Car-Free Challenge

Eve Pearlman

Yes, I will support Eve Pearlman with

$1.00

Amount: $
Challenge goal: 54 miles
Month-long Challenger
I'm Taking the Challenge from: 
June 1, 2009 - June 30, 2009
Eve Profile
June will be the eleventh month of living car-free for my Alameda family of four (the children are 9 and 7). We made it through the winter, through soccer season and (almost) through baseball! My goal is to drive no more than 54 miles in June. 

City: 
Alameda
State: 
CA
Blog Posts

Day 29: Bay Area transit fares to rise July 1

For a family of four to go from our house in Alameda to, say, Embarcadero Station in San Francisco the BART fare is $3.30 a head. That's $13.20 to get to the city.

Day 24: Biking to soccer camp

The weather's been lovely, and it's been a joy to ride down Alameda's tree-lined Central Avenue with my seven-year-old to soccer camp.

Day 22: Vacation all I ever wanted!

Oliver's in soccer camp this week, so that means 10 pick up and drop off's over at Washington Park, just under three miles from our house.

Day 16: Birthday bike ride around Alameda

I had a birthday Sunday and so, in celebration, my husband and I hired a babysitter--thanks, Alina--and headed for a ride around The Island.

Day 9: An accounting of car miles so far

Last week, I wanted to go to my son's dance class with him.

Day 8: Getting to a 1920s-themed party with a fancy dress and a nine-year-old

The 40th birthday party of an old friend Saturday night was only 2.5 (flat!) miles from home, easy enough with no kid and no fancy clothes. But a touch more challenging with both. 

Day 6: Benefits of a bike/BART/walking trip over a car trip

I was feeling like yesterday's post, Alameda to Walnut Creek, Better By Car? , in which I puzzled over why anyone who actually owned a car (which my family does not)

Day 5: BART from Alameda to Walnut Creek, better than a car?

My husband and I had papers to sign at a bank in Walnut Creek.

Day 3: Groceries are easy

Of all the questions people asked when we gave up our cars last summer, one of the most common was, "How will you get your groceries?' And while we've had lots of challenges--getting to all our youth sport obligations chief among them--securing food to feed the family has not been a challenge. We live on the almost-entirely flat island of Alameda and there are at least four full-service grocery stores within easy biking distance. To bring home the bacon, I rely on the same bike trailer I used to haul the kids in when they were younger. 

Day 1: Middle of the night reading

The other day I heard Jeff Rubin on NPR.