Why I'm doing this

Texas loves its trucks, but Dallas is non-discriminating, vehicle-wise. It loves the Mini Cooper and the Dodge Omni, the Hummer and the Plymouth Voyager. What you drive doesn't matter. It matters that you drive.

Lots of cities are built for cars instead of pedestrians. But Dallas has retrofitted itself for cars, a much tougher thing to do. Its downtown, once bustling, has become a wasteland where workers funnel through underground tunnels to avoid the heat, leaving automobiles to prowl among the skyscrapers. Trolley systems, which used to be a major form of transit even in Dallas' wealthier neighborhoods, have been systemically eliminated. The streets that used to accommodate them now seem uncommonly wide. Two of Dallas' most important architectural feats in the last decade have been the widening of an arterial freeway (that used to be a railroad) and a five-level highway interchange. They're both elegant.

My wife and I own two cars. Recently, this has struck me as wasteful. I'm not going to get into all the reasons I feel this way - some I'll explain later - but suffice it to say that the costs of owning two cars are beginning to surpass the benefits. By "costs," I don't just mean our financial expenses. I'm also talking about our impact on the environment and on our lifestyle. In all those senses, it's becoming a hassle.

But is it worse than the hassle of being a one-car, two-driver family in a city where drivers rule? That's what I'm trying to find out. I want to test myself, to see how dependent I've become on my gas-burning, carbon-monoxide-emitting friend. And I want to test Dallas, to see if its public transit, sidewalks and taxis can support people who choose not to drive.

That's a special distinction -- "choose not to drive." I can't put myself in the position of people who can't afford car ownership. I assume that many of the people I see on public transit are in that situation, and I'm interested to learn about their lives. But I don't feel as if I can speak for them, and I won't. I'm still able to jump in a car and drive somewhere when I really, really need to. I won't apologize for that luxury, but neither will I pretend to be something I'm not.

What I am is a guy who's trying to cut down on driving and is rooting for his city to be able to help him do it. And that's why I'm keeping this blog. I want to talk about the frustrations and satisfactions of going carless, and indirectly I expect I'll end up talking about a city for which I have enormous affection.

My personal rules:
1) Take the bus to work. (I rarely have to leave the office during the day for appointments. When I do, I allow myself the use of a car, though I may attempt to go without it.)
2) Don't drive after drinking, and don't rely on others to drive after drinking an unsafe amount. This is a good rule to follow anyway, obviously. And it gives me an opportunity to evaluate how Dallas' mass transit and taxi fleet holds up after hours. (I can tell you already, the answer's not good.)
3) Be independent. Don't mooch rides when a mass transit or taxi alternative will do.

We still own two cars. Wish me luck in getting rid of one.