Many people do not realise what a big difference to your local area sustainable mobility can make. However, it makes a difference in many different ways.
There are many advantages of using the car less, such as better health, less pollution and saving money. All of these can impact the local area for example, you will be likely to need less medical care which will put less strain on local health resources. The reduction in pollution will benefit the whole area, as it will be cleaner. Saving money for you, will be great on a personal basis, but may also mean that you have more money to spend locally which will boost the local economy.
There are also costs associated with you driving. For example the roads get damaged, which will have to be repaired by the local council. The dirt caused by exhaust will also need cleaning up, particular when it dirties shop fronts which need to look good for customers or people’s houses, which they want to look smart.
Congestion can be a big problem in many areas with cars blocking up the rods, particularly in rush hour. This can lead to anxiety and stress for some people which is not healthy, it may even lead to people not wanting to visit the area because the traffic is so bad. Congestion can also lead to accidents, where cars get too close, people get distracted and tempers get frayed.
Imagine if you could be part of changing your local area. Making the air fresher and cleaning, making the roads quieter and more pleasant to drive on. The local taxes may not increase so much if the roads are used less and therefore need less repair. People will be generally more relaxed if they are not driving on busy congested roads. If people start using the buses and trains more, this could bring down their price or lead to more services being provided, making it easier for those that do not want to use the car to get out and about. It could be that people use cars as there are no useful buses or trains, but only by using them will there be seen to be a demand which will be addressed by the operators.
By driving less, you could find that you encourage others to do the same. This knock on effect could have a really significant impact on your local area and how pleasant it is to love in. With people driving less, there may be more local funding for cycle paths, good footpaths and the air will be cleaner for those that want to be outside. The lack of congestion could lead to people being calmer and happier, not only when driving but all of the time. The quiet roads could lead more people wanting to visit the area which could boost the local economy.
There are therefore many reasons, on a local basis why avoiding using the car could be advantageous.