m-bike hasn’t stepped on the car-only soap box. Cars have a transportation role in many peoples’ lives. Often, today’s built environment and lack of reliable public transportation options make cars a near necessity, as do some jobs. That’s being realistic.

That certainly doesn’t mean that people in some locations with the right job can’t live car-free.

However, m-bike does have a car-lite agenda. We need to build communities that support transportation choices beyond just cars.

That said, last Tuesday, September 22nd was World Car Free Day. Based on their web site, the group behind the event doesn’t seem to clear on whether they want a car-free day or a car-free year.

Every September 22, people from around the world get together in the streets, intersections, and neighbourhood blocks to remind the world that we don’t have to accept our car-dominated society.

But we do not want just one day of celebration and then a return to “normal” life. When people get out of their cars, they should stay out of their cars. It is up to us, it is up to our cities, and our governments to help create permanent change to benefit pedestrians, cyclists, and other people who do not drive cars.

Either way, my car stayed in the driveway on Tuesday as it does most days.

World Car Free Day did get a response from Detroit News Auto Columnist Manny Lopez. The title of that opinion piece: “Car-free crusade is absurd.”

Being an auto columnist, you’d expect Lopez to resist the notion of going car free. But rather than make a moderate, well-reasoned pitch, he brings in more absurdity, including this:

“There is no betterment of mankind by government policies trying to get people out of cars,” says Sam Kazman, general counsel of the non-partisan Competitive Enterprise Institute, which is opposed to the anti-car group’s crusade. “I’m not even that sure it’s a fine and dandy notion (to be car-free).”

Ah, the betterment is well-documented. People become more healthy when they can choose active transportation options, including public transit.

“A fine and dandy notion?” Who grew up watching too much of Mr. Rogers?

The real absurdity lives at the extremes.

Yes, living car-free in Metro Detroit is a challenge. But continuing to foster car-only communities given what we know about our health and environment?

That is absurd.

by Austrian artist Erwin Wurm

A recent study by the University of Tennessee’s Obesity Research Center documents the relationship between obesity rates and active transportation (i.e. biking, walking, and public transit.)

The study’s lead author, David Bassett, co-director of the Obesity Research Center and professor in the Department of Exercise, Sport and Leisure Studies, said more people are thinking about transportation issues to save gas and money. On top of that, Americans are obsessed with losing weight, and the latest statistics show about one in three U.S. adults are obese.

“Many people blame this on things like technology, TV, Internet and sedentary jobs, but what we found was that there are other industrialized nations who have similar, high standards of living, who do not suffer from obesity to nearly the same extent that the U.S. does,” he said. “I truly believe that the transportation modes in various countries are important in explaining international differences in obesity rates.”

This study’s results are just another justification for building more biking and walking infrastructure in Metro Detroit.

And it also supports the Safe Routes to School concept, especially given the amount of childhood obesity in Michigan.  In 2007, 12% of children in Michigan were obese (>20% overweight.)

Unfortunately many of those responsible for transportation decisions have little experience or background in health.  Improving community health is not on their radar.  But one thing road engineers are good are is understanding numbers — and this study provides them.

• In 2000, Europeans walked an average of 239 miles per person per year.  Americans walked 88 miles. And while Europeans biked 118 miles per year on average, Americans rode only 25 miles.
• In Atlanta, every hour per day spent driving was associated with a 6 percent increase in the likelihood of being obese.

One caveat is the results do not prove causality.  However, the authors note the results “suggest that active transportation could be one of the factors that explain international differences in obesity rates.”