Archive for the ‘Car Free Culture’ Category

Cycling, walking though New York City easier thanks to Transportation Alternatives

June 15th, 2009 by Buddy Evans
Buddy Evans

Times Square traffic ban is the result of behind-the-scenes advocacy

By Buddy Evans, President of Big Bucks Auto™

Contestants of the 5th Annual Commuter Race
Contestants of the 5th Annual Commuter Race

You might notice while walking through New York City, the buzz has centered around Times Square traffic – or, more accurately, the lack of vehicle traffic.

NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s decision to temporarily cease car traffic on a few selected blocks of Broadway in Times Square is certainly a win for pedestrians and fans of city cycling. I talk in detail about the social implications of such a move in a recent article on BigBucksAuto.com, “What Do Times Square Street Closures in New York City Mean for American Car Culture?”

Pedestrian, bicycle advocacy group a major player

At Big Bucks Auto – long a proponent of addressing traffic concerns and investigation transportation alternatives – we have decided to step into the fray by providing support and drawing attention to a group that has been championing pedestrian and bicycle advocacy for decades.

Since 1973, Transportation Alternatives has been working tirelessly to “reclaim New York City’s streets from the automobile and to advocate for bicycling, walking and public transit as the best transportation alternatives.”

Bicycle Advocacy and more

While this new rash of publicity over the Times Square traffic ban has raised awareness of the ubiquitous motor vehicle in New York City, Transportation Alternatives has been advocating relatively behind-the-scenes to change our approach to getting from point A to B:

“T.A. seeks to change New York City’s transportation priorities to encourage and increase non-polluting, quiet, city-friendly travel and decrease–not ban–private car use. We seek a rational transportation system based on a ‘Green Transportation Hierarchy,’ which gives preference to modes of travel based on their benefits and costs to society. To achieve our goals, T.A. works in five areas: Bicycling, Walking and Traffic Calming, Car-Free Parks, Safe Streets and Sensible Transportation.”

City cycling vs. Times Square traffic

The folks at Transportation Alternatives have become the authoritative source for information on modes of transportation other than single-occupancy vehicles and the leading advocates for changes in public policy.

For a more anecdotal example of how Transportation Alternatives spreads the word, consider the group’s fifth annual commuter race, held in late May. Three contestants commuted from Sunnyside, Queens to Columbus Circle – a 4.2 mile Queens-to-midtown scramble.

With three contestants each using a different mode of transportation, Rachel Myers made the rush-hour trek in a shade over 20 minutes. Dan Hendrick showed up about 15 minutes later and Willie Thompson almost 15 minutes after that.
It might surprise you to find that Myers was on a bicycle, Hendrick on the subway and last-place Thompson was in a cab (and $30 poorer).

Help Transportation Alternatives promote cycling, mass transit, walking through the city

So, with a simple event, Transportation Alternatives provided irrefutable evidence that the most environmentally-friendly, most healthy mode of travel was also the fastest.

It is because of this work and the mission of Transportation Alternatives that Big Bucks Auto supports their advocacy efforts.
The folks at Transportation Alternatives say it best: “Every day, policy makers and journalists turn to T.A. as the authority on cyclists and pedestrian safety. Why? Because we’re making a difference by changing the face of New York’s streets and improving the lives of cyclists, walkers and transit users.”

Buddy Evans is the Vice President of Big Bucks Auto™, one of the largest and most reputable used car buyers in the Tri State Area. Buddy has authored several automotive articles and Big Bucks Auto™ eNewsletters about various topics related to the automotive industry. Visit Buddy and his team at Big Bucks Auto™ to sell your used car or get a free car appraisal. Call us today at 1-888-44-BUCKS or 1-888-442-8257.

Learn more about why you should choose Big Bucks Auto to buy your car and call us today at 1-888-44-BUCKS or 1-888-442-8257.

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What Do Times Square Street Closures in New York City Mean for American Car Culture?

June 1st, 2009 by Buddy Evans
Buddy Evans

Driving in New York City just got more difficult thanks to Times Square street closures and car free days

By Buddy Evans, President of Big Bucks Auto™

American car culture took a hit recently when New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that a portion of Times Square – a span of Broadway from 42nd to 47th streets – would be closed to vehicle traffic.

Some claim that the New York City Street closures leave car culture intact – not to mention the spirit of Times Square

New York Times columnist Nicolai Ouroussoff reported that “the soul of Times Square remains intact.” New York Times “Wheels” columnist Richard Chang sung a similar tune, writing that the street closures did little to affect driving in New York City.

