Limiting your car usage has benifits to yourself, the community and the environment. In these aricles there's examples of way communities have given up ther cars and how car usage has gone down over the years.

In Vauban, Germany residents have given up their cars. In this expeirimental community, street parking, driveways, and garages are almost forbidden. Car ownership is however allowed, but the only place to park are large garages at the edge of the development. If you own a car and decide to park there, you must buy a space for $40,000, plus a home! The outcome of this has been most of the community don't own cars. "When I had a car I was always tense. I'm much happier this way" this was said by Heidrun Walter, mother of two and a media trainer. Also this communities idea has been adopted around the world.

An effect of extreme car ususe can be smog. Paris, France has the most smog out of all the other European capitals. They had "147 micrograms of particulate matter (PM) per cubic meter compared with 114 in Brussels and 79.7 in london, Reuters found." After days of heavy pollution. A partial driving ban was enforced to clear the city's air. Motorists with even-numbered license plates were told to leave their cars at home. If they didn't do so, they would be charged with a 22-euro fine. The same order wouls be given to odd-numbered plates the next day. Almost 4,000 driver's cars were fined for using their cars.

In Bogota, Colombia they set up a program, The day without cars it's when cars are banned and only buses and taxis are permitted. Their goal is to promote alternative transportation and reduce smog. "It's a good opportunity to take away stress and lower air pollution" stated by Carlos Arturo Plaza a businessman. The day without cars is part of an improvment campaign that began in bogota in the mid-1990's. during this year's anual day without cars, authorities from others countries have can to see the event and were very pleased by it. " These people are generating a revolutionary change, and this is crossing borders" said by Enrique Riera, the major of Asunci`on, Paraguay.

In recent studies it's shown that Americans are buying fewer cars, getting less lincenses, and driving less as each year goes by. Many beleive America's love for cars is deteriorating. The number of miles driven has gone down since 2005. Some think it's because we simpliy can't afford new cars."A study last year found driving by young people decreased 23 percent between 2001 and 2009" Even the number of cars per home has gone down. "What most intrigues me is that rates of car ownership per household and per person started to come down two to three years before the downturn" said by Michael Sivak, a research professor at the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute. If this patterns persists it will be very benificial to the environment. Mimi Sheller, a sociology professer at Drexel University thinks the internet makes people feel more connected, therefore we don't feel the need to drive out and meet friends.

In conclusion, limiting your car usage benifits you and the environment. As quoted in the essay people express how they feel less stressed from not using their cars. Countries and communities around the world are taking part in less car usage and feeling great from it. So i advise you do the same and help yourself and the environment.    