Can you live like a human being without a car?

[Bostonian08]

Originally Posted by DCguy03

Commuter Rail is great, because you can get work done or read on the train...as opposed to driving which is 100% wasted time.

I used to ride in from Concord a few summers ago and it is much much better than going on the deathly-slow crawl of 128. That traffic is so bad it seems like cars are going to start going backwards on this highway during rush hour!

I SO agree. The train is SO much safer (despite yesterday's wreck) and so much more relaxing. Who the hell wants to be a highway prisoner for two hours a day? Why spend two stressful hours fighting the highway freaks when you can spend that same two hours reading a good book?

[jayrandom]

The commuter rail can be frustrating sometimes, but it's about 1/100th as frustrating as it would be to drive downtown. If you live in Boston and Cambridge, it's probably easier without a car than with one. I know a number of people who sold their cars and either rent or use zipcar when they need to. Even if you live in the suburbs, there are definitely places you can live and never need a car.

As for non-immigrants/non-poor people, I find that, with the possible exception of NYC, Boston has the highest middle-class public transit ridership of anywhere I've been in the US. In places like LA only those who couldn't afford a car would take the bus, but in Boston it's so crowded and frustrating to drive that many people with cars choose to take public transit because of convenience. The big downside to Boston's public transit system is that it's generally great if you're radially from downtown, but if you're going from one suburb to another it ranges from bad to awful. If you'll be working downtown or in select inner suburbs, you'll be in great shape to be car free--but if your only job opportunities are on the 128 or 495 corridors, you'll need a car.

Good luck!

[maggiekate]

If you live near a bus or the T you can live without a car. You always may rent one
to get away. I did live without a car in Boston. Cars, parking and insurance are a big
and now gas! try it!

[haberstroh]

Boston is one of the few big American cities where people actually choose to take public transportation. They want to use it - don't necessarily have to take it. That is especially true for the suburbs and commuter lines. Look at the parking lot and you will see a lot of high end cars.
You will be just fine without a car...

[BostonSean00]

Lots of good info here. I haven't owned a car in 3 years and have no trouble living in Stoughton even - 15 miles south of Boston.

As said, the T can be frustrating, but it is definitely less frustrating than traffic, parking, etc etc. I thoroughly enjoy not being tied to all the expenses a car brings.

I bike everywhere and ride the T. Biking is great and will get you anywhere in the city within 20 mins if you're quick

[holden125]

Originally Posted by smarty

Only poor people (regardless recent/non-recent immigrant/nonimmigrant) takes public transportations. If one can affort a $50K car, $5/gal gas, $3/day toll and $400/mo parking... why would he or she wants to take public transportation? Oh yes, there are green people!

I am not poor by any stretch these days and I take public transportation everywhere. I have never even owned a car.

I think the issue is that the vast majority of America is a zone where everyone drives and only the very poorest people take public transit. In LA, for example, it is a long dreary wait for a bus that will take you two hours to get where you're going.

I currently work near Grand Central in New York and there are partners where I work, who are good for well over a million a year, who take the subway or the commuter train every day. Others don't. In my experience Boston is not as public-transit-dependent as New York but it's not that far off and is light years better than most of the US, which is sorely lacking in transit alternatives.

Of course, in the burbs, where Smarty is, people are much more likely to drive to get around because there's not much great transit other than the train into Boston, which itself is not perfect. But I have, and would, prefer to commute into downtown Boston by train rather than car.

The big issue when making such a move with no car is to figure out where you need to go (work, friends, etc.) and try to locate the quickest and most reliable lines to get you there, and if you can find a safe and affordable place near those lines. I always tell people looking for a home in NY or Boston not to look at the regular map, look at the transportation map, since you'll have to deal with it daily if you don't have a car.

Boston's system is extensive, but has gaps, so pay attention to it and it can be done.

[nikmasteed]

Originally Posted by BostonSean00

I thoroughly enjoy not being tied to all the expenses a car brings.

Man you said it. It's a shame suburbia cannot survive without the car. I look at friends who live in suburbs of Philly and Washington that pay thousands for a car, then pay thousands in insurance, hundreds in gas, potentially hundreds in repairs. Give me a monthly T pass and a Zipcar (AMAZINGLY convenient) and I'll take the ENORMOUS savings and live in a prime urban location.

Of course the only thing that can throw the equation off is needing good public schools if you have kids, which generally can't be said for cities.

[Boston to NYC]

I've lived in Boston for 8 years without a car, and I would never consider getting one here. The benefit would be minimal at best. I live in the Back Bay, have a good job and a Master's Degree, and there are PLENTY of people just like me who don't have cars.