On the other end of the spectrum, blogger Steve Rosenbaum suggested on “The Huffington Post” that Bloomberg’s “shocking” car-free move on Times Square amounts to a battle – and while pedestrians benefit, it’s the bicyclists that are winning.

Mixed reviews on NYC street closures and the effect on driving in New York City

The alleged effect of the new Times Square street closures for those few very touristy blocks has also come down square on the fence. Media outlets throughout New York City and across the globe quoted out-of-towners in traditional “oohhh” and “ahhhh” fashion. Fleets of delivery drivers were not to be ignored – just as many were quoted blaming the new car-free zone as a time-waster, money-drainer and all-around inconvenience.

Let’s not allow the details muddy the moral of the story here – a country with a car culture so thick you can taste it just shut down a few of the most bustling blocks in its busiest city. Voluntary street closures that make driving in New York City harder and bicycle and foot traffic easier…well, that’s a big deal.

This isn’t a major shift in American car culture

It is a small movement towards getting people to think about life without a car. Sure, tourists sitting in beach chairs in the middle of Broadway is still a novelty, but Bloomberg’s message is simple – American car culture is not some sacrosanct sector of our collective conscience.

The infrastructure of our nation is certainly designed around an American car culture, but the recent street closures in New York City serve as a reminder – even among some of the most traffic-saturated blocks on Earth, you can preserve a little bit pedestrian peace.

Times Square street closures prompt action on driving in New York City

In an effort to put our money where our mouth is, Big Bucks Auto is throwing our support behind the New York City group, Transportation Alternatives – whose mission is to “reclaim New York City’s streets from the automobile and to advocate for bicycling, walking and public transit as the best transportation alternatives.”

We’ve written extensively on issues affecting American car culture in New York City – from the Benefits of Riding a Bike and the Looming Average Cost of a Car to Air Pollution & Heath Risks.

If you feel moved enough to make a move towards this car-free culture, check out some of the ways you can sell your car with Big Bucks Auto.

Learn more about why you should choose Big Bucks Auto to buy your car and call us today at 1-888-44-BUCKS or 1-888-442-8257.

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How Can Technology Protect the Environment? It Doesn’t, Really

April 15th, 2009 by Buddy Evans
Buddy Evans

No matter how “green”, some industries like the automobile industry, still promote technology that does more harm than good and little to protect the environment

Regardless of green technologies, automobils still pollute the environment
Polluting the enviroment
Photo credits: globalwarming1108

The answer to how we can use technology to protect the environment is hard to find when you’re looking in the wrong place. Of the countless tech-laden ways to curb the degree to which we are littering the environment with things like car exhaust, one solution might be closer and greener than you think. And it’s about as low-tech as it gets.

Instead of thinking about technology advancements to protect the environment like hybrid green cars, we might want to think about using less technology!

Those things at the end of your legs? They might just one of the most efficient, cheapest ways to sustainable living. Along with the obvious – walking – your feet can push on a pair of pedals and get you around town on your bicycle with greater ease and benefit than fighting traffic.

The citizenry of Planet Earth is now being forced to look at our home as a two-way exchange – we give to and take from Mother Nature – rather than treating our natural resources as a never-ending supply to power our progress.
And technology, while it may help to reduce how much we take from nature, will never be as successful as shedding some of our most detrimental human habits.

So, as the planet celebrates another Earth Day, let’s touch on some facts and information that changes the focus from “how technology can help save the environment” to “how we can use what we have to get where we should be?”

Benefits of Riding a Bike and the Looming Average Cost of a Car

Low-tech; Commuting by bicycle helps the environment
Commuting by bicycle
Photo credits: bicyclesonly

The days of ignoring the many benefits of riding a bicycle are over. With the extremely high average annual cost of owning a car and to help protect the environment,, it makes sense not only to commute by bike if you can, but to consider replacing your car with a bicycle all together. Just remember to make sure you protect your investment and prevent bicycle theft when you can while you are protecting the environment, too.

Best Cities in the US for Living without a Car

We’ll give you a hint, one of top cities for carless living starts with a “new” and ends with a “york.” Living in a large metropolitan area like New York will make it much easier to maintain a mobile lifestyle without a car.  Access to mass transportation is a key feature in making this possible. According to WalkScore, a group that promotes walkable neighborhoods, while 83% percent of Americans live in metropolitan areas, only 5 percent live within walking distance of decent public transit. Committing to living without a car is definitely one way to go about using new technology in public transportation to stop littering the environment. Options regarding commuter railroads, public bus routes, subways, and streetcars or trolleys can make or break an individual’s decision to live car free and help protect the environment.

