On September 30, 2006 Los Angelinos will have the opportunity to enjoy an evening of fun celebrating and demonstrating Car-Free and Car-Lite transportation choices.

C.I.C.L.E., (Cyclists Inciting Change thru LIVE Exchange) a local bicycle advocacy group, will be presenting their first ever Car-Free celebration entitled ‘Life Can Be So Car-Free’ at the new Los Angeles State Historic Park in downtown Los Angeles. Interpretive walks, bicycle rides, live music by local car-free and car-lite bands Telematique and Triple Chicken Foot, interactive exhibits featuring examples of utilitarian forms of car-free transportation, and short film selections by local cyclist and filmmaker Ashira Siegel are all slotted in as part of a fun-filled evening.

“Here in Los Angeles, our choice in transportation defines much of our experience. Long and congested commutes, sprawl, air and noise pollution, sedentary lifestyle and its associated consequences, loss of connection to our neighbors and communities; all are unintended consequences of automobile dependence and have become the undesirable hallmarks of a Los Angeles existence. It is clear that we need to actively seek out other transportation options," says Shay Sanchez, co-director of C.I.C.LE.

Promoting alternatives to the car dependent lifestyle is a strategy that many cities around the world are beginning to adopt in order to create more livable and sustainable cities. Within the U.S., cities such as Portland and San Francisco are quickly becoming the new models of urban sustainability. These cities are choosing to focus on bicycling, walking, and public transport as resurrected modes of urban mobility. C.I.C.L.E. believes that if Los Angeles is to make this leap into a sustainable and more livable city, we need to start incorporating these strategies.

While Los Angeles presents specific challenges that can make a car-free or car-lite existence seem difficult, most Los Angelinos can begin to take an incremental approach -- making healthier transportation choices when the appropriate and convenient opportunity arises. “While a major overhaul of our city's infrastructure and transportation systems is far off, various transportation options/ solutions exist right now. Incorporating walking and bicycling along with the use of public transport into our lives, at least part of the time, is surprisingly easy to accomplish and tremendously beneficial for ourselves, and our community," says co-director Liz Elliott.

This Car-Free celebration presents a unique opportunity for those seeking alternatives to a car-dependent existence to meet with and learn from those already actively living a car-free or car-lite lifestyle.

“We invite all Los Angelinos to come out to the event to learn more about car-lite lifestyles, to consider other possibilities, and perhaps ultimately participate in making a healthier transportation choice."

Life Can Be So Car-Free happens on Saturday September 30, 2006 from 5 PM to 10 PM at the new Los Angeles State Historic Park in downtown Los Angeles. People are encouraged to bring a picnic and friends to enjoy the sunset behind the L.A. skyline. For more information visit: www.BikeNow.org or call 323-478-0060.

Some people object that abolishing the private automobile - whether gasoline powered or powered in some other way - would mean the death of suburbia. That is not a reason to keep the automobile; it is one more reason to get rid of it. Suburbia symbolizes all that is ugly about the United States - vulgar display of "success," racism, bad taste, destruction of public transit systems, and the great trouble people who can't or won't own autos have in just getting to a drug store or a supermarket.
The abolition of suburbia will mean the repeal of the 1950's. If there ever was a decade that deserved to be repealed, the fifties are that decade.
One more thing: some Americans seem to have the idea that oil producing nations have some kind of legal or ethical obligation to supply petroleum to the United States at prices low enough to enable the US to center its so-called transportation system around the private car and the freeway. They have no such obligation. Why should they subsidize suburbia?

And we need to respond now. Americans have gotten so lazy, spoiled and complacent. In the Bay area, there are stories of people who commute over an hour each way- they wanted a brand new mini-mansion in the uburbs and that was the price. People insists on roses from Ecuador, and strawberries in November, not realizing the price that is paid in terms of abuse of our eco-systems.
The time is now to start searching for alternates fuel sources. Any new house or housing developement built should be self sufficent in terms of energy use. There needs to be economic dis-incentives to using gas and fossil fuels. We need to start taking this seriously.

If Americans were really lazy, they wouldn't put up with a one-hour commute. They'd quit and get a job closer to home.

Commuting an hour each way might is nothing. I would guess that the average communte in the LA area is much longer than that.

And while that does demonstrate certain things about the character of the American worker, I don't think it means people are "lazy" and "spoiled".

It can mean a number of things, such as:
1. They couldn't find a job closer to home.
2. They won't live near their workplace because they think the people in that area are "dangerous" or belong to some allegedly inferior racial or ethnic group.
3. They think they are too good to use mass transit. After all, Prince Chares and Paris Hilton don't use it, so why should they?
4. There is no mass transit or roads safe for bicycles available to them.
5. They think that going into hock for an expensive car shows people that they are "successful" in life.
6. They belong to a race, ethnic group or sexual group that is often discriminated against in the area in which their workplace is located.

The cities were drawn up to necessitate automobile use.
Efficient rail systems were bought ( privatized ) and torn up to do the same.
The national hiway was a military excuse ( tanks, folks ) to encourage automobile use.
Funny how things work out.