Searching for the Family Car

While juggling the family schedule the other day, I discovered that until well into the 1960s, Americans owned on average just one car per household, less than half the rate we see today. Although still far surpassing most of the world, the lower ratio did suggest viable transportation alternatives were widely available, and that cars were only one option.

The idea of a car shared among family members is one that is increasing lost today. Most Americans think of the car as the primary, if not only way to get around, and frequently own one car for every licensed driver in the household. Outside urban core areas we rarely consider alternatives: we drive to work, to shop, to the kids’ soccer games while complaining about traffic and the cost of gas.

Sharing a family car requires a fundamentally different mind set, one that is arguably more consistent with a sustainable future. It suggests we have structured our lives so that we can walk, bike or ride transit for many of our daily tasks. But it also leaves us with the freedom to take a trip on a whim, or load the kids up for a trip to grandma’s.

There will always be households with multiple cars, and others that can live without one, but for many, recent history suggests living with one shared car is an achievable goal. Recent trends in housing choices support the idea, suggesting that many homebuyers appreciate the social, financial and environmental benefits of living in places where shared-car living is possible.