America’s Most Walkable Cities

There are a surprising number of cities in the U.S. considered to be quite walkable. We might all think of New York, Boston and Washington off the top of our heads. But did you know that large parts of Denver are walkable?  WalkScore has a website completely dedicated to finding and promoting “Walkable Places to Live”. They rank 2,508 neighborhoods in the largest 40 U.S. cities to help you find a walkable place to live. On top of that, they have a list of 138 “Walker’s Paradises.” Twenty-two cities have at least one and therefore fall under our list of America’s Most Walkable Cities. New York leads the pack with 38, including Tribeca, Little Italy, Soho, Chinatown, Midtown and Murray Hill.

Is Your Car Killing You?? Air Pollution & Heath Risks

Between the effects of global warming, particle pollutants and lack of health benefits in driving -Yes, your car is killing you! Just a glance at a how cars impact our world could turn the most the stubborn skeptic.  One U.S. car consumes about 600 gallons of gas each year and emits over 12,000 pounds of carbon dioxide into the environment.  How about this one – American automobile emissions account for more than 45 percent of the world’s automotive carbon dioxide emissions each year, even though the U.S. has only 5% of the world’s population perfectly exhibiting a case where technology in one country is NOT protecting the environment in the world. Bottom line: Save a life; sell your car!

So, as industries world-wide struggle with the notion of going green to proterct the environment and countless new technologies are consumed by the environment vs. economic growth argument, our over-reliance on automobiles is a continuing threat to the health of the planet and to ourselves.

And maybe as more and more people consider the question of “how does technology protect the environment?”, they will find that perhaps their feet might offer the best guidance. Putting an end to littering the environment with our various pollutants might naturally follow.

Get a free quote to sell your car today, from my team at Big Bucks Auto™.  We are a reputable used car buyer; the largest used car buying service in the New York Metro / Tri-State area.

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America’s Most Walkable Cities

March 2nd, 2009 by Buddy Evans
Buddy Evans

Best Cities in the US to Live and Walk in

Even in a most walkable city, walking is vastly underrated and underappreciated

One of America's most walkable cities - NYC

Walking is something that we do every day, but certainly don’t do enough.  For too many American’s the longest walk completed everyday might be from the parking lot where we park our cars to the office, school or mall doors.

The average person takes 2,000 steps per mile. Studies have shown that, on an average, a person walking at 3 mph burns about 4 calories per minute. Often called the “nearest activity to perfect exercise” and aside from the simple calorie burning, there are numerous long term health benefits:

  • Walking reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke
  • Walking can help lower blood pressure
  • Walking reduces high cholesterol and improve blood lipid profile
  • Walking reduces body fat
  • Walking increases bone density, hence helping to prevent osteoporosis
  • Walking reduces the risk of cancer of the colon
  • Walking reduces the risk of non insulin dependent diabetes
  • Walking helps osteoarthritis
  • Walking helps flexibility and co-ordination hence reducing the risk of falls

Over 75% of American’s live in a walkable city where a commitment to walking is not impossible and in fact, walking is easier than driving.

Although 41% of all trips made in the United States are two miles or less, fewer than 10% of all trips are made by walking and biking. In many cases, walking would actually save time when one considers traffic and parking. Only around 15% of all children today walk or bike to school, a significant decrease compared with 50% of children in 1969. This has created 20-30% increase morning traffic congestion in urban areas due to parents driving children to school meanwhile; we have a national issue with childhood obesity! These facts alone have begun a national movement towards promoting children walking to school and supporting community development and legislation towards maintaining “Safe Routes to School”.

There are a surprising number of cities in the US which are considered quite walkable

Sure, we would all think of New York, Boston and Washington off the top of our heads. But did you know that large parts of Denver are walkable?  WalkScore, a project launched in July of 2007, has a website completed dedicated to finding and promoting “Walkable Places to Live”. Walk Score ranks 2,508 neighborhoods in the largest 40 U.S. cities to help you find a walkable place to live. On top of that, they have a list o 138 “Walker’s Paradises” Twenty-two cities have at least one Walkers’ Paradise. New York leads the pack with 38 Walkers’ Paradises including Tribeca, Little Italy, Soho, Chinatown, Midtown and Murray Hill.

