Hi everyone!  Welcome to My Story.   In simple terms, I want Boston to Go Car Free for a day.  This isn't just some neighborhood effort, we're talking about City-wide.  Scary, I know.  But isn't it time to make a statement in the city?  Ditch your car and step onto your local commuter rail platform, bus terminal, and subway station.  Isn't it time time to roll up that pant leg and get on the bike or step into your favorite walking shoes?  If cities in bustling countries like India, China, and Germany can do it, why can't we?

Big Idea for a Big City

We all know Boston is a city.  It's dense with corporations, construction, life, and city chaos.  So, pulling off a Go Car Free Day, is this even possible?   I am a biking, walking, outdoor enthusiast, and user of buses and trains, believe that Boston can make this idea a reality by the end of this year.  We are in an age where people want to make our environment a more pleasant place to live in and enjoy.  Buses, for one day, could operate at the ultimate efficiency since there are no cars crowding the lanes.  The commuter system and subways would see a spike in users for the first time in years.  People would realize that there is more to our beautiful city than a lack of traffic signs, the sound of horns, and stressed out drivers.

Think back to the time when smoking was banned from business interiors. When this ban was implemented, I recall the difference I felt like night and day. It was amazing! And I won't say that removing cars from the city for a day will miraculously clear the air of smog and gas, but a little goes a long way. If traffic is deferred for a period of 24 hours from the heart of Greater Boston, my hope is that there will be a measurable reduction in carbon emissions from cars.

Opposition

I'm guessing this idea will recieve some opposition to the Go Car Free Day, which is why careful planning must take place.                               

• Some people can't live without their car, so options for them would be to, well, work from home. 
• Some terminal subway stations such as Braintree, Alewife, and Oak Grove, will likely be packed for this one day, so commuters should be encouraged to take the commuter rail from the suburbs into central hubs such as North and South Stations. 
• Incentives could be even greater by offering free subway and bus services if you step on within Greater Boston limits. 
• Additionally, Boston must allow traffic through major routes like I-93 and airport tunnels. 

But the key is to keep cars off the congested city streets in the Financial District and North End to the edges of Brookline through South End, to the new sections of South Boston and to the farthest reaches of Fenway.

Effort

With this idea comes a huge effort.  It's not going to be just my effort, it needs to be the City of Boston's effort.  To implement mass car rejection from the city's interior streets requires coordination by everyone affected, such as public transportation authorities and those who drive to work from city suburbs and those who live in the middle of the city and commute out.  It's a big idea, but an exciting one, don't you think?

Make it Happen

Countries in Europe and cities in China and India have implemented a car free day since the 1960s! Why has the United States been so slow to pick this up? Boston does not have to delay any longer. Go Car Free, Boston! Just for one day each year from this year forth. This movement will be the beginnings of a paradigm shift and Boston will be recognized as the origin for this change.

Figuring out the logistics of getting people in the city sans personal vehicles will be crazy (and probably sounds insane), but I'm not just interested in starting a movement, I want Boston to make a statement!