best US cities without a car

[mnestic]

livin' car free in Minneapolis Minnesota. Car free but with one sweet bicycle and an awesome unlimited bus pass.

As mentioned a few times in this thread, Minneapolis is GREAT without a car. In fact, it is absolutely awful to live here with a car. You have to move it at 8am whenever there's a heavy snow. Not fun.

YES.

I have lived in the Twin Cities for ten years and have been carless for seven of those years. It's completely easy to be car-free in many areas of both Minneapolis and St Paul, especially near the U of M. The buses don't go out to many of the suburbs (or they go, like, once an hour on weekdays and not at all on weekends) but within the city public transportation is great. And, yeah, having a car here does kind of suck. It's more convenient for going out to far-flung suburban locations, but digging it out of the snow and moving it during snow emergencies sucks.

[M10TheMist]

I am new to this forum and do not know anything about living in a foreign land as of yet.

Can someone tell me how much a car will cost me if I need one when I am in US this fall 2010?

[expressionista]

M10, you can buy a decent used car (but with like 70000 miles on it, minimum) starting around $4000-5000. I've looked at used cars recently, and most of the ones I would consider buying are more like $8000 (I would prefer something with less than 60000 miles, less than 4 years old, automatic transmission, etc.).

If you bought a new car and financed it, generally for the least expensive small cars, prices start around $12000, and the lowest monthly payments are like $250 (if you don't put any payment down), although most people pay more like $300-$500 a month for a new car here.

You'll also have to pay for the car insurance, license plates, registration, and yearly inspection (in some states), but that all varies depending on where exactly you live. Leasing is another option, but I have no experience with that so I'll leave it to someone else.

[LifeIsGood]

FYI, in case anyone's interested: The Chronicle Forums have a long-running thread about bicycle commuting. Good info there about how to make it work.

[M10TheMist]

M10, you can buy a decent used car (but with like 70000 miles on it, minimum) starting around $4000-5000.

If you bought a new car and financed it, generally for the least expensive small cars, prices start around $12000, and the lowest monthly payments are like $250

You'll also have to pay for the car insurance, license plates, registration, and yearly inspection (in some states), but that all varies depending on where exactly you live.

Leasing is another option, but I have no experience with that so I'll leave it to someone else.

Thanks expressionista. That was really informative for someone naive like me.

I am not sure where I am gonna be put up in the US as of yet. But I was wondering how to go around the town (wherever I will be) during winters and hence the question about cars.

Thanks again.

[Gigi]

 UC Berkeley

You can get around easy using buses (AC Transit) and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), bicycle, zipcar or city carshare...you can even get into the city of Berkeley very easily on public transportation from Oakland and Albany, CA...

[MelMcC]

Austin - I know someone has already mentioned this but I have several friends who are international and don't have cars and I can post of their experience. I think of all of the southern cities Austin is probably one of the best for public transport, especially for the students. UT has the biggest shuttle route system in the country so you don't even have to live next to campus to have a fairly fast (20 or less) shuttle ride to get to campus as long as you live in the northern part of the city. Of course you could live in West Campus, that's where most of the international students I know live, and then you can walk to campus. Also there is the E-bus that shuttles people back and forth from West campus to downtown for free on most nights and it runs almost all night, so you don't even have to pay a taxi fare as the previous Austin post mentioned. The only downside is rent in West Campus is pretty high unless you find a roommate to split it with.

Also there is a great international program here that takes trips to different tourist places around Central Texas on Saturdays; big museums, San Antonio, the big outlets in San Marcos, stuff like that.

In conclusion, it's no New York but for the South Austin is a great place to be without a car.

[MelMcC]

@M10 - My husband is foreign and I don't know about you but he preferred a manual transmission when we bought our car so if you have this preference you can shave off some of the price for used cars by getting a manual transmission considering most Americans prefer automatics. Just a thought.

[RNadine21]

I'll just give a big thumbs up to DC where I grew up. I love going home because I can be so independent and it's so easy to get everywhere by myself. I interned in Baltimore, which also has a pretty good system between the buses and the light rail. It's not difficult at all to travel between the two cities with the MARC train (just don't use the Camden line if you're in a hurry..bahhh!).

