Until recently, I lived in a densely populated suburb of San Francisco. My family and I lived half a mile from my daughter's school, two blocks from a major grocery store, and around the corner from the community swimming pool. We were less than a mile from a town center filled with restaurants, a movie theater, a book store and clothing stores. And more often than not, I drove where I needed to go.
I didn't favor my car because I was lazy and apathetic about the environment. I wasn't. I drove because in the suburb where my husband and I lived with our small child, it was often dangerous to walk or bike. A four-lane avenue separated my house from the grocery store, and crossing that street with my preschooler and a load of groceries was harrowing. The smaller streets leading to the local elementary school had no sidewalks and filled up with cars as parents drove their kids to school. Getting to the town's center past the noise, fumes, and speeding cars was unpleasant at best.
I tried to walk as often as I could, but it was ironic: in a suburb so dense that I could walk anywhere, the safest way to get around town was in my car.
A few months ago, my family moved back to our hometown just outside of Chicago. The sprawling, endless suburbs of Chicago might not seem conducive to biking, but it's here that I've transformed from driver to cyclist. Part of it is my own circumstance. My daughter is at an age now where she can easily join me on a bike ride. But the other part is Chicagoland and its bike-friendly infrastructure.
The grocery store is further than it was in California, but I can ride through quiet streets and across a moderately busy two-lane road to get there. When I bike to a coffee shop or to get my hair cut, I'm flanked by trees instead of cement buildings. The stores are further away than they were in California, but I'm more willing to leave my car at home because the world outside of my car is so much more pleasant.
So to honor and embrace this gloriously bike-able place, I pledge to spend this summer on two wheels whenever and wherever I can. And hopefully I can show that not only do we not need a car to live well, but life is better without one---even in the suburbs. I'm looking forward to posting about my two-wheeled adventures through the suburbs of Chicago here at Green Parent Chicago.
-Lisa Soare is a freelance writer and a mom. She lives in the north suburbs with her husband and daughter. You can read more about her efforts to craft a more sustainable life at her blog www.diygreener.blogspot.com.
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