Series on Coloradans going Car-less

Winter is coming to a close and for many that means time to pull the bikes back out and start commuting again but for many commuting is a year long commitment because that IS their primary form of transportation. The City of Boulder is going to launch a new campaign called Driven to Drive less in which this campaign challenges Boulder residents to dump their car and go carless. Sounds difficult and scary right? Wrong. Recently I purchased a book titled How to Live Well Without Owning a Car. In the book they talk about the destructive auto culture and true costs/savings of going car-less. The book covers all alternative modes of transportation but does dedicate an entire chapter to cycling. If you liked (or was moved by) the movie Food Inc then you should check that book out! Anyone can write about going car-less, so this series of stories will tell the stories of REAL Colorado citizens who have made the switch.

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Story 1, comes from Diana and Nick, they have even gone carless to bike races!

Yup! I have been doing all my work commuting and grocery shopping with the Xtracycle for a couple years now... It has huge compartments on the sides that are super easy to load, and I can definitely do a full week's shopping with it, fitting about three big grocery bags on each side. The bike parking is good at most grocery stores in Boulder, so post-shop I just wheel the shopping cart out to my bike and load it up, kickstand side first. My favorite part is definitely riding home with my baguette, flowers, and veggies peeping out the sides. The center of gravity is nice and low on the Xtracycle so the handling is great! It holds so much stuff that I can commute with a change of clothes and yoga mat for some evening downward dogs, then hit the grocery store on the way home. Having a cargo bike has definitely allowed me to run around town doing errands just like with a car, only the parking is easier and it is often much faster.

If you have a car-less story you'd like to share please let us know And for those who have already contacted us with your story THANKS, we will get you story out in this month long series!