could get by without one.  I wasn’t sure how long I would last or what it would be like to really live without a car.

Turns out, here in Boulder, it’s no problem at all.

Most days I get around town by bus, and I try not to take the amazing transit system here for granted.  For a city of Boulder’s size (around 100,000 people) it’s pretty unbelievable how extensive our bus system is – I can pretty much get anywhere from the bus stop right across the street from my apartment.  I also don’t pay for it – a system-wide bus pass is one of my employment benefits.  Oh, and did I mention we share a transit system with Denver? Not only can I get around Boulder, but I can walk out my front door, catch a bus to Denver and experience all a big city has to offer.

One thing that people always comment on when they visit me in Boulder is how nice and clean the buses are.  In Boulder there is no stigma around taking the bus or a stereotypical rider.  There’s no socio-economic assumption about the people on the bus…everyone rides it…young professionals, college students, families…everyone.  They’re also fun – while we have normal numbered bus lines we also have the SKIP, HOP, JUMP, BOUND, BOLT and STAMPEDE! They even have super fun paint jobs.

Another aspect of Boulder that makes it so special is how bike-friendly the city is.  In addition to buses, you can pretty much get anywhere in Boulder via bicycle on a bike path or bike lane (and it’s usually the fastest way, too).  I can ride the 3 miles to work almost entirely on bike paths.  This kind of access doesn’t happen by accident…it takes many, many years of thoughtful planning.  This video does an amazing job of explaining how Boulder ended up being so wonderful to cyclers:

And here’s the view from my bike on Bike to Work Day, following my co-worker Kelle, on my first attempt at a morning bike commute!

Finally, as you may have guessed, there are times when a bus or bike just won’t do.  There are days when I need to go over to a neighboring town, or need to buy something heavy, or just need to do something on my own time schedule.  That’s where eGo Carshare comes in.  You may have heard of Zipcar or another car share program – eGo is a non-profit company that operates a program in Boulder and Denver.

There are about 15 cars around Boulder, including two right by my apartment.  When I want to use one I just reserve it online.  I pay $2.50 to $4.00/hour depending on the car, plus $.30 a mile.  This covers the car use, gas and insurance.  Even in the months I used it the most, I’ve never spent more than $60 a month.  That’s less than I would spend on just gas if I had my own car! I would also like to give a shout-out to my amazing friends who are so generous and willing to lend me their car when the need arises.

I’m a huge advocate of car share programs – and I’m going to use this opportunity to introduce a concept you may be interested in.  The awesome TEDx talk below is about “collaborative consumption,” of which “product service systems” are an example – a model of consumption where we pay for using a product rather than paying for an entire item outright.  It makes total sense, and I’m a huge fan of Rachel Botsman and think her theories about how we will interact in marketplaces in the future are spot on.  Check out her talk!

And if you don’t want to watch her whole talk, here’s a summary:

Oh, and I forgot to mention that Boulder is about to get it’s very own B-Cycle bike sharing program too! This is an example (from Denver) of what the rental stations will look like!

So that’s how I get around, live and play in Boulder. Far from feeling restrictive, not owning a car feels quite freeing.  It’s so nice to never worry about getting gas, changing oil, and paying for expensive repairs or insurance.  I know a car-free life isn’t for everyone, but you really should explore the options where you live to see if it’s possible.  If it’s not, consider using bikes or public transit more and get involved with your local government (especially planning boards) to start making your community friendly to the car-free!