I thought this would be appropriate since my car exploded and then died this weekend. While still low on the total numbers, apparently Jax is #8 in the nation (take that Seattle!) in increases in percentage of car-free households. There's not a whole lot in the article or the study by University of Michigan, but the table from the data is interesting:
http://dc.streetsblog.org/2014/01/21/the-american-cities-with-the-most-growth-in-car-free-households/ (http://dc.streetsblog.org/2014/01/21/the-american-cities-with-the-most-growth-in-car-free-households/)
(http://dc.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/car-free_households.jpg)
Interesting. I imagine in the urban core it's an even bigger percentage, since our municipal boundaries include a lot of suburban area.
I would love to give up my car if Jacksonville was more bicycle and pedestrian friendly and a more walkable urban core.
I find it very hard to believe that anyone in Jax who can afford a car would not have a car. I'm all about a car-free lifestyle, I live one! However, if I moved back to the Sunbelt, anywhere, where rents are cheap and a car is still a necessity, I would certainly splurge and get a nice car and keep a spot in the garage, even if I lived downtown. Why the hell not?
These Jax statistics look more like people lost money and had their car repossessed. Even those in NYC and SF who can/have the means, keep a car around for weekend trips or to drive out to the burbs for something.
If you're living in Riverside or downtown Jax, you're still a car ride away from most things/activities in your life. There is simply nowhere in Jax to truly live a convenient and pleasant car free lifestyle and don't even try to tell me otherwise.
Quote from: Tacachale on January 22, 2014, 11:00:31 AM
Interesting. I imagine in the urban core it's an even bigger percentage, since our municipal boundaries include a lot of suburban area.
I think that really heightens the significance of this increase, given Jacksonville's square miles and population.
And I frankly don't think this deserves any dismissal for being fueled primarily by people going car-free circumstantially or against their will. If anything, that makes the implications in shifting transportation and social equity needs and all the more serious.
FTA: "Sivak points out that all of these trends predate the recent economic crisis, suggesting they are the result of wider cultural influences, such as the rise in telecommuting, increasing urbanization and changing preferences of young people."
Yet the data is from 2007-2012, so I'd say while the trends suggest this is happening, the actual data & the cities listed are probably effected by the economic crash in many ways. Basically its both (some more than others, like Jax) & I don't believe Jax is full of people who are moving to a car-free lifestyle by choice, yet there are def those people here as the trends suggest.
That being said, I do however think its possible to be car-free here & it not be a complete hinderance, it might even be down right "pleasant", but with some some stipulations.
1: Riverside (including all the areas that make up the Riverside district) is about your only option simply because of all it has to offer in terms of services, land mass that's navigational, retail, grocery, places to eat, hangout, etc. San Marco, Springfield, etc aren't quite as self-sustaining & you're going to run out of options real quick. You could do it, but it wouldn't be nearly as pleasant or convenient IMO. Possibly the beaches, but that's not my bag & I'd have to hang out there more to get the feel if its truly possible.
2: Of course, a bike is a must & not being afraid to use it everywhere (even when its raining). A towable trailer would be a good investment for groceries, kids & whatnot.
3: Your employment would need to be in the general area or else this would be a huge PITA. If not, then accessibility by bus (which would suck) would be an option. Or buying yourself a decent scooter that has speeds capable of safe highway travel. Take backroads when you can & avoid main arteries/interstate. You don't want that mess.
4: Kids, if you have them, would need to go to school in the area or be home schooled. If you're able, I vote home school with heavy social activities on top. This would likely give your child a better education anyway (with the sorry state of public schools), not confine you to an area of town that you're not happy with, plus allow for free travel on dates that otherwise would be impossible.
There you have it. PSU's guide to a pleasant car-free lifestyle in Jax. Your mileage may vary.
Quote from: Scrub Palmetto on January 22, 2014, 03:02:52 PM
Quote from: Tacachale on January 22, 2014, 11:00:31 AM
Interesting. I imagine in the urban core it's an even bigger percentage, since our municipal boundaries include a lot of suburban area.
I think that really heightens the significance of this increase, given Jacksonville's square miles and population.
And I frankly don't think this deserves any dismissal for being fueled primarily by people going car-free circumstantially or against their will. If anything, that makes the implications in shifting transportation and social equity needs and all the more serious.
