Car-Lite Living

Going Car-Lite or Car-Free is really, really COOL, and FUN too…

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Here’s a list of tips and local L.A. resources to help you start living a car-lite life.

Car Sharing

Use a car for trips that would be difficult any other way. Be thoughtful about where you need to go and follow the tips below.

Zipcar :: www.zipcar.com
Flexcar has vehicles all over Los Angeles. Members pay for what they use, and don’t have to pay for gas or insurance. They offer lower impact low emission vehicles and hybrids.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car :: www.enterprise.com
Low rental rates makes Enterprise a convenient source for a car when you need one. They’ll even come and pick you up on request.

Tips:

• Combine your trips and errands. This will allow you to maximize your use of a car.
• Borrow a friend’s car.
• Carpool with friends and co-workers when possible. Traffic moves faster in the carpool lane.
• Find a rideshare buddy on the web (ie: www.craigslist.org)

The MTA provides more tips and resources about car sharing, carpooling, and commuting.

Bicycling

Bicycling is an amazingly fast, easy, and comfortable way to get around the city without a car.

Check our calendar for upcoming workshops that are designed to help get you moving around the city on your bike, safely and easily. Also, explore the rest of our website, where you’ll find news about urban bicycling, local bike rides and events, blogs, photo galleries, and other L.A. bike resources.

The local bicycling community has grown substantially in recent years. There are so many resources in Los Angeles that we could not even begin to list them all here. Resources and projects cover most aspects of bicycle culture — bike route mapping tools, community bicycle repair spaces, organizations focusing on city bicycling infrastructure and advocacy, bike-buddy programs, sites promoting community rides and events, and bicycle blogs. Visit our resource page for a comprehensive listing.

Tips:

• Ride much like you are driving a car, follow the rules of the road.
• Ride with a friend. See if others at your workplace are interested in commuting by bike and then ride with them.
• Have a lot to carry? Transporting cargo by bike is quite easy when you have the right gear. Talk to an experienced urban bicyclist for tips.

Public Transportation

Traveling around Los Angeles County on public transportation is getting a heck of a lot easier. There are many bus lines, light rail lines, and Metrolink trains to serve your needs.

Metro :: www.mta.net
Features maps, mapping tools, and timetables. Also links to the other carriers in our region.
Commute Smart :: www.commutesmart.info
Lists web links and phone numbers for Southern California bus and rail providers.

Tips:

• Plan your trip. Eliminate the headaches in trying to figure out your route when you are on the street . Knowing your bus/train routes with all connections before you leave, will make your trip much more enjoyable .
• Take your work or something to read along with you. Time spent traveling on public transportation can become productive time.

Walking

More than a quarter of U.S. trips are 1 mile or less.These trips present an excellent opportunity to convert a car trip into a walking trip. Take a walk, get some excercise, reconnect with your neighborhood, and get your errands done at the same time.

Tips:

• Carry a backpack or other bag to get your goods home.
• For errands that require a larger carrying capacity, consider bringing a cart along with you to make the trip home easier on your body.

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