Tomorrow morning, Todd and I will be in Gateway Park in Rosslyn for a finale to our 30-day car-free challenge and to join many others for a ride as part of Bike to Work Day.  I am pretty excited to meet other folks tomorrow who are making an effort to leave the auto in the garage and get some exercise as part of their commute.  Over the past 29 days, I have met lots of wonderful people who are on their own car-free diets.  Whether it’s an email from Brandon, a co-worker who wrote to tell me how he’s saved money taking the bus to Crystal City, or folks at the Taste of Arlington who are toying with the idea of ditching their cars for their commute to McLean, or people who have stopped me walking on the street or in the Metro, I am continually excited to learn so many other people out there are finding better ways to travel.

I have included some numbers from the past 29 days below, but for me, the numbers aren’t what convinced me that ART, Metro, biking, and just good ‘ol fashioned walking really are better ways to go.  When I was on my final drive in my car on the way to the sales lot, I realized I would be in no hurry to get back to the frustration and wasted time of sitting in traffic.  Because I promised to sell my car, this 30 day diet has really been about learning about all the resources at my disposal going forward.  And with so many out there, not having the car anymore actually feels pretty liberating.

Ross’s Car-free Diet by the Numbers
Total distance traveled: ~400 miles
Total money spent: $122
Average monthly car expenses (gas, parking, maintenance): $173
Calories burned biking (just in commuting): 6,400 cal.
Carbon emissions prevented: 408 lbs. of CO2 not emitted through driving

While the money spent is pretty accurately tracked, the other numbers are estimates based on my own rough tracking of my travels as well as the Car-Free Diet calculator.

How will we get from here to there?  Fifty years ago, people envisioned us commuting to other planets and using flying cars by now.  I have been thinking about how we’ll travel three, four, five decades from now and would like to share a few cool ideas I have come across.  This type of stuff fascinates me, so I hope you’ll share your own views and predictions.

Urban communities
Walkable areas with town squares and open, green spaces. Programs like WalkArlington have focused on this through careful planning, and the county’s focus on the Urban Villages concept is definitely a nod to the future.  Smaller, more livable centers connected with each other by robust public transportation can help to eliminate some of the sprawl and gridlock that plague so many cities.  One recent blog post shows how better mapping technology can change an urban landscape into something greener and more walkable.

Dynamic transportation systems
Maybe this is a little broad, but I’m simply talking about linked, adaptive transportation systems– that is, if a train is running late, a major connecting bus would know to stick around the extra five minutes to pick up commuters from the tardy train.  If a Blue Line train is coming into Rosslyn, the Orange Line train would speed up or slow down to try and arrive at the station at the same time.  It’s a dynamic schedule that isn’t set in stone, but rather reacts to real-world events.  Maybe this is a long way off, but real-time tracking systems are baby steps toward this kind of system.

Shared vehicles
What if every block shared a pool of five vehicles?  Many areas in Arlington already have Zipcars, but that type of system scaled up could allow many families to give up their cars– or simply share them with their neighbors.  Besides reducing the number of cars on the road, a large-scale, shared auto model would promote carpooling and the type of neighborliness many people long for more of.

Bike-friendly cities
The future on this one is likely a lot closer than 50 years out.  Many cities, Arlington included, have done tremendous work in mapping out bike lanes, taking care of bike paths, and promoting bike safety.  Today it is common for businesses to provide indoor bike storage and showering facilities, and we have very good road signage for cyclists.  Tomorrow, maybe we’ll see electric assist bikes, subterranean bike storage, and a more fit population.

Flying cars
I don’t think I have ever seen an eye turned towards the future without the obligatory mention of the flying car.  Because you never know…

I went to Ballston Sunday to see the 23rd Taste of Arlington, an event where local restaurants and businesses show off their stuff, offer up tasty treats, and even compete for prizes. It was a great chance to get out, enjoy the beautiful weather, and savor the good food and community the city has to offer. I met lots of great people, and even had a conversation with some fellow Arlingtonians in which I tried to convince them they could easily commute to Tysons without a car (as Todd can attest!)

In addition, the folks from the Arlington Mobile Commuter Store were there, helping people find the best car-free routes and giving out prizes for those with top-notch public transit knowledge. I learned I need to do a better job of memorizing my bus routes. In addition to the brick-and-mortar Commuter Stores, look out for these mobile buses at events like the Taste of Arlington to learn more about resources to help you live car-free.

On the other end of the event grounds was a “bike valet,” something I had not seen before. Sponsored by the good folks at the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, bike valet volunteers check-in people’s bikes, make sure they stay safe, and return them when people are ready to head home.  They can also answer questions about area biking.  I think this is a brilliant idea– if I had realized this was here I would have biked.  From now on, I’ll definitely make sure to check where WABA is offering bike valet.

I was dying to bike home today. I’d been thinking about it all day. My bike sits next to my desk, and I could feel it staring me down, just daring me to finally take it home. Of course, Mother Nature had other ideas, mostly in the form of a nasty sky and drizzling rain, but I insisted on riding home anyway.

