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Why Be Car-Free?

A car-free life can be a carefree life. Life without searching for parking spots, pumping the gas, waiting in traffic, getting speeding/parking tickets, and avoiding car repair/breakdowns can be less stressful and healthier. You don't have to be totally car-free to enjoy the benefits either. Being car-free for just one day can still make a difference. Imagine if everyone was car-free for just one day each week. That would be a 14% reduction in the pollution we create.

Environmental Issues

Two-thirds of the driving we do comes from running errands and recreational activities. It detracts greatly from our air quality, deposits bits of rubber and rusted metal across our landscape and encourages our government officials to cover more of the earth with asphalt and concrete. Kentuckians, on average, put more miles on their cars per year (17,963) than residents of any other state.

Health Benefits

There are people who drive miles to a health club where they pay a lot of money in order to ride a stationary bike or walk on a treadmill. We all know the benefits of exercise, such as lowering cholesterol, increasing blood flow. Better air quality on top of exercise means a longer, healthier car-free life.

Financial Savings

Every year the average person spends $6000 to maintain an automobile. This includes the gas, oil, repairs, and insurance. Gas prices in the U.S. have increased 35.5% from 1991 to 2001.

Promotes Community

When most people drive a car, the things they often say to other drivers aren't exactly pleasantries. However, when we ride the bus, we usually strike up conversations and get to know some of the other riders, especially those who get on or off the bus in our immediate neighborhood. When we walk or bike, we usually see and say hello to many people. The better we get to know our neighbors, the more of a community we become; a community where we look out for neighbors' houses when they're not home or for their kids when they are out playing.

Shop Locally and Think Globally

By trying to restrict your errands to those places that are within walking or biking distance, your are supporting local jobs and businesses and helping the environment as well. If you don't currently bank, get your hair cut, eat out, or go to church in the neighborhood, you may consider doing so.

Reduces Stress

Sitting in traffic, getting stuck behind slow drivers, watching for those last cars that speed through the intersection after the light turns yellow-- these events don't get us to our destinations in a relaxed condition. They can leave us stressed and on the verge of road rage. Riding on the bus forces us to slow down. Biking and walking are relaxing. Since studies have shown a connection between our health and the amount of stress in our lives, a car-free life can be a longer life.

Car-free Alternatives

Most people will not be able to do all of the car-free things mentioned here. It is our hope that the reader chooses one or two ideas and sets those as his or her goal. Maybe you could start out with a goal to be car-free on Saturdays. You may pick another day of the week, or you may try being car-free during the week and only use your car on weekends.

Walking

From the tree-lined streets with their landscaped yards to Bardstown Road with its many sights, sounds and smells, the Deer Park neighborhood is a wonderful place to experience on foot. Walking to church, the bank, the beauty shop or barbershop, the farmer's market can be easy and enjoyable. Many of our neighbors already walk the neighborhood for exercise. Combining that exercise with a few errands can be a first step in reducing your dependence on your car. Make a list of the errands you need to run and then plan on taking a walk in your neighborhood on a regular basis. Review the list before you go, to see which errands you can do while on your walk. You may want to bring a backpack if any of the errands require you to carry things. Just remember to start slowly. If you're not used to walking don't over do it.

Set some goals or guidelines for yourself. Maybe you could walk on certain days. Maybe you could walk to all places within five or ten blocks of your house.

Grocery shopping can be difficult if you're used to shopping once a week for the entire week. You may have to shop more often and buy fewer items per trip. Save the heavy items for when you're driving that way anyway, e.g. the forty-pound bag of dog food, or the twenty-five pound bag of kitty litter. You may just find yourself buying less and saving some money. Do you really need that jumbo box of cookies? The ever popular two-wheeled carts work very well.

Some of the best experiences in walking include strolling along Bardstown Road Aglow, doing the Bambi Walk, and gawking at the Barnstable-Brown Derby Party.

Bicycling

Bicycling through the Deer Park neighborhood provides the sensory experience of walking but also the speed and distance required for many of our errands. A warm summer night spent coasting down Rosedale Avenue with the constant breeze in your face and the smell of someone grilling out while the honeysuckle is in bloom is an experience to remember.

