Automotive freedom

Many people who move to Philadelphia, or many large cities, wonder whether they should keep a car or rely on nearby shopping and public transit. High insurance rates can shift the balance toward going carless, but people are afraid to give up their freedom. Some commentaries in the Inquirer highlight a nifty solution and one of my favorite local programs, Philly Car Share:

• The founder describes the ideas behind the program and the effects it has had already.
  
• A user describes what it's like in practice.

They also link to a list of other cities with similar programs, and here's the actual homepage for PhillyCarShare itself. If you're an infrequent driver like most city-dwellers, consider cutting yourself loose once and for all!