Is life better without a car? That’s the question Patricia Blakely, of Minneapolis, sought to answer when she decided to give the car-free life a go at the age of 63. It’s been 5 years since she took the plunge. The answer, at least for her, is a resounding “yes!”

Blakely knew reducing her carbon footprint would be satisfying. She knew the money she saved would go a long way: AAA estimates the average car owner shells out more than $9,000 annually to own and operate a vehicle, based on 2013 cost estimates.

The surprising and unforeseen improvements to her quality of life, however, inspired Blakely to write a book about her experience. She published Carfree Living: Happy in the Not So Fast Lane in 2013. The book chronicles her decision and the aftermath, with all the foibles, surprises and lessons learned along the way.

Blakely is the first to recognize that giving up car ownership isn’t for everyone. For some, owning a car might be necessary for their work. If you live in a place without reliable public transit, giving up your car probably isn’t a possibility, either.

For those living in the Twin Cities, however, getting around without a car is only getting easier. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul are making serious investments in new transit infrastructure. The recent opening of the new light-rail Green Line connecting the downtowns is only the beginning.

The Metropolitan Council recently approved the A Line, which will begin service next year. It’s the first of several anticipated Bus Rapid Transit lines in the Twin Cities and will run from 46th Street in Minneapolis down Ford Parkway and up Snelling Avenue to the Rosedale Shopping Center.

The St. Paul City Council also recently approved a comprehensive study that will examine potential streetcar routes in the city. Negotiations between Minneapolis and the Met Council over the Southwest LRT line that would connect downtown to the western suburbs also now appears to be on track.

If the idea of going car free, or even just reducing your reliance on a personal motor vehicle has crossed your mind, now is a great time to give it a go. Here are five easy steps—inspired by five corresponding stages in Blakely’s book—to send you on your way.

Step 1: Start noticing (The "Getting Ready" Phase)

Maybe you’ve already decided to reduce car use or even give up the car completely, but haven’t mustered the gumption to do so. Maybe you think going car free is impossible and have a hard time even beginning to imagine life without a car.

Fret not. Some people might prefer to go cold turkey. But no one’s saying you have to jump in headfirst.

One way to ease away from car dependency is to simply start noticing. Notice every time you get in the car. Notice how much money goes into the tank, parking meters, for maintenance. Add up your time and money spent.

Notice your state of mind while driving, waiting in traffic, trying to find parking, traversing a busy intersection. Are you tense? On edge? If you're relaxed and completely at ease, you’ve either achieved the very height of Mahayana Buddhism or probably aren’t being an attentive driver.

Blakely says she noticed a surprising sense of freedom when she started getting used to life without a car. “We’ve got this kind of built-in low-level stress when we drive, but we generally discount it because it’s so common,” she says. “I discovered freedom in not having that.”

Notice the regular trips you take. Whether it’s getting to work, grabbing a drink with friends or getting to your weekly Brazilian Jiu-jitsu class, there are places we all go on a regular basis. Notice how long it takes you to get there, door to door—no cheating.

Now, go to the Metro Transit website and figure out how you could have gotten there without a car. How long would the trip have taken? Plug in a couple different routes. It’s a slick system and almost begs for you to play around with different options.

Have you thought about biking? The quickest route to many destinations may be via one of the Twin Cities’ abundant bike routes.

If you’re nervous about sharing the road, check out one of the many beginner-friendly bike classes around town designed to get you comfortable biking in the city. The non-profit Cycles for Change offers excellent educational opportunities from fixing a flat tire to safety and bike etiquette.

Step 2: Play around (The “Trying It Out” Phase)

You’re going to make some mistakes in the beginning. It’s ok. You will survive. Try some just-for-fun trips to get started. Pick somewhere close, select a route and a mode of transit, and take your time. Visit that brewery you’ve been meaning to check out: Multimodal living is always better with a beer at the other end.

You might miss your stop, or get on the wrong bus, or accidentally get on a train going the wrong direction. Stay calm. No one knows, nor do they care. Just get off at the next stop and turn around. You don’t have to pay for another ticket. The one you bought is good for any number of transfers on any mode of public transit for two-and-a-half hours.