America’s most walkable cities overall are:

  • San Francisco, CA
  • New York, NY
  • Boston, MA
  • Chicago, IL
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Seattle, WA
  • Washington D.C.
  • Long Beach, CA
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • Portland, OR
  • Denver, CO
  • Baltimore, MD
  • Milwaukee, WI
  • Cleveland, OH
  • Louisville, KY
  • San Diego, CA
  • San Jose, CA
  • Las Vegas, NV
  • Fresno, CA
  • Sacramento, CA

Basically, if one does their homework correctly, you can live and work in a neighborhood where walking would be the finest form of transportation. Over 55% of Americans are choosing their homes and considering a combination of single family homes, larger urban buildings and walking distances as prime reasons for a home purchase. Many real estate professionals are emphasizing walkable neighborhoods and listing a community’s WalkScore as part of their listing procedures with great results. Even Google has a walking directions map search in Beta at http://maps.google.com/maps. Just find your location and under options, select “walking”.

Bottom line, America has many walkable cities and the benefits and appeal of walking are so numerous, that anyone who does not take advantage of this healthy, money saving, ecological, and positive way to get around is just foolish or lazy. At Big Bucks Auto, we want to help America be healthy and efficient.   When you are ready, especially all you New Yorkers come to Big Bucks Auto and sell us your used car.

And as you walk away, you’ll be happy you did.

Thinking about selling your car and joining America’s growing number of walkers? Read our Best Cities in the US for Living without a Car article for some useful tips.

Walking, in a country of in a city, has been shown to improve self esteem, relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety, and improve mood

Walking, particularly in pleasant surroundings, and with other people, offers many opportunities for relaxation and social contact. It really does allow you to stop, get out of the rat race and smell the roses should you pass some by. Plus, walking allows you to really interact with your community; you get to look other folks in the eyes, stop and say hello. It’s a natural stress reducer.

Overall, people who walk live longer and have healthier lives

For general health, experts recommend accumulating a total of 30 minutes of brisk walking on most, preferably all days of the week. 10,000 steps per day is a great goal for someone trying to increase their physical activity level.  Granted one way of walking more would be to dedicate walking into a normal fitness routine or work the treadmill at the gym, but we can simplify that: stop driving your car.

For more information, please check out these helpful links:

WalkScore; http://www.walkscore.com/
Googel Walking in Beta;  http://maps.google.com/maps
Walk to School; http://www.walktoschool.org
America Walks; http://www.americawalks.org
Safe Routes to School; http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/

Learn more about why choose us to buy your car and call us today at 1-888-44-BUCKS or 1-888-44-8257

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Best Cities in the US for Living without a Car

December 1st, 2008 by Buddy Evans
Buddy Evans
NYC - Best US City for Living Without a Car

Many people could not imagine life without a car, but between the economic challenges of today and the average cost of owning a car in the US being almost 20 thousand dollars plus the environmental considerations of another fossil fuel burning machine, life without a car might not be so scary of a thought.

Without question, living in a larger metropolitan city such as New York will greatly assist in maintaining a mobile quality of life without a car.  Accessible mass public transportation is a key feature in making this lifestyle viable. According to WalkScore ,a private civic group whose mission is to promote walkable neighborhoods, while 83% percent of Americans live in metropolitan areas, yet only 5% live within walking distance of decent public transit. Options regarding commuter railroads, public bus routes, subways, and streetcars/trolleys can make or break an individual’s decision to live car free.

Based on residential reviews, popular opinions decree that the following are the Best Cities in the United States to live without a car:

New York, NY:
Hands down, New York City comes first to everyone’s mind as the best city for living without a car. It’s one of the most walkable; best suited to withstand an oil crisis, and has extensive public transportation.  Since New York has limited land resources historically, it has been built up rather than out with extensive urban sprawl. Combined with the grid based street structures and public transportation, many die hard New Yorkers never even get a driver’s license.

Boston, MA:

While Boston’s transit system is a combination of bus, light rail, subway, and commuter rail lines that don’t intersect at a common hub, the T (”subway”) does have a far reach to the majority of the metro area except certain pockets of Cambridge and Allston. Despite the issue that the certain T lines, such as the Green line, are slower, other lines, like the Red line are deemed “pretty nice”. Boston is a good city to live without a car in as walking and bus routes are very reliable.

San Francisco, CA:

San  Francisco has a good system (BART) that incorporates a subway, light rail, and commuter rail marking it perfectly possible to live here without a car, and you can get anywhere in the Bay Area if you know how the various systems work.

Chicago, IL:

The Chicago train system covers almost everywhere you need to go and busses do the rest. The Blue Line and Red Line both run 24 hours. Major airports that can connect you to anywhere in the world, O’Hare and Midway, are both served directly by the local train system for no extra charge.  Chicago, like New York City, was one of the first planned cities, so the whole thing is on a neat and tidy grid, with a few diagonal streets radiating out from the giant downtown “traffic circle” of sorts which called the Loop. So if you are looking to live without a car, Chicago might be a good choice for you.

