Living Car Free: A Realistic Lifestyle Choice in Seattle?
Given the walkability of the Seattle area and ride sharing options such as Uber, Lyft, ZipCar and Car2Go (among others) living without a car has become an increasingly viable option for downtown residents. Whether it’s a short $10 ride from Capitol Hill to Pike Place or paying the average $80 daily rate for a ZipCar, people living in the city are opting for options beyond owning their own car, and are loving the results.
As of 2015, AAA estimated that car ownership in the U.S. costs an average of nearly $9,000 per year (for a Sedan), which encompasses car and insurance payments, required maintenance, fuel and parking. That’s an average of about $750 per month, a number that could be higher for Seattleites given that a parking space costs an average of $300 per month in the city. These values are much higher than a recent report that reveals “frequent Uber users spend 1.3 percent of their income on the service,” which equates to approximately $86 per month if an individual is making the average $80,000 annual income in Seattle. Developers in the city are already accounting for having a number of residents that do not have need for a parking space, and are now offering limited spots for units of a particular price point or size, because they see the trend of non-car ownership expanding over time.
Cost is not the only key factor that plays into car ownership, as traffic is a mounting concern for those living in and outside of the downtown core. According to the “Corridor Capacity Report” released by WSDOT, congestion on Washington’s roadways increased a staggering 95% from 2010 to 2015. Not only are more people traveling into the city, they’re also experiencing worsening conditions given the construction taking place causing roadway blockages. People are spending more time than ever in traffic and many are combatting the congestion by using alternative transportation options, from walking and biking to bussing and using ride share when the distance is too far.
It’s easy to agree that the numbers matter, but what’s it really like to live without a car?
Amy Lai, a young professional, answered a few questions while riding in a Lyft and says she’s lived without a car in Seattle for three years now. Her typical ride is a short commute from her home in Ballard to her job in downtown Seattle, and she estimates that she spends between $200 and $300 per month on ride sharing apps like Uber or Lyft.
Of her car free existence, Amy says she’s pretty happy. “I don’t have to worry about parking or paying off a car,” she says. “However, it did take a little bit of time adjusting. For example, I’ve shifted from buying large items in stores to ordering them online from Amazon.”
Sara Bernard of Seattle Weekly wrote an article earlier this year where she outlined what she learned living without a car in Seattle for a year. Bernard notes that even when she still had her dated Prius, she rarely used it and that by the month’s end, she “would have totaled maybe 200 miles.” She says it’s important for anyone considering the option of non-ownership to remember that “all forms of transit have their moments of exasperation,” but that for her, the car-less experiences she’s had are “rarely as maddening as the ones [she] experienced behind the wheel.”
Bernard surveyed other Seattleites living without cars, including Rob Harrison, a local architect who has lived both with and without a vehicle. Bernard says “he’s trying car ownership on for size right now, but the math does not add up: He pays $150 a month for parking alone and $100 a month for insurance, not to mention the cost of the car itself and the gas and the occasional maintenance.”
In a sign of the times, new condos, KODA Condominiums will offer just 77 parking stalls for the 200+ units as urban residents increasingly observe downtown lifestyles without the hassle or expense of an automobile. Located just a block and a half from King Street Station, the expanding regional transportation system will help connect future residents to employment centers throughout the central Puget Sound, another key factor in the neighborhoods renaissance as a preferred, residential community.
Though there seems to be a benefit to living car free, it’s key to note that there are a variety of factors that are important to consider before committing to the lifestyle such as:
· Do I have to pay for parking at my current residence?
· Am I OK with giving up the spontaneity of trips out of the city?
· Do I live close enough to the grocery store and other local shops to handle larger purchases? Or, am I OK with transferring these purchases to an online vendor?
· Do I enjoy walking?
· Are there coffee shops and restaurants near me that I can easily access?
· How often do I drive long distances ?
Neighborhoods such as Belltown, Capitol Hill and South Lake Union are excellent options for those without their own vehicle, given their close proximity to stellar dining, shopping and job centers. Residents of areas outside of the downtown core including Green Lake, Phinney Ridge and even as far north as Lynnwood are also well positioned, given the public transportation routes of the carpool lanes offered along SR-99 and I-5. The expansion of the LINK lightrail system will also better position residents from outside of the city, as the service is set for a 116-mile extension over the next two decades.