Burgeoning bike cities emerge across America
I spent my childhood and young adulthood living in rural&#x2F;suburban zones in Appalachia where cars were a <i>requirement</i> for living. No car means no groceries, no socialization, and not even any recreation, because even to safely walk or bike I had to drive somewhere to do it. I actually find driving to be somewhat fun and meditative, but I hate being <i>forced</i> to drive. I want to walk to places, and I want to bike to places. I sold my car and moved to a bike-friendly city, and I&#x27;m determined to never again live anywhere that requires me to own a car to survive. Of course, rents are higher here--I pay $910 a month--but given that the average TCO of a car in the US is $950 a month, I&#x27;m actually saving money by living somewhere that I can get away with not owning a car (to be fair I should try to estimate the TCO of my bike, which might generously be $200 per year). I&#x27;m thrilled that my city keeps investing in more and more bike infrastructure, and it makes me proud to live here. I&#x27;m not even opposed to the possibility of owning a car again someday, but now I have a choice rather than an obligation.