Agree 100%. Even if some of those people have lost their cars, evidently they're replacing them at a slower rate. Heck, we're not carless, but my wife and I have shared 1 car for over 3 years. We're definitely a family that could buy a second car if we wanted, but we haven't felt the need.
My wife and I have rental properties on the Southside near Beach Blvd in 32216. From time to time we have renters who are car-free and, surprisingly, it is quite possible with some planning to make it without one. The bus routes are sometimes circuitous but will basically get you to most places. Then of course they can share a ride with someone from time to time.
They rent there deliberately because their job is close by and groceries, etc., are also walking distance. I don't think we've had any experience with car-less renters with children.
Quote from: Mueller on January 22, 2014, 09:43:22 AM
I thought this would be appropriate since my car exploded and then died this weekend. While still low on the total numbers, apparently Jax is #8 in the nation (take that Seattle!) in increases in percentage of car-free households. There's not a whole lot in the article or the study by University of Michigan, but the table from the data is interesting:
http://dc.streetsblog.org/2014/01/21/the-american-cities-with-the-most-growth-in-car-free-households/ (http://dc.streetsblog.org/2014/01/21/the-american-cities-with-the-most-growth-in-car-free-households/)
(http://dc.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/car-free_households.jpg)
I find it
really hard to believe these statistics are significanlty divorced from economic factors. NYC and SF, perhaps, but Detroit, Indianapolis, DC, Chicago, and Baltimore all saw unemployment spike during the period in question (2007 to 2012) at a higher rate than almost all other major metros in the country. I believe most of these cities also saw a reduction in labor force as well. Would only seem logical that the increase in car-free households in these cities likely has more to do with hard times than said cities becoming more altruistic and green.
Quote from: peestandingup on January 22, 2014, 03:40:32 PM
FTA: "Sivak points out that all of these trends predate the recent economic crisis, suggesting they are the result of wider cultural influences, such as the rise in telecommuting, increasing urbanization and changing preferences of young people."
Yet the data is from 2007-2012, so I'd say while the trends suggest this is happening, the actual data & the cities listed are probably effected by the economic crash in many ways. Basically its both (some more than others, like Jax) & I don't believe Jax is full of people who are moving to a car-free lifestyle by choice, yet there are def those people here as the trends suggest.
That being said, I do however think its possible to be car-free here & it not be a complete hinderance, it might even be down right "pleasant", but with some some stipulations.
1: Riverside (including all the areas that make up the Riverside district) is about your only option simply because of all it has to offer in terms of services, land mass that's navigational, retail, grocery, places to eat, hangout, etc. San Marco, Springfield, etc aren't quite as self-sustaining & you're going to run out of options real quick. You could do it, but it wouldn't be nearly as pleasant or convenient IMO. Possibly the beaches, but that's not my bag & I'd have to hang out there more to get the feel if its truly possible.
2: Of course, a bike is a must & not being afraid to use it everywhere (even when its raining). A towable trailer would be a good investment for groceries, kids & whatnot.
3: Your employment would need to be in the general area or else this would be a huge PITA. If not, then accessibility by bus (which would suck) would be an option. Or buying yourself a decent scooter that has speeds capable of safe highway travel. Take backroads when you can & avoid main arteries/interstate. You don't want that mess.
4: Kids, if you have them, would need to go to school in the area or be home schooled. If you're able, I vote home school with heavy social activities on top. This would likely give your child a better education anyway (with the sorry state of public schools), not confine you to an area of town that you're not happy with, plus allow for free travel on dates that otherwise would be impossible.
There you have it. PSU's guide to a pleasant car-free lifestyle in Jax. Your mileage may vary.
I'm very pro transit and very pro car-free lifestyle. However, I would have a car in Jax no matter where I lived. Your description of a "pleasant" car-free lifestyle in Jacksonville sounds like torture to me.
I'm spoiled by 2-5 minute bus headways and many many many transit options, not to mention real density and actual walkability. I don't think I could succumb to the sporadic sunbelt version of that myself, and I would just use a car for lots of trips in Jax, Charlotte, Atlanta, Miami, etc. Atlanta's becoming semi-walkable, and I lived in Midtown when I was there and walked often or used transit, but even in Atlanta I would have a car.