Despite the judging looks from people in my office building as I left, it was a good decision. The rain kept me cool and comfortable, and the W&OD was clear of bikers. It was a relaxing, wonderful ride. My Trek bike from the good folks at Revolution Cycles performed with agility and grace under very wet conditions, helping me quickly avoid one driver who was so focused on texting she almost ran me off the road, and another who was at least kind enough to roll down her window and apologize after hitting the gas just as I crossed in front of her. My theory is drivers are tired and eager to get home in the afternoons, so they tend to be a little less patient and focused. But no matter when I bike, vigilance has to be the order of the day.

As I got back into Arlington, I tried tweaking my route a little but ultimately ended up just a little lost. Luckily, I had an Arlington County Bike Map, which you can pick up at any Arlington Commuter Store or download online.  It showed me local trails as well as roads that have bike lanes (in fact, the county has 113 miles of trails, bike routes, and bike lanes).  Using that map, I was able to quickly find my way home.

When I started my car-free diet, I never expected I would find myself enjoying biking home in the pouring rain, but that was one of my best car-free journeys to date.  If only all my commutes could be so refreshing.

Well, I said I’d do it, and it’s done. Yesterday after work, I drove out to the Dulles area and sold my car to a large used car chain. They were hesitant to let me film inside, but I did include a video above. Anyway, they were pleased with the car, I was pleased with the price, and it didn’t take long at all. I want to also offer thanks to all those who have left comments and sent emails showing interest in purchasing the vehicle; ultimately, this was just a faster option for me.

My final drive over to the used car place reaffirmed all the reasons I decided to get rid of my vehicle. It took me an hour to travel about 15 miles. It was stop-and-go the whole way, I had to get gas, and I found myself yelling at other drivers. Over time, I’m sure I’ll form some nostalgia about how great it is to explore a new place, savor the open road, and travel independently in a car. I’ll remember how I packed all my possessions into the back and moved here in that car. But then I’ll remember that I live in Northern Virginia, where driving is just a pain. So I say good riddance.

Yesterday, Todd and I met up for an early morning ride out to Fairfax county.  It was a great chance to share some stories about going car-free.

For example, one lesson we have both learned is that people don’t go car-free, couples do.  Todd’s wife and my girlfriend have both had to make little sacrifices to facilitate our carlessness, whether its walking a few extra blocks after missing a bus or, in my case, waiting an extra 20 minutes riding a bus when we normally would have taken the car.

By the end of the ride, I think we were both feeling pretty good, and perhaps a bit winded.  I clocked 1 hr 5 minutes for my commute, which is a small improvement over last time.  I think packing lighter and having a bigger breakfast will help me move it a little faster next time.  I ended up leaving my bike at work, taking the Metro home, and will ride home this evening.

A few tips we learned for bicycle commuters:

Dress for the weather. Luckily we both learned early on to dress appropriately.  Yesterday that meant long-sleeve shirts and gloves, and layers of clothing you can remove as you warm up.

Bike with a friend (or in my case, a car-free nemesis).  Riding with someone else can motivate you to keep up the pace and gives you someone to talk to, so you’re warming up your mind and not just your body for the day.  Even if none of your co-workers bike to work (yet), you can always find someone who is going in the same direction and bike part of your commute with them.  Todd and I share about 80% of our route to work, but we split off later in the ride.

Work with your work. Find out if your office provides benefits for bicycle commuters in the form of tax breaks, showering facilities, or indoor bike racks.  Are you allowed to store your bike in your office?  A little help from your workplace can go a long way in helping make a bike commute easier.

I’m excited to say Todd and I have been talking and will be doing a little car-free commuting next week, together! First by Metro, and later on with bikes. Something tells me the bike commute could get a little competitive…

Anyway, I’m pretty excited, and I’m sure we’ll both have details for you as we negotiate this Commute Royale.

I have been swamped the past few days (I’m still at work, actually), and haven’t had a chance to sit down and put pen to paper (or fingers to keys).  I’m a bit upset about that because I have had some great car-free adventures (biking, walking, Orange Line, Blue Line, bus lines and shopping lines).  I’ll provide a more thorough update tomorrow on places I’ve been and people I have met in the past few days, but here are some highlights:

I have met some wonderful fellow car-free dieters in the past couple days, whether it’s on the escalator down into the Metro, or walking out on Clarendon Blvd.  I even ran into Tim from BikeArlington while he was commuting home and I was doing errands (both on bike, of course). I think there are a growing number of people who have learned the going car-free can be easy and fun.

Some exciting things have been going on to get the word out about public transportation and biking options in Arlington.  I had a lot of fun filming a new video the other night, and I recently received a friendly call from Todd asking about buying my car (it sounded like he was calling from his car phone…).  For those of you looking for new posters for your walls, you can also check out my Facebook fan page to see some new car-free graphics that are out.

On the car sales front, I have received a great response so far.  I washed the car the other day and have a list of people to contact for this weekend.  I did receive some pretty strange responses, but also some ones I’m very hopeful about.

Right now, I’m at work out in Fairfax, and I know I’ll probably finish up around 3:30 or 4am.  Yikes.  I think this is the first time I’m not totally sure how I’m going to get around car-free.  Will I have to carpool?  Maybe.  I would say this is the first major, significant test of whether I can get where I need to go without a vehicle.  If you have suggestions about how you get around in sticky situations, please feel free to drop a comment here, on my Twitter, or the Facebook page.  I would love to hear from you!