Philadelphia, PA:

Philadelphia is highly walkable with a number of residential neighborhoods both in the downtown area (Center City) and in the adjacent areas of Northern Liberties, West Philadelphia and South Philadelphia. While the Philly public transit service, SEPTA, adheres to a unique standard of upkeep and scheduling that can be considered challenging, a small subway system, good streetcars, commuter trains and busses make car free living possible.

Portland, OR:

Portland has always seemed extremely easy to get by without a car in and has the benefit of a surprisingly comprehensive public transit system with frequent service. Portland, Oregon has great busses and uncrowded streets for biking, and the distances are extremely manageable. It’s cold and wet more often than not, though.

Seattle, WA:

Seattle has a very good bus line between closer communities and Seattle proper. There are also rail and ferries depending on where you are coming from making it easy to get around without a car. Seattle is hilly, however, and the weather is often windy so the winter can be a miserable time for long walks.

Washington DC:

The DC Metro is quite good — safe, clean, generally reliable — and it runs to 3 AM on Fridays and Saturdays, though it still only runs until midnight on weekdays. Also, the network, while running far into the suburbs, does not stop very frequently in those suburbs.  It helps to be near Union Station and a bus stop, and walking distance from everything and you can enjoy the freedom of living without a car.

There are also quite a few other cities mentioned where people have lived without a car and enjoyed a quality standard of living.

Car Free Living Honorable Mention Cities

Dallas, TX:

Dallas is rapidly expanding their DART light rail system and in a few years or less it will be really extensive for a system like that.

Denver, CO:

Denver has a very good mass transit system supporting car free living.

Portland, MA:

Life in this little city is possible without cars. Downtown’s very walkable and reasonably safe, and if you need to escape you can take a train or bus to Boston and beyond.

Arlington, VA:

Just across the river from DC, Arlington is small but dense, which allows it to have a correspondingly dense transit system. Metrorail, Metrobus, ART are all quite comprehensive, and Arlington has plans to build a streetcar or light rail system along one of the main roads in the next 5-10 years and turning this city even friendlier for car free living. There’s one major corridor where walking is very convenient, but this is NOT generally true of the Metro.

Ann Arbor, MI:

For 8 years with no car. It’s a little different than living in a big city with no car, but very doable. The campus and City are quite entwined making it easily walkable with a bus system.

New Haven, CT:

While the public transit isn’t great, since one can walk everywhere, there is lots of housing within 1/2 hour walk of the downtown core so you can live car free here.

Burlington, VT:

With a very walkable, livable downtown, and the good county-wide bus system, if you lived and worked downtown you could have a totally car free life. On the other hand, you would want a car, as there is so much to do in Vermont outside of Burlington.

Madison, WI:

Downtown or near-west/east sides of Madison have support of a decent bus system and are one of the most bike-friendly cities in the US. There is also the university with some ~50k students, so if you live near that you can benefit from all the small shops that are around to serve that huge, mostly car-less population.

Then there are some cities that, no matter how green you might want to be, cannot really be lived in without a car.

The worst American cities to be stuck in without a car:

Los Angeles, CA:

Just as New York City is on the tops of everyone’s lists as one of the best cities for living without a car, LA is always on the bottom as the worst. Aside from the traffic due to too many cars, as for living car free, avoid Los Angeles and southern California like the plague. The types of cities that tend to require cars are ones that developed relatively recently, particularly those in the south, and suffer the worst from suburban sprawl.

Phoenix, AZ:

Phoenix had quite a few dishonorable mentions as a city where one must have a car. Though the metropolitan area is finishing the initial state of the construction of its light rail system, that will begin operating later this year so they might be coming out of the worst car free living category.

Atlanta, GA:

Atlanta has a rail system but no commuter rail and few options. Residents claim it is definitely a car city and no one should attempt to live without a car here.

Houston, TX, Detroit, MI, and Charlotte, NC; all were said to be bad cities to live in without cars.

Overall, it definitely helps to do your homework and make sure that you are living in an environment that can support your decision to live without a car.  Big Bucks Auto™ is blessed to be in the New York metro area, so we can support those who want to sell their used car in New York and be able to live a high quality of life; car free.

Thinking about selling your car? Read our How to Get Fast Cash for Cars article for some useful tips.

Learn more about why choose us to buy your car and call us today at 1-888-44-BUCKS or 1-888-44-8257

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