Car-free in Scottsdale
Thinking about going car-free in Scottsdale might seem like a daunting proposition, given the city’s sprawling layout and hot desert climate. However, with a growing emphasis on sustainable living and an increasing array of public transportation options, more residents are exploring the benefits of ditching their cars. In this post, we’ll talk with Lee, a local resident who has embraced a car-free lifestyle in Scottsdale since 2020. We hope that to provide you with inspiration for making the transition to a car-free life in the Valley of the Sun.
How long have you been car free? I was car-lite for many years after I started cycling for my health. About 6 years ago, I only used my car to visit my sister in Las Vegas and bring along some bikes so we’d be able to ride while I was up there. I sold my car and made the full plunge in 2020 during lockdown. I didn’t need it then so I figured I’d just buy my sister a bike with money from the sale so I wouldn’t have to bring an extra bike with me when I visited.
Why did you decide to give up your car? I decided to give up my car because I found it super easy and joyful to get around the Phoenix Valley using the canals to get most places in addition to public transportation and last mile on street infrastructure. I’d been making almost all my trips by bike and decided that since there was Flix Bus for long trips and I had a cargo bike there really wasn’t a need for a car anymore. I like to tell people there are generally five reasons I made the plunge. In order of importance: 1.) I’m cheap. Owning a bike is cheaper than owning a car. 2.) I’m lazy. Biking is basically a cheat code for walking, you go further faster with less effort. 3.) and 4.) My mental and physical health has drastically improved thanks to using a bike to get around everywhere. 5.) It is better for the environment.
How do you get around now? Mostly I use the network of multi-use trails to get around via bike. For long distance I’ll use Flix Bus for intermediate trips and planes for long distance. If I have enough time, I’ll also use Amtrak even though it is slower and more expensive than buses and flying. I have several bikes now that I use for different tasks. For commuting, I’ve built up a comfortable nearly maintenance free bike. For longer rides, I have a gravel bike with wide tubeless tires that give me that comfort and peace of mind. I have an electric cargo bike for monthly Costco trips. For traveling, I have a folding bike that I can also use for general trips to the supermarket or other stores since the front bag has a lot of space. I’ve used that folding bike to go overseas, it carries a week’s worth of clothes and miscellaneous when I take the train and I can always take the bus with it in addition to it fitting under my desk at work if my commuter needs some work.
What are some unexpected challenges you have faced? I’m not sure what unexpected challenges I’ve faced. I spent years going car-light so I knew what I generally would need a car for. I guess if pressed there are some hot summer days where I just don’t feel like putting in the effort to leave the house. That wasn’t as big a problem until I was injured and my post recovery journey has been more about just chilling out when I feel like maybe I should go out.
How has your life changed for the better? I’m so much happier now and my retirement savings is finally on track after years of saying I’ll get around to it but at the end of the month I never had enough money to put away. Now I feel more motivated and equipped to face the future. When you know you can do 25 miles in 110+ degree heat nothing seems that physically impossible.
Do you see the built environment differently than you did before? My goodness yes! I started riding a bike because my doctor said I was pre-diabetic and the more I rode my bike around the more I saw the myriad of ways that our area is built for drivers and only drivers. Everyone else using our public spaces are an afterthought. It seems so silly to me that we care so much about parking and spend so much money on all this infrastructure when we could have it all, low taxes, great quality of life if we moved to public transportation and active transportation instead of these expensive metal boxes that cost us so many billions a year for infrastructure, health, bills. When I’m traveling now I’m always looking out the window and imagining how I’d feel on a bike on the same road.
What advice do you have for people who are curious but hesitant to go car free? Get an e-cargo bike. You can keep your car for commuting since almost everyone in my office has a 30+ minute driving commute, which isn’t something I’d expect the average person to do. You can, though, go down the street to the store/park/show or visit with friends on the bike and the e-bike lets you get some exercise in but with a helping hand in this heat we have. If you find you can make that work I’d think about looking at your home and if you could downsize to move closer to work. There are a lot of public places that can be used for space we typically think we need when we have our own homes.
Anything else you would like to add? I could talk forever about my trip to The Netherlands last year. It took me about three days to realize the tingle at the back of my head was that it was so quiet. The roads are still filled with cars but they don’t drive very fast and therefore don’t make a lot of noise. I spent most of my time there walking around or taking the tram rather than riding a bike because it was so easy. I did ride my bike a few times while there and it struck me that I didn’t have that sense of subversive joy I get from riding here in the US. It was a lot like when I used to drive. It was just normal. There were lots of folks in the bike lanes and you needed to make sure you obeyed the rules of the road otherwise crashes occur. Here in the US when I see another cyclist we wave and smile at each other, mostly, there I was just another faceless person using the best tool for the job. That tool is the bike because they have built the area with cycling in mind.