I'm currently finishing up my undergrad in Miami, and the system here is so-so. It works for me since I'm walking distance from the busway, but it does take a while to get anywhere (actually, that's true whether you have a car or not. Traffic in Miami is ridiculous). I've even made the trek to South Beach on the Metro....though I only do that if I REALLY want to hit the beach and my roommates are gone. I personally feel safe on Miami's Metro, but I'm probably the only person who'll say that since I've never owned a car and I'm just used to it. It's also annoying that the Metro consists on one line that runs north to south (like I said, I'm from DC). There is also the Tri-Rail, which connects Miami-Dade, Broward, and West Palm counties I believe. I know you can get to both airports (Miami and Ft. Lauderdale) on the Tri-Rail.

I've been told that Raleigh has a good bus system since it can be a pain to drive (hoping this is the case since one of my schools is there).

[expressionista]

I don't consider Raleigh a pain to drive in at all. I've lived in Raleigh, southern California, and northern VA, and of those three, Raleigh is by faaaaar the easiest city to drive in (least traffic, easiest directions, etc.). I'd say the biggest issue with driving in Raleigh is that there is truly a disproportionate number of really bad drivers in that area. Also, no one uses their turn signal. It does have a good bus system, but it's also a sprawling southeastern city, so it wasn't exactly made for people without cars. If you went to NC State and lived near campus, you could get around fine on public transportation though.

[pea-jay]

@M10 - My husband is foreign and I don't know about you but he preferred a manual transmission when we bought our car so if you have this preference you can shave off some of the price for used cars by getting a manual transmission considering most Americans prefer automatics. Just a thought.

Hey, I'm American and I hate automatic transmission cars. But you're right, manual transmission cars can be cheaper to purchase.

I'll just give a big thumbs up to DC where I grew up. I love going home because I can be so independent and it's so easy to get everywhere by myself. I interned in Baltimore, which also has a pretty good system between the buses and the light rail. It's not difficult at all to travel between the two cities with the MARC train.

This past week has not been great for Metro, with the system barely remaining operational. Then again, the whole DC area has difficulties in snowy conditions.

Edited February 14, 2010 by pea-jay

[gsams]

I think Bloomington Indiana (Indiana University) is good. I rode my bike to class everyday. There are bike lanes on a lot of streets and drivers are used to it and respectful. I walked to restaurants, stores, and bars downtown. If you want to go to the mall or to wal-mart (icky), you can take the bus pretty easily. Also, parking is very expensive and difficult on campus.

I have to disagree with you, as a student who lives on campus currently. I am going to grad school at one of about 9 places next year (possibly) so no clue yet, but I think I will be getting a car. Yesterday, to go to a much-needed neuro consult, I had to walk about 3 miles, even WITH the bus taking about 1 mile off my trek. In the winter, people in this part of the state refuse to shovel, so walking becomes icy and dangerous.

The buses are not necessarily reliable. I have waited 3 hours for a bus when ill before to return to campus. It definitely depends on where you live, but if you need to take a 9 anywhere, don't depend on it. They virtually do not run on Sundays and very rarely on Saturdays.

[aleab]

Can anyone comment on Santa Barbara?

Santa Barbara doesn't have the greatest public transportation. If you're at UCSB there is a bus loop on campus that can take you downtown or into Goleta, but it can take a long time and can be kind of a pain. I wouldn't say it's absolutely necessary to have a car (the campus is extremely bike friendly and if you live in Isla Vista, campus and little markets are within biking distance), but if you plan on going shopping a lot or wanting to go to bigger grocery stores like Albertson's or Trader Joe's, I would recommend having a car.

[The Pseudo grad student]

I'm actually quite surprised that Davis, CA isn't mentioned here. Actually now that I think about it, it's more a town than a city...

Not known to many people but Davis is the bike capital of the US, yes over Oregon, where there are more bikes than students at the university. It's the most bike friendly town with huge bike lanes and since the weather is great year round riding is the best way of getting anywhere including campus. The campus is huge so a bike is very convenient to have over the bus + walking.

