Car Free MaineMaking the Connections

Wpu1C

4

5

Social Networks Transit Networks

2

$

Why Car Free?

3

“Is Digital Revolution Driving Decline in U.S. Car Culture?”

Article: http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=144155

“Carmakers' next problem: Generation Y

People in their teens and twenties are more interested in gadgets than cars”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39970363/ns/business-autos/

“Young people aren't simply swapping cars for buses or bikes; they are choosing to own and use other technology instead, such as smartphones and tablet computers.”

"Previous generations found freedom and flexibility through the car.  But Generation Ys find their freedom and flexibility by staying connected to their friends, family and workplaces through the various information devices - like their laptops, or iphones.

"They can stay connected on a bus or a train. They can bring the office with them. They can bring their study with them. They can bring their friends with them. They can't if they're driving."

-- Peter Newman, Curtin University, Perth, Australia, quoted in the West Australian, www.humantransit.org

-www.shareable.com

420%

30%

40%

50%

2000 2008

Transportation Costs as Percentage of Yearly Income

Portland ME Region

$0

$250.00

$500.00

$750.00

$1,000.00Monthly Transportation Costs Per Household

?!!!

Transportation Costs are making rural life

impossible for recent graduates and young, working-age adults.

Data/Calculations from H and T Affordability Index, Center for Neighborhood Technology. www.htaindex.org

Waldoboro, Maine Brunswick, MainePortland Maine Boston Mass

5

■ Rising gas prices have cut nearly one-third of the potential growth in real disposable income, which could have gone to creating more economic activity within the economy, including the travel and tourism industry -AAA Memorial Day 2011 Travel Forecast, IHS Global Insight May 19, 2011

■ Many Maine residents work a second job solely to pay for transportation to their first job!

■ Most new job growth in Maine has been in the Tourism/Service Sector

■ Even these low-wage jobs have been threatened by oil dependency

Accomodations15%

Food and Beverages20%

Shopping15%

Entertainment9% Other

3%

Auto Transportation39%

Average Family Transportation Spending Budget in New England

Memorial Day Weekend 2011

■ AAA Memorial Day 2011 Travel Forecast, IHS Global Insight May 19, 2011

Shopping and Retail

21% 17%

Dining

31%

Entertainment

Source- A Memorial Day 2011 Travel Forecast, Prepared for the American Automobile Association by IHS Global Insight May 19th 2011

Less Money for

Downtown Businesses

Less Waitstaff

Hours and Tips

Lost opportunities for

Artist’s, Musicians, and Creatives

Retail gasoline prices were almost 40% higher on Memorial Day 2011 than in 2010. According to a recent study by the AAA-

The share of expected spending has moved significantly towards fuel costs at the expense of shopping and entertainment. *

The graph below illustrates what this means for local communities.

$More Fossil Fuel Consumption

CO2

Higher Carbon Emissions

Heavier Dependence on Foreign Oil

$

} } }

7

For the price of a regular checkup and a couple months of insurance, you can get a smartphone, a transit card and a decent bike and ditch the headaches and the endless

money drain that come with even a hybrid.[...] A pocket computer complements the carless lifestyle splendidly, and makes the switch easier than ever. One of the greatest barriers to going carless has traditionally been the

additional planning required, but with a smartphone at the ready, the information required to navigate your route is always available.

The iPhone is the New Prius

-www.shareable.net

http://www.shareable.net/blog/the-iphone-is-the-new-prius

$

8

The share of automobile miles driven by people aged 21 to 30 in the U.S. fell to 13.7% in 2009 from 18.3% in 2001 and

20.8% in 1995

The proportion of people aged 21-30 actually increased from 13.3% to 13.9%

20-somethings went from driving a disproportionate amount of the nation's highway miles in 1995 to under-indexing

for driving in 2009.

Sources KRC Research 10/2010,Department of TransportationFederal Highway Administration's National Household Travel Survey

Census data

➡ Millennials are choosing to drive less for environmental reasons.

➡ This group would drive even less if they could find good alternative sources of transportation.

➡ Car ownership is prohibitively expensive for many in this age group.

October 2010 Study by KRC Research-

Traveled to Maine in Personal Car 2010

74%73%

86%Ages 55+Under 35Ages 35-44

The thought of living in a place which would require me to own a car ever again gives me chills.  Imagine being beholden to a 2,000

pound piece of metal which sucks 15% of your income every month, makes you pudgy, and does bad things to the

environment.- CarFree Baltimore

9

• In the City of Boston (not including Cambridge, Newton etc...) almost 92,000 people

do not own a vehicle. • Almost 300,000 people commute to work via Public Transportation Regionwide

• More than half of all Transit Users are in the 24-44yr/old

Age Group• 1/3 of users (100,000) use

Mobile Transit Apps*

41%

10%

50%

Boston Metro Region Commuters

Car, truck, or van -- drove aloneCar, truck, or van -- carpooledPublic Transportation

Statistics from, 2005-2009 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

*Joshua Robin,  Director of Innovation and Special Projects at the MBTA, http://transportationnation.org/2011/05/13/boston-upwards-of-13-of-ridersM-use-transit-app-tools/)