The rise of light transit and bike-friendly neighborhoods like Rosslyn and Courthouse has led to many people living car-free. However, even residents who don’t use cars regularly may hang on to a vehicle for emergencies or weekend travel. Let’s dive into why some people are living car-free while still holding onto a vehicle.
Transit and Bikes Replace Cars in Some Places
For some neighborhoods, there are plenty of bikeable areas to remove the need for a car. For example, Arlington, VA, has over 40 miles of bike trails, including the Custis Trail, W&OD Trail, and Mount Vernon Trail. This makes the neighborhoods of Rosslyn and Courthouse easy to traverse on a bike.
These areas are also well-served by the Orange, Silver, and Blue Metro lines, which allow residents to easily commute without a car. Despite this, there are still plenty of residents who have a car. According to Arlington County data, Arlington, VA, has an average of 1.3 vehicles per household. Roughly 13% of households are car-free, but the 1.3 vehicle average also means that some households have more than one car.
Practical Reasons To Hold Onto a Car
Even if you can easily get to work and local shops via transit or a bike, there are still some practical reasons to keep a car. A car is useful for weekend trips or Costco runs, where it might not be feasible to use mass transit or a bike. Cars can also be useful in emergencies if you need to get somewhere that doesn’t work out with transit or a bike.
Of course, there are also ride apps and taxi services that can supplement not having a car for the times that you need one. Not owning a car is a very personal choice that depends on your lifestyle and living situation. For example, many people in certain Arlington neighborhoods prefer personal vehicle ownership and off-street parking, thanks to a rise in car thefts.
What About Car Sharing?
If you drive more than 3,000 miles per year, then car ownership tends to make more sense over other options. People who travel on weekends usually end up hitting this number or more, which is why many of these residents own cars. Studies also show that higher-income residents tend to keep cars even in walkable, bikeable, and transit-friendly communities like Arlington, VA.
Should You Keep a Car in Arlington, VA?
The decision depends largely on your lifestyle. Even though Arlington is very friendly toward other methods of transportation, you may choose to keep a car to engage in bulk shopping or weekend trips. There aren’t very many non-driving options for weekend trips outside the D.C. Metro, and it may be difficult to get transit options in urgent situations or late at night.
You might consider ride-sharing if you don’t drive very many miles during the year. However, if you drive over 3,000 miles per year, then keeping a car makes more sense. An example scenario is a commuter from Rosslyn who can bike the Custis Trail daily, but they choose to keep a car for weekend trips to Shenandoah or the Outer Banks.
Another scenario is a couple from Courthouse who commute via the Metro for work, but hang onto a compact SUV for weekend trips and shopping at Costco.
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