Bardstown Road is, of course, the center of activity that draws us to it whenever we go out for a walk. When riding a bike, it may not be the best route to take. A current Metro Louisville ordinance prohibits adults from riding bikes on sidewalks. Besides, the many dog walkers, shoppers, and skateboarders make it difficult and even dangerous at times to navigate the sidewalks. The street can be just as dangerous as cars speed by and parked cars line the strip. There are several parallel routes through the neighborhood that work very well and are much safer. To get from west to east, or vice-versa, you can take Fernwood Avenue, Rosedale Avenue, Hartman Avenue, Sewanee Avenue, and Boulevard Napoleon. Let's call this the east-west route. In addition to Bardstown Road, you should also avoid Norris Place and Douglass Boulevard because of the car traffic.

Biking to the grocery is easier than walking because you can use baskets, saddlebags and other attachments to help you carry home your purchases. Take a friend or significant other and share the load. Here are some suggested routes to area grocery stores:

To get to Kroger

Take the east-west route listed above as well as Yale Drive. Then go to Bardstown Road and take the sidewalk in front of the Bell South building. There's a bike rack in the front of the store to secure your bike.

To get to ValuMarket, Baxter Theaters and the Library

Take the east-west route to Eastern Parkway & Norris Place. Travel north on Norris, when it ends turn left onto Edenside Ave. Accellerating down the hill, take a shallow right onto Tyler Park Drive. Enjoy the undulating hills of Tyler Park Drive until it hits Baxter Ave: Turn right onto Baxter, ride up the hill a short distance until you arrive at the Mid City Mall. There are bike racks in the front and back of the Mall.

To get to Amazing Grace

Take the east-west route to Eastern Parkway; then it gets a little tricky. You have to decide between Bardstown Road or a circuitous route: from the light at Norris Place: take a right on Edenside Avenue to Day's Coffee parking lot then cross Bardstown Road at the car wash; follow the series of alleys on the north side that start at Edgeland Avenue. Cross over Bardstown and take the alley between Bardstown and Cherokee Road. Following this north you will be able to see the name on the building.

To get to the Post Office

Getting to the post office can be difficult because of the hills associated with Trevillian Way and the volume of car traffic at Doup's Point. Try crossing Bardstown Road at Wrocklage Avenue and going to Wallace Avenue before crossing Taylorsville Road. Better yet, get your stamps at www.usps.com.

Learning

There is a learning curve when it comes to anything new. You will eventually become an expert when it comes to street names and where they lead. For instance, deciding which north-south street takes you to what store or restaurant on Bardstown Road.

Locking

Make sure you secure your bike when you leave it. There are many bike racks available in the Deer Park neighborhood including Twig & Leaf, Qdoba, Sweet and Savory and Baxter Avenue Yoga, so you will most probably need to improvise using a railing or pole. Leroy at the Loop Barbershop lets you take your bike inside when you get your hair cut. Many banks will let you use their drive-through window and avoid having to leave your bike at all.

Commuting

Biking to work can be a great way to get your mental juices flowing and arrive at your job ready to go. We again recommend staying off the main car routes. Try the Beargrass Creek Bicycle Trail to take you to the waterfront from Cherokee Park. To get there, take the east-west route (see above) to Bonnycastle Avenue and take Barney Avenue to Cherokee Park. There are bike and pedestrian paths that take you around Cochran Hill. The park roads also have a bike and pedestrian lane that you can take to Lexington Road. The Beargrass Creek Trail starts at Lexington Road and Grinstead Drive near Jim Porter's.

Even if you don't work downtown you can still bike to work. Try it on a Saturday as a dry run. Every year one day in May is designated as "Ride Your Bike to Work Day" - there's your chance!

Safety

Follow these tips for safe bicycling:

• Follow the same rules you would if you were driving a car, e.g. stop signs, traffic lights, etc.
• Ride as far as possible to the right, but not too close to parked cars or the curb.
• Wear bright colored clothing, or reflectors and lights at night.
• Always wear a helmet.
• Always use turn signals. (Left hand out straight for left turn; left hand up with elbow out at a right angle for right turns.)
• Announce to someone before you pass him or her, such as "On your left" or "Hello."