One of the arguments I have against Berkeley is that it isn't so bike friendly. My sister biked to school everyday because she lived so far away but then she had to bike to school but then once she got there she would have to get off her bike and leave it on campus somewhere! One of the worst things too is the bike theft in Berkeley which is really bad, worst than Davis. The BART system really has 3 stops in Berkeley so it's not that easy to get around but if you wanted to go out of town the BART and Amtrak are great! Just my two cents...

[pea-jay]

I'm actually quite surprised that Davis, CA isn't mentioned here. Actually now that I think about it, it's more a town than a city...

Not known to many people but Davis is the bike capital of the US, yes over Oregon, where there are more bikes than students at the university. It's the most bike friendly town with huge bike lanes and since the weather is great year round riding is the best way of getting anywhere including campus. The campus is huge so a bike is very convenient to have over the bus + walking.

One of the arguments I have against Berkeley is that it isn't so bike friendly. My sister biked to school everyday because she lived so far away but then she had to bike to school but then once she got there she would have to get off her bike and leave it on campus somewhere! One of the worst things too is the bike theft in Berkeley which is really bad, worst than Davis. The BART system really has 3 stops in Berkeley so it's not that easy to get around but if you wanted to go out of town the BART and Amtrak are great! Just my two cents...

I've spent time in both cities and taken extension classes in Davis. Davis is by far and away more bike friendly than Berkeley. Just look at the topography of both places. Davis is table-flat. Berkeley is...more challenging to put it nicely.

[Jae B.]

good: san francisco, berkeley

Definitely agree that Berkeley is fine without a car. Lots of public transportation, AC Transit buses every where. Nice BART access to nearby cities, shopping and San Francisco.

I only take BART to get around SF -- pretty easy -- to avoid Muni buses since they've had some weird accidents lately, but they're actually alright. The San Francisco Bay Area is good about public transit in general, although the economy-related service cuts are a nuisance to get used to during odder hours.

I've never biked on the UC Berkeley campus, but I see plenty of people do. I'd probably only take a cheap bike, though, since bike theft is high.

Edited March 12, 2010 by Jae B.

[HelloKaty37]

I'm in my fourth year in Austin, TX and until about a month ago did not have a car. Now I share one with my boyfriend, who has it most of the time because he uses it to get back and forth from work. I don't know how to ride a bike (go ahead and laugh; everyone does) so I can't speak for that other than that trying to *learn* to ride a bike in Austin was difficult because it is so hilly. There do seem to be plenty of bike lanes though and when I do drive I notice bikers here must feel very safe (read: entitled) because they have no problem riding in the car lanes when there isn't a bike one, making the cars go 15 mph in a 35-40 zone. I read somewhere that a well-respected biking magazine rated Austin the #1 biking city in the US, but as I don't bike I couldn't tell you which magazine that is. Lance Armstrong owns a house in Austin, so that must say something about how bikers feel about the city.

As for the bus system, which I know really well, it makes car-free transportation in Austin a breeze. I haven't lived in West Campus for three years (and honestly wouldn't recommend the area for grad students because it is very noisy and filled with frats/sororities and ever-drunk freshmen) and I have done just fine getting around. It is handy to live on the 1L/1M route, because it runs about once every 12 minutes, but even off the route there are plenty of frequent bus lines. And the campus buses go all the way to Far West one way and Riverside the other way, which if you look it up on the CapMetro website you will see is pretty impressive. As a bonus, UT students ride all the buses for free!

Overall, I would have to give it 4/5 stars. If only we had something like the Boston T, New York subway, or DC Metro, then it would get that fifth star.

edit: I haven't noticed an opinion on Dallas, TX yet. I've never lived in the city, but I grew up nearby and my older brother went to college in Dallas. I get the distinct impression that it is not at all livable for those without a car. There is public transportation but everyone there drives and everyone expects you to drive. And the housing around college campuses is typically very expensive, so you can't really plan to walk/bike to school unless you're willing to shell out big bucks for an apartment.

