Car Free

I saw an ad in the DC metro system about a Car-Free Diet. It's a simply site the helps commuters calculate the health and financial benefits of leaving their car at home. This change in lifestyle makes so much sense that it surprises me just how many people continue to do the traditional car commute. Obviously there are folks who have no choice, but there is no doubt in my mind that that number is fairly small. As fuel prices go up the market will drive more and more people to use non-traditional commuting methods, but that transition will take even longer until people factor in the other benefits of leaving their car at home. And if you wanted a refresher, here are some of those benefits:

1. Save money on gas and vehicle maintenance. Yes, you'll spend some on mass transit, however many employers give out mass transit commuting dollars.
2. Save your sanity. I can't think of many other things that bring out the worst in people than a big traffic jam.
3. Get exercise. By walking or biking you get much-needed exercise. You can walk or ride to the metro or bus and still get that exercise.
4. Get some reading time. Commuting in the car leaves you staring at the bumper in front of you. Commuting in the metro or on a bus lets you read your favorite book, magazine, or daily.
5. Help the environment. Single passenger vehicle commuting to work emit billions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. Take yours off the road and make a real difference.
6. Help the United States get off of foreign oil. We send billions of dollars a year to other parts of the world for a product we burn up. Our economy is weak and our national debt is growing. Using less gas would make a big difference.

Add other benefits in comments!