With car ownership more expensive than ever and gas prices averaging $3 a gallon, many city dwellers are dropping their wheels in front of their heels. This can be good for their wallet and their health.
“Car-free days inherently reduce environmental impacts such as energy consumption and vehicle emissions, as well as health impacts such as driver stress and resident exposure to pollution,” said J. Patrick Abulencia, an associate professor of chemical engineering at Manhattan College.
Related: Buying a car in 2022? Here are 5 ways to get the best deal.
With that in mind, Lawn Starter recently ranked as the best cities to live without a car by 2023, measuring them against 19 indicators of car-free friendliness, including walkability, transporter, climate, pedestrian safety and weather.
Some results were expected, but others were surprising.
Large cities scored high
Densely populated cities such as San Francisco and New York were high on the list. Why? The busier a city, the less distance to travel and the more transportation options available. In large suburbs or sprawling cities, commuters often need a car to get around.
LawnStarter ranked San Francisco as the No. 1 city to live without a car. The city received high marks for walking, cycling and public transport.
Here are the top 5 cities on the list:
- San Francisco, California
- Boston, MA
- Washington, DC
- New York, New York
- Seattle, WA
Some surprises
Minneapolis ranked No. 8 — the same city that was a sharp minus-6 degrees Fahrenheit last week during an Arctic blizzard. But workers in Minneapolis don’t have to brave the cold. Downtown is connected through a system of glass-enclosed walkways called Skyways, which allow people to move warmly through the city without going outside. When the temperature rises, Minneapolis is a “cyclist’s paradise.” The city has the 16th best access to bicycle rentals, the eighth highest share of bicycle commuters, and far fewer pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 residents than 177 other cities.
At the other end of the car-free spectrum is Memphis, which was ranked the fifth worst city without wheels.
LawnStarter gave the city low marks for cycling, safety and walking. So much for Walking in Memphis.
The weather in Memphis is also not favorable for a car-free existence.
“While Memphis placed a decent 56th in air quality, its relatively punitive climate (No. 181) makes it uncomfortable to be outside,” the study said.
Most of the worst cities to live in without a car were in the South. Why? Bad weather and bad public transport. Also, the cities in the south are mostly built for cars. The exception was Alexandria, Virginia, at #31 – if you can call that the South.
These are the worst cities to live in without a car:
- Memphis, TN
- Shreveport, LA
- Little Rock, AR
- Clarksville, TN
- Mobile, AL