Blakely suggests seeing how far you can get with that one fare. “I was shocked that I could go two different directions on a transfer,” she says. Now, she regularly takes as many as five trips on a single ticket—for quick shopping or to run a couple of errands—just to get the most out of a single fare.

Going car free is all about figuring out what works for you. Alternative transit options abound in the Twin Cities. In addition to bus, light rail and bicycling, numerous ridesharing options—Zip Car, Car2Go, HOURCAR, Uber, Lyft—are available in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Remember walking? Your feet will get you further than you think. You can always hail or call a taxi in a pinch. Step 2 is about discovering what’s possible. “Experiment and figure out what works for you,” Blakely says.

Step 3: Give car free a go (The “Getting Serious” Phase)

Store your car somewhere inaccessible. Leave it at a friend’s or put it in storage. Have someone hang onto your keys for you. “You’ll solve all sorts of problems that you didn’t think you could solve” once you begin to go car free, Blakely says.
 
There will be hurdles. Instead of stuffing the car with groceries every other week, make more frequent trips to the store. It’s great that you and your stylist share an undying affection for Prince, but is that really worth trekking across town for?

Maybe it is, but you’re going to have to make some sacrifices. Prioritize and get creative. In a way, you’re restructuring your life and your routines. Pretty soon you won’t be able to imagine what you were so hung up on.

Blakely suggests finding creative ways to barter for rides from friends. Whether you offer them cash for gas or pay for a movie ticket, don’t become that friend that righteously gave up their car and now always needs a ride.

At this point, whether or not you fully realize it, you’re already a more multimodal citizen. Even if you decide total car-free living isn’t for you, the ease and liberation of utilizing public transit isn’t easily unlearned.

Quit fussing with tickets or correct change. Invest in a Metro Transit Go-To Card. Put what you would have spent on gas on the card and see how far you can go.

Step 4: Give it up (The “Carefree Living” Phase)

You’re comfortable using public transit. You know the best routes to get to your most common destinations. You know how to improvise when necessary.

It’s time to commit.

Sell your car. With the money you earned, go on vacation, buy stock, throw a party—whatever feels like a well-earned reward. Invest a little in your new lifestyle, too.

Go ahead and drop $35 on a Car2Go membership. As of July 19, you can take the cars anywhere in Minneapolis and St. Paul, a nice convenience that satisfies the sense of freedom to go wherever, whenever, that you enjoyed with your car.

Buy a good bicycle and a set of panniers to carry gear. Without a car trunk, you’ll need to downsize your stuff. “It does take a bit of reorganizing to reduce the size of the things that you carry,” Blakely says. “I’ve got a small over-the-shoulder bag that’s sort of my portable office. It’s really tiny but it has everything I need.”

You’ve already guessed one of the biggest challenges. “Well, in Minnesota it’s the weather,” Blakely says with certainty. “It’s really tough to be out when it’s super cold. It takes a big adjustment.”

As renowned urban visionary Gil Penalosa told a crowd during his recent Twin Cities residency, there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. You might be justifiably skeptical of a native Colombian giving winter weather advice to Minnesotans, but he’s right. You can overcome any degree of cold with a good coat and an extra warm layer, or two or three.

Step 5: Enjoy your new car-free life (The “Savor the Rewards” Phase)

You’ve saved money and done the environment a favor. What are the other benefits of going car free you might not have considered?

Blakely says surprisingly, her bone density improved, and she became healthier and stronger overall. She’s also learned to enjoy a more relaxing pace in everyday life.

“I used to dash out of my house and race to a meeting and I was always sort of tense,” she says. “When you’re on a bus, you can’t make it go any faster, so I slowed down in a really beneficial way.”

While on the bus or train, you’ve also got time to answer emails, read, just relax—and appreciate the community you’re traveling with. “You see lots of people you wouldn’t normally see if you were just in your car,” Blakely says. “My world expanded because I was seeing more of my community and just being a part of what was going on in the city that day.”

For Blakely, going car free and becoming more organized and intentional about her schedule has added up to a more satisfying way of life. “I’ve done this for five years now,” she says, “and it’s a good life.”

Kyle Mianulli is The Line's Development News Editor.