Maintaining your bike is important, and often cheaper than maintaining your car. Learn to do as much as you can on your own, while using a professional for the more complex stuff.  The Bardstown Road Bicycle Shop in the Cherokee Triangle neighborhood can provide whatever your need in bicycle repair and maintenance. They even rent bicycles.

Bike Routes

Metro Louisville has designated several bike routes and they are marked by the green signs as shown here. The route that passes through the Deer Park neighborhood includes Norris Place, Rosedale Avenue, Princeton Drive and Douglass Boulevard.

Bus & Bike

Virtually all TARC buses now have bike racks so that you can expand your bicycling to include further destinations. The racks are easy to use and hold two bikes at a time. You are not permitted to take your bike inside a TARC bus.

Buses

Riding an air-conditioned TARC bus down Bardstown Road in the heat of summer at the peak of the rush hour is more than relaxing. It's entertaining watching the sights along the strip. Meanwhile others get frustrated as they jockey their cars through the gridlock. It's reassuring to know that the National Safety Council estimates that riding the bus is over 170 times safer than automobile travel. It's economical when parking rates and gas prices are on the rise.

Using a "Stop'n'Go" transfer available from the driver upon entering the bus, you can make multiple stops and reboard in any direction on any route up until the time shown on the transfer. Without the Fare Saver tickets, fares are 75¢ during normal hours and $1 during peak hours (weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.). There is an automated TARC phone line that gives schedule information 24 hours a day at 585-1234 or use the TARC web site at www.ridetarc.com.

Here are the bus routes that serve the Deer Park neighborhood and where they can take you:

23 Broadway

This route connects Shawnee Park to Jeffersontown or Goldsmith Lane. It is one of two great routes to take you up and down the Bardstown Road/Baxter Avenue corridor because of its frequency. It runs about every 15 minutes during most of the day, on weekdays, and more frequently during peak hours. It can get you to the main branch of the library in less than 20 minutes. It's a great route for getting to area grocery stores (Amazing Grace, Kroger, ValuMarket), the Douglass Loop, Baxter Theaters, Cave Hill Cemetery, and the Cherokee Triangle Art Fair. If you're taking it east of Doup's Point (Taylorsville Road and Bardstown Road) you should consult a schedule because the route alternates between the two roads.

17 Bardstown Road

This route is the other great route for traversing the Bardstown Road/Baxter Avenue corridor. This bus runs from Eighth and Main to Fern Creek or General Electric Appliance Park. It passes Douglass Boulevard about every 20 minutes and more frequently during peak hours. Just like the #23 Broadway, it connects you to the local grocery stores but also is good for getting to Sullivan College, the Gardiner Lane Shopping Center, Commonwealth Convention Center and Thunder Over Louisville. If you plan on going past Bashford Manor Lane, consult a schedule to make sure you get on the right bus.

21 Chestnut Street

The Chestnut Street bus zigzags its way right through the Deer Park neighborhood. It passes 159 residences in the neighborhood. It goes from Shawnee Park and alternates between Bashford Manor Lane and DuPont Circle. The alternating routes split at Baxter Avenue and Shady Lane. As it shows in the map below, the DuPont route (F & G) continues on Baxter Avenue to Newburg Road then Trevillian Way while the Bashford Manor route (E, H & I) turns on Shady Lane and makes its way to the Douglass Loop.

The runs range from 25 minutes to an hour and forty minutes apart. The route can take you to Jewish Community Center, the Village 8 Theaters, Gardiner Lane Shopping Center, Lynn's Paradise Cafe and Bellarmine University.

29 Eastern Parkway

From Rockford Lane to the Oxmoor Mall, this route is a great way to get to the University of Louisville, Churchill Downs or Big Rock in Cherokee Park. It leaves Eastern Parkway and Bardstown Road about every 30 minutes almost on the half-hour, but be careful, some of the runs don't go east of Bardstown Road.

Remember that life is the journey and not just the destination.

(c) 2003, 2005 The Coalition for the Advancement of Regional Transportation, all rights reserved.

For further reading:
Asphalt Nation: How the Automobile Took Over America and How We Can Take It Back, 1997, by Jane Holtz Kay, Random House, New York
Divorce Your Car !, 2000, By Katie Alvord, New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, B.C.
Car Free Cities, 2000, by J. W. Crawford, International Books, The Netherlands, www.carfree.com