Edited March 14, 2010 by HelloKaty37

[RNadine21]

I'm in my fourth year in Austin, TX and until about a month ago did not have a car. Now I share one with my boyfriend, who has it most of the time because he uses it to get back and forth from work. I don't know how to ride a bike (go ahead and laugh; everyone does) so I can't speak for that other than that trying to *learn* to ride a bike in Austin was difficult because it is so hilly. There do seem to be plenty of bike lanes though and when I do drive I notice bikers here must feel very safe (read: entitled) because they have no problem riding in the car lanes when there isn't a bike one, making the cars go 15 mph in a 35-40 zone. I read somewhere that a well-respected biking magazine rated Austin the #1 biking city in the US, but as I don't bike I couldn't tell you which magazine that is. Lance Armstrong owns a house in Austin, so that must say something about how bikers feel about the city.

As for the bus system, which I know really well, it makes car-free transportation in Austin a breeze. I haven't lived in West Campus for three years (and honestly wouldn't recommend the area for grad students because it is very noisy and filled with frats/sororities and ever-drunk freshmen) and I have done just fine getting around. It is handy to live on the 1L/1M route, because it runs about once every 12 minutes, but even off the route there are plenty of frequent bus lines. And the campus buses go all the way to Far West one way and Riverside the other way, which if you look it up on the CapMetro website you will see is pretty impressive. As a bonus, UT students ride all the buses for free!

Overall, I would have to give it 4/5 stars. If only we had something like the Boston T, New York subway, or DC Metro, then it would get that fifth star.

edit: I haven't noticed an opinion on Dallas, TX yet. I've never lived in the city, but I grew up nearby and my older brother went to college in Dallas. I get the distinct impression that it is not at all livable for those without a car. There is public transportation but everyone there drives and everyone expects you to drive. And the housing around college campuses is typically very expensive, so you can't really plan to walk/bike to school unless you're willing to shell out big bucks for an apartment.

Haha, I can't drive or ride a bike so I completely understand. I'm basically useless without a good public transportation system.

[VUbrat08]

I'll talk about the places I'm very familiar with:

Atlanta: I'm a Georgian, born and raised, incredibly familiar with the ATL area. Do not come down here without a car. Others have said the same thing in this thread, but I can not stress this enough. I've been on MARTA once and I won't do it again; the buses are atrocious. Even with the traffic, your life becomes much easier when you have access to a car.

re: traffic: in Forbes' list for worst traffic in the nation, we were #4. Just saying.

Nashville is similar, though smaller and with not as much traffic. I was ecstatic when I was finally able to take my car (I went to Vanderbilt for UG). You can't go to a grocery store without one (Harris Teeter and Kroger are the closest, but they are way beyond walking/biking range), so yeah. Also, I thought that Atlanta drivers were bad....Nashville drivers are horrible.

Edited March 14, 2010 by VUbrat08

[javagdss]

I can personally vouch for San Diego and parts of Los Angeles.

San Diego: I did my undergrad at UCSD without a car, and it was enjoyable. You get a free sticker on your student ID card that gets you unlimited rides on all bus routes that connect with campus or the medical center. A bike will get you around the campus neighborhood, transit will get you downtown and to some fun parts of town, and zipcar/friends with cars can get you to the less accessible places.

Los Angeles: I've spent the past two years living in Koreatown, commuting to USC for work daily. Bus access to campus is wonderful, and many routes run 24/7. The subway is ideal for getting downtown or into Hollywood. Parts of this area are even decently bikeable - I bike to the Hollywood Farmers Market and Trader Joe's on weekends with no problems. Driving is a chore, and parking is obscenely expensive. There's zipcar on campus if you need it. Staff can get a subsidized Metro pass through USC very easily. Students *can* get a discounted Metro pass, but it's a hassle. A group of students and I are currently working to make the pass easier to access and cheaper to purchase, so by the time you get here, you should have an easier time of it. Oh, also, the Expo line is due to open soon, which will connect USC to Culver City and downtown LA by lightrail!

[Slarti]

Atlanta: I'm a Georgian, born and raised, incredibly familiar with the ATL area. Do not come down here without a car. Others have said the same thing in this thread, but I can not stress this enough. I've been on MARTA once and I won't do it again; the buses are atrocious. Even with the traffic, your life becomes much easier when you have access to a car.

re: traffic: in Forbes' list for worst traffic in the nation, we were #4. Just saying.

