Are you thinking about going carless? This is for you!

Recently, after 30 years of car ownership, I decided to go carless. It was both an environmental and a financial decision. Feeling comfortable with my new transportation routine took longer than I expected but, then again, nobody said recovery from addiction was easy. Our lives are largely centered around the car and it is difficult to imagine ourselves without one.

Some context: I do not have children and I live downtown within walking distance to all sorts of shops, the public library, drugstore, grocery store, etc. Living downtown was key and it made the transition much smoother.

Within that context, here are the steps I took:

I calculated the costs associated with owning a car: cost of vehicle, insurance, gas, maintenance, accidents, parking tickets, etc. The statistical North American average is $7,000. My goal was to spend at most $2,000 a year on transportation.

Selling my car helped finance home renovations.

The first phase of my “recovery” was to borrow friends’ vehicles. They begged me to use theirs because their vehicles generally just sat in their driveways unused for most of the week. So, I made no changes to my life and used their cars instead of owning one. Although this was practical and easy, it was sheer laziness on my part. Change feels uncomfortable, and I was not feeling it. Having realized that, I was then ready for change.

I joined the Yellowknife Car Share Co-operative. In partnership with the City of Yellowknife, we own an electric vehicle and I can borrow it in the evenings, holidays and week-ends. We are now looking at buying a second vehicle and to increasing work-week access. I have found the electric vehicle not only very useful but also very gratifying – I love using the technology and seeing for myself how well adapted it is to the North. The car is parked at City Hall; I have developed a routine which sees me make my way there, run errands, come back to the house to off-load and go back to City Hall. While walking back home, I always smile because my errands are done, stuff has been put away and I feel darn good about using an electric vehicle!

I bought an electric bike with two large baskets. I use it in summer to run errands and visit friends. I can get from downtown to Old Airport Road or Kam Lake without a problem. I made the decision not to use the bike in winter, although that could be done.

I take taxis. Usually, only one way. For example, I will walk to the grocery store or pick up parcels at the post office, and take a cab back. I don’t sweat the fare, it is so much cheaper than owning a car! I often ask neighbours if they need anything from the grocery store because I know I don’t have to carry it all back!

In summer, to go out of town on the Ingraham Trail, I rent the electric vehicle from the Car Share. In winter, I rent a car instead from a car rental company. The road can be tricky on cold dark nights, this battery is not as strong on longer distances in the winter and I can’t plug the vehicle when I get there. So I play it safe and rent from the professionals...and enroute also drop off recycling or run errands to make good use of the rental!

Next on my transportation alternatives to-do list is to take the bus to the Co-op and to make my way back by taxi. In summer, I often take my electric bike.

I have developed a few useful strategies:

Many local stores and restaurants deliver for a fee or for free. Free delivery is great but I do not mind paying for the service as it helps keep me carless. It is still cheaper than owning a car!

I have Inclusion NWT come every week to pick up large bags of beverage containers I use for my business. They keep the money. We’re both happy. They will also pick up large orders for me at local stores. This service has been a life saver.

Recycling took some time to get used to. I bring recycling when I rent a car or take small quantities to the nearby blue bins by bike or when I walk by. I have gotten into a taxi on my way to the Co-op more often than I care to remember with recycling in hand...asking to be dropped off at the blue bins in the parking lot. I then walk to the store feeling pretty good about life!

If I need a large vehicle for dump hauls, move things, picking up large orders, etc. I rent a U-Haul truck. It is very reasonably priced and it is for the whole day, not just for a few hours. So if you plan well, a U-Haul for larger loads is a great solution. You could also share with friends and neighbours.

Going carless has become part of my business. I am self-employed and my business plan has people picking up food I grow and process from my downtown location at Le Refuge Farm.

Customers come to me instead of me having to go to them. Most of them either live nearby, bike or walk, or drop by with their vehicle on their way to pick up or drop off kids.

In summer, I sell my products at the Farmers Market and I bike there every week. It takes me 7 minutes from door to stall. I pull a trolley and the look on people’s faces as I make my way is well worth the trouble!

In fact, as you can see from the picture, I transformed the old parking lot into raised beds and a greenhouse for my small urban farm.

I am not going to lie, going carless took some adjusting but I would not go back to personal vehicle ownership. I am enjoying the money I am saving. I feel more connected to my neighbourhood because I walk it instead of driving it. I have spent under $2,000 this year on transportation for both my business and my personal life. This includes weekly taxis to/from the Co-op for my business and myself, taxis back from the downtown grocery store; renting the electric vehicle from the Car Share once or twice a month, renting a car from a rental company three times a year to go on the Ingraham Trail, renewing my driver’s license and annual servicing for my electric bike. For me, carless is the way to go!