[Editor’s Note] Start Moving

by Lacey McLaughlin
December 9, 2009

It's hard to describe the freedom that comes with not relying on a car for transportation, because for many people this means just the opposite. Last week a group of about 25 progressive Jacksonians participated in an experiment called carLESS week.

For an entire week we challenged ourselves to bike, walk and use public transportation as alternatives to our vehicles.

Though I wasn't 100 percent carLESS, I rode my bike for the majority of the week to work, the grocery store and even in the snow last Friday to the Chick Jam at Hal & Mals (next time, though, I will wear my ski goggles). While it wasn't always convenient, I felt a deep satisfaction knowing I could live and work in Jackson without using my car. There was also a large degree of accountability between carLESS participants, and we formed a bond from braving the cold weather, snow and bumpy roads together.

I think this experiment strengthened the bike advocacy movement that hit the ground a few months ago with the formation of the Jackson Bike Advocates. Since September, a few friends and I have been meeting and discussing ways to we can have more bike lanes, multi-use trails, and awareness between cyclist and drivers. On Oct. 30, Jackson had its first critical-mass bike ride, and about 20 people participated despite a downpour.

Since then we've changed the name to "community bike ride," and last month even more people participated.

It's inspiring to see so much momentum and enthusiasm within the Jackson Bike Advocates so early on. So many people are ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work. As the Jackson Renaissance comes to life, many residents know that alternative transportation methods are essential for progressive urban development.

On Monday evening a group of carLESS participants gathered at the Jackson Community Design Center to recap our experience.

Whitney Grant, JCDC intern architect and carLESS week organizer, pointed out that her friends in other cities were dumbfounded about our group getting media attention, in and outside Jackson, for not using our cars for a week.

"Lots of people live this way; it's not really that profound, so I guess that's the point, right?" she told the group.

But in the South our way of life is different. Modern conveniences rule our lives. To persuade people to bike or walk instead of drive means asking them to make a sacrifice, whether waking up early to get somewhere, or being more patient while waiting for the bus to come.

During the week, many of us found changing our lifestyles meant staying closer to home and, therefore, shopping local. When you have the choice between biking to a strip mall in Flowood or Maywood Mart in Jackson, it's only logical to choose the closer one.

The issue of public transportation is another area that has come to light through this experiment. While we carLESS participants voluntarily went without our vehicles, a large population in our city can't afford vehicles and must rely on public transportation to get around.

Last year when the city had a public hearing concerning cutting bus routes because of insufficient funds, several Jackson residents who rely on the bus to get to work showed up to protest—many of them in tears.

Since then, the city council voted to approve a $1.2 million budget transfer from the city's general fund in July, and in August Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. transferred $4.2 million again to save JATRAN. Johnson warned that this money isn't likely to be available next year as revenue is expected to decline.

Many carLESS participants navigated the bus system for the first time and found high fares ($2 each way), long bus wait times and inconsistent bus stops. Even the process of figuring out the bus system was intimidating for some.

As our conversation Monday shifted to action, we found a central theme: the law of supply and demand. If more of us ride the bus, it's more likely there will be more routes and cheaper fares; if more us ride our bikes, there is a better chance local businesses will supply bike racks.

Like Malcolm Gladwell defined in his book "The Tipping Point," change doesn't have to happen slowly, and often comes suddenly; in fact, the more we are encouraged and connected to the same cause, the more rapidly that cause will take hold.

Just like marketing a product, visibility is a key component for an idea to take hold. The biggest complaint about carLESS week was that many people who wanted to participate simply didn't know it was going on. The interesting thing about this experiment is that it stemmed from dinner conversation among a few friends.

For the future, we hope to have JATRAN week in which we only use the bus to get around town. We would also like to see more public awareness about the bus system, so it becomes easier to navigate.

During CarLESS week, whenever I saw fellow cyclists cruising on their bikes, I felt connected to the cause and encouraged. Now, every time I ride my bike to work, I think of it as having a direct impact on the efforts to promote my wish list for the city. A positive epidemic is spreading in Jackson on all fronts, and it's infectious, but it does take each of us taking small steps together.

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