A couple of weeks ago I was riding the Metro and overheard an interesting interaction. A newbie rider got on, and a conversation ensued between her and a couple of other riders, who seemed to be regulars. She mentioned that she was from Milwaukee, and one of her interlocutors mentioned that he had gone to college there a decade or so ago. So, as people will, they chatted about various places they knew in common and were having quite a pleasant little talk. Then out of nowhere the gentleman who had gone to college there said, ". . .and it's easy to live there without a car."
What a surprise!--for a couple of reasons.
First, the whole idea of relating to a stranger that living without a car is an advantage in our car-culture society was quite unusual. And second, Milwaukee is not a city that immediately comes to mind when one thinks of places to live without owning cars.
So if they can do it in Milwaukee, then the Car-Free diet in Arlington should be even easier. Those of you who read Chris Balish's How to Live Well Without a Car may recall that the author started out in St. Louis, which is probably not that dissimilar from Milwaukee for living car-free.
=============================
Steve Offutt is an Arlington resident who lives car-lite, but yearns for the day he can be car-free again.
Arlingtonians can and should commute car free. Doing so will leave more room on I-66, US 50, US 29, Columbia Pike, etc, for those of us driving in from Fairfax, Prince William, Loudon and other places beyond. :)
Posted by: Commuter182 | January 08, 2008 at 01:24 PM