Chicago Without a Car: Do the Math

If You Don't Care About the Environment, You at Least Care About Money. Right?

“I'm getting rid of my car!” exclaimed my exasperated friend Martin, who found that his decision to keep an auto in Chicago was, after all, imprudent. I resisted the urge to begin my smug I-told-you-so dance. He had finally thought about his needs and his expenses and weighed them against the significant cost and hassle of owning a vehicle in a congested large city. Most people could live in Chicago without a car, but the American ownership mentality and the desire to stay in a bubble of personal space is what keeps hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans behind the wheel – and (in my view) behind the times.

While I could go on and on about how car-free living helps the Chicago environment by reducing emissions and how it allows public transit to become more effective and community-oriented, I have to face facts: most people are only interested in what benefits them directly and personally. And that's usually expressed in terms of money.

So, let's do the math on Chicago without a car. Since everyone's auto expenses are not the same, here are three different scenarios:

Chicago Without a Car, Scenario 1: Abby

Abby is making a monthly payment of $310 on her new Honda Civic, and her insurance averages out to about $110 a month. Although she parks for free at home in Bucktown, she pays about $25 a month for city meters and the occasional special event lot. Her mean monthly gas tab comes to around $100, and although she doesn't pay for routine maintenance thanks to a warranty, she washes car her every two weeks at $8 a pop. Average Monthly Car Cost = 310 + 110 + 25 + 100 + 16 = $561.

Chicago Without a Car, Scenario 2: Bart