I started this blog in 2015, which seems like a thousand years ago now. Barack Obama was still president, the United Kingdom was still a member of the European Union, and the Cubs were still lovable losers. I had not yet been to Bulgaria or dismasted a sailboat. And of course, COVID-19 had not yet swept the planet.

The premise of the blog was that we don’t all have to own cars, even in rural places like Maine, where I live; and that our communities and our world will be better off if we curb the proliferation of motor vehicles.

During the past ten months I’ve had time to give this some thought. Perhaps, in this contentious time, it’s not a bad idea for us to revisit the premises of our convictions, whatever they may be, and re-evaluate them, in light of changed circumstances.

I’ve written on many topics in this blog, but it’s usually related to cars, and the liberation of not owning one. Before I decided to go car-free for a year in 2007, I wasn’t sure it could be done, at least not in Maine. Regular readers will recognize the story: one year became fourteen, and the financial and lifestyle benefits have been substantial. 

As I’ve made clear from the beginning, renouncing car ownership does not mean renouncing cars. I still drive; my license is current, and I live with a woman who owns a car. I’m not now and never have been a purist. Purists are boring.

Unfortunately, this idea of purity has infected our political discourse as surely as COVID-19 has disrupted our lives. I distrust true believers of any stripe. This goes for the “woke” left as well as the Trumper cultists. Can’t we just be reasonable? My great-great grandfather was known for his ability to see all sides of an argument. His political opponents saw this as weakness. But it is not weak to change an opinion in the face of compelling evidence or new criteria.

Public Transportation, especially local and regional bus systems, has taken a huge hit from COVID-19, and may take years to recover. Count me as one of the regular passengers on the Community Connector who has avoided the bus since the start of the pandemic. I only take it if I have to. Bus service is always a hard sell in this part of the world. At least we got the Pickering Square bus depot through, and when we’re all vaccinated I’ll be using it enthusiastically. But I’m afraid the virus has, fairly or not, given people another reason to shun public buses and vote against more funding for them.

I won’t be grocery shopping by bus any time soon, and neither would most people who have a car parked in the driveway. I’m more sympathetic than I used to be about the availability of parking, but I still think free parking incentivizes driving over the alternatives. The entire population pays for much of our car infrastructure, whether we own cars or not. More of that money needs to be put toward bicycles, buses, trains, and pedestrian-oriented town centers.

Still, the car was there during the pandemic in a way that public transportation wasn’t, and because of that, it’s harder to make the case to car owners that some of them should try alternatives. But bicycling may have actually seen a boost. You can social distance on a bicycle, and use it to do light errands over short distances. You can also get out and walk, as many have rediscovered during these long months of limited entertainment options.

What will happen when the pandemic is finally under control? Will we go back to our commuter-happy lives? I am one of the lucky Americans with a job that can be done remotely, though I miss the live interaction of the classroom and the crowds crossing the campus on their way to live classes with live discussions. Many of my friends and neighbors are not so fortunate. It’s been a bleak time for performers, and for anyone else whose livelihood depends on public interaction.

It’s heresy, I know, but there have been times this year when I have considered buying a car. So far I’ve managed to talk myself out of it