Ten More Inspiring Reasons

1. The dollars add up and it just doesn't make sense (i.e. we're thrifty!).

Gas prices are only the beginning of a long list of expenses that come with driving: insurance, parking, tolls, maintenance, and even the occasional parking ticket quickly add up to a lot.  AAA (who lobbies against public transportation, sadly) listed the cost of owning and driving a medium-sized sedan 10,000 miles in 2009 at $7,022.  Plus, this doesn't include all those costs to people and the planet, from car crashes to climate change.  What does it really cost you to drive? Use Commute Solutions' True Cost of Driving Calculator to find out.

2. Mother Earth needs to go on a low carb(on) diet and we've got to help her.

Car transportation alone accounts for 47% of the carbon footprint of a typical American family with two cars—by far the largest source of household emissions and, as such, the largest target for potential reductions.  40% of California's greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation.  This means that one of the best ways we can fight climate change in our daily lives is to drive less.  Give Mother Earth (and our great-great-grandchildren) a break!

3. Walking and biking regularly is proven to make you healthier and happier.

Walking and biking fights diabetes, cancer, and depression.  Plus, it's faster than you think.  Even walking slowly it takes less than 30 minutes to walk a mile.  One quarter of all trips are less than one mile!  Stepping out of your car and walking or biking instead may be the key to you fitting in your daily workout!

4. Creating a better community can be as simple as taking a walk.

Walking connects you with your community.  Plus, your "eyes on the street" when walking will help prevent crime and make streets and sidewalks safer for children to use.  Foot traffic also keeps local businesses bustling.  By walking, you help your community thrive and give more people reason not to drive.

5. Driving less could mean getting to enjoy more chocolate or buying a smaller pair of jeans.

Walking or leisurely bicycling burns up to 300 calories an hour (that's equal to one and a half Snickers bars)!  By leaving the car behind for more of your small trips, you'll be amazed at how those bits of extra exercise add up.  Check out how many calories you can burn by getting out of your car here.

6. We will all breathe easier.

Car exhaust is full of tiny particulates that cause asthma and cancer.  When you leave your car behind, you're keeping carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, benzene, formaldehyde, polycyclic hydrocarbons, and more nasty stuff out of the air.  Thank you!

7. We love not being stressed out in traffic.

A recent study shows that traffic may actually trigger heart attacks!  Not to mention road rage.  We love having more time to read, relax, and enjoy podcasts while traveling.

8. It's a lot safer riding in a bus than in a car.

Riding a transit bus is 26 times safer than car travel, and transit rail riders are 14 times safer than those traveling by car.  Source: "Injury Facts," National Safety Council, 2005-2006.

9. It saves lives - both people and animals.

47,000 Americans are killed each year in car crashes.  One million animals are killed on U.S. roads every day.

10. Life is short, so why spend so much of it in a car? 

By age 25 the average American will have spent 1 year (a whole year, 365 days, 8,765 hours!) in a car. Time to live out of the box!