Oppressive heat, nonexistent sidewalks, drivers who are aggressively anti-pedestrian/biker and completely unaware of them for lack of being used to either, arguably the worst transit in the country (tied for worst with a few other cities), very low overall walkability due to low density and limited scale of mixed-use zoning/development is not an environment where I want to try real hard to be car-free in.
Tough to be in Jax( and many other cities) without a car. I wouldn't do it if I didn't have to.
Quote from: peestandingup on January 22, 2014, 03:40:32 PM
FTA: "Sivak points out that all of these trends predate the recent economic crisis, suggesting they are the result of wider cultural influences, such as the rise in telecommuting, increasing urbanization and changing preferences of young people."
Yet the data is from 2007-2012, so I'd say while the trends suggest this is happening, the actual data & the cities listed are probably effected by the economic crash in many ways. Basically its both (some more than others, like Jax) & I don't believe Jax is full of people who are moving to a car-free lifestyle by choice, yet there are def those people here as the trends suggest.
That being said, I do however think its possible to be car-free here & it not be a complete hinderance, it might even be down right "pleasant", but with some some stipulations.
1: Riverside (including all the areas that make up the Riverside district) is about your only option simply because of all it has to offer in terms of services, land mass that's navigational, retail, grocery, places to eat, hangout, etc. San Marco, Springfield, etc aren't quite as self-sustaining & you're going to run out of options real quick. You could do it, but it wouldn't be nearly as pleasant or convenient IMO. Possibly the beaches, but that's not my bag & I'd have to hang out there more to get the feel if its truly possible.
2: Of course, a bike is a must & not being afraid to use it everywhere (even when its raining). A towable trailer would be a good investment for groceries, kids & whatnot.
3: Your employment would need to be in the general area or else this would be a huge PITA. If not, then accessibility by bus (which would suck) would be an option. Or buying yourself a decent scooter that has speeds capable of safe highway travel. Take backroads when you can & avoid main arteries/interstate. You don't want that mess.
4: Kids, if you have them, would need to go to school in the area or be home schooled. If you're able, I vote home school with heavy social activities on top. This would likely give your child a better education anyway (with the sorry state of public schools), not confine you to an area of town that you're not happy with, plus allow for free travel on dates that otherwise would be impossible.
There you have it. PSU's guide to a pleasant car-free lifestyle in Jax. Your mileage may vary.
Thank you for this post. I'm living pleasantly car-free right now, and I'm very seriously considering remaining car-free or at least car-lite when I move back to Florida (hopefully Jax.) I have my hang-ups, though I won't pretend they're the same as simms3, given our difference in backgrounds and standards (with all due respect.) But you make some great points that I think are winning the debate in my head -- that living 'locally' in the right neighborhood can make for a pleasant car-free life, for the right person, even in Jax. It's worked for me in KC, where many people have the same idea that it would be awful to live here without a car. It hasn't been for me, as I understood it had everything to do with where I settled, and I've met several people in my area doing the same. The biggest factor, I think, is simply location of employment. But I wouldn't find working way out in the suburbs pleasant even WITH a car. It's just not what I want my life to be filled with, which is part of why I ditched car ownership to begin with.
I'm not sure if it's just because of hometown familiarity, but I found Jax easier to bike than Kansas City (I mostly just walk and use buses here.) and most of what I'm interested in in Jax is concentrated within a bike-able distance.
All that said, if Jax would acquire just one decent car-sharing program in the core, other than Zipcar's useless location at the airport, that would be enough for me to live comfortably without car ownership. I'm a Zipcar member, but I honestly only use it in KC maybe 2-3 times a year. Even if I had to use it 10 times as often in Jax, it would still be worth it as a car ownership alternative.
Different people have different needs & not everyone is a "man about town" type person. They have no interest in meeting people at the Avenues, or shopping at Town Center, etc. Occasionally they may want to take a trip to the beach or something like that (that's what the scooter is for). But for people that travel around lot, drive to the airport, want to go further (like to St Aug), etc then its not going to work so well.
But believe it or not, there ARE people who do not do those things or have the need to & live perfectly happy lives in Jax being car-free doing it exactly how I described. It's not gonna be everyone's cup of tea & you certainly have to fit a certain mold to pull it off, but its possible to not only do it but to be happy as well.