I think that's only true if you're living in Atlanta but not on a college campus. As far as Georgia Tech goes, essentials (grocery stores, fast food, some decent restaruants) are easily in walking distance, although I don't think the city is bike friendly. There's lots of student housing right off campus, and there's even some nice apartments about a mile away (they might be pricey). Now on the other hand, the metro system is awful, so if you DO plan on going out a lot you will need to own a car or know someone with a car. Also, if you want to live somewhere cheap and nice and are willing to drive, that's possible, but avoid Atlanta rush hour at all costs.

Edited March 17, 2010 by Slarti

[robinsparkles]

I noticed that a while back in this thread someone was asking if Binghamton is a good place to be without a car. Yes, it is very possible! I am finishing my undergrad degree there now and I've lived here for 4 years. Binghamton University has their own us system, the "blue buses", which are completely free for anyone with a BU campus ID. There are also many county buses that are all free with a campus ID as well. If you are living within the most populated student housing areas, transportation shouldn't be a problem at all. (Most of these buses are easily accessible from downtown binghamton, which is where the majority of students live anyway)

[Riotbeard]

Charleston, SC is a very easy city without a car. The transit system is rough, but you can seriously bike accross the city in 30 minutes. No bike lanes (except on the highway to the beach). You can bike to the subburbs and the beach with a little courage and the strength to bike the bridges. You don't even need a bike for downtown (it is nice though). Plenty of bikers and drivers are mostly used to it. There is also a bike co-op for repairs...

[savantarde]

On 3/29/2010 at 10:57 AM, grad_wannabe said:

Anyone get funding info from CalArts yet?

Anywhere in Arizona will require a car. The *only* place I can see getting away without one *might* be the Phoenix Metropolitan area, but only because they have reliable and regular buses at all times of day.

Tucson bills itself as a "bike friendly" community, but I disagree, wholeheartedly.

Everywhere in Arizona is sprawling, hence the need for vehicular transport.

[Jezebel]

Boulder, CO!

I've lived in Boulder for over 2 years car-free. Boulder is ranked as one of the best bike-friendly cities, which I think is fairly accurate. There are plenty of bike lanes and bike paths, and most drivers are accomodating at sharing the road. It's okay to bike on sidewalks here too. Bike safe with a helmet, a bike light at night, and use hand signals and you're pretty much set. There is some animosity between motorists and bicyclists, but most if it is directed at reckless bikers (namely CU students who don't use hand signals, don't wear helmets, bike too fast, and weave in and out of pedestrians and traffic) and the 'spandex wearing elite bikers', who get mocked regularly in some circles and are accused of hogging the road. I think you'll have that anywhere though. A lot of students in Boulder are out-of-state, and I would say that students pose the greatest risk to cyclists as they are much less aware about how to share the road. There are lots of resources about biking in Boulder if you search the web. Overall, it's worked great for me - I've only been hit by a car while biking once!

The bus system is great for the most part and a bus pass (usable throughout Boulder/Denver on any Boulder local or RTD route) is included in my student fees. If you're considering the Boulder/Denver area, check out RTD-denver.com for info on bus and lightrail routes. The buses are fairly reliable and can get you reasonably close to anything you might need. If you're living downtown, there's bound to be lots in walking distance, and it's a nice city, so there's ample motivation to walk.

I can't speak so much for Denver, but I do know the Denver bus system is extensive and they are putting in more lightrail to be completed soon. I've only used the lightrail system in Denver a few times, but I found it to be not bad if you don't use it at peak hours going through DU's campus. You can also take your bus on the lightrail.

There is also a great local (Boulder/Denver) carshare called Ego CarShare that has a one-time $25 application fee and then has 2 plans - a $10 a month with lower usage charges and a free monthly plan with charges that are $2/hr more. The mileage fees are reasonable seeing as it covers gas/insurance/maintenance. Best of all, they don't charge an hourly rate between 11pm and 6am.

The Boulder/Denver area prides itself on being eco-friendly, so there is lots of initiative to get people out of cars and onto bikes or public transport. Twice a year there is a free "Bike-to-Work Day" event that serves up tasty free breakfast to bicycle commuters at locations all over Boulder. Nothing makes the trip to work nicer than snagging a fresh bagel or some fruit and granola bars on the way! If anyone has specific questions about getting around Boulder or the surrounding area, feel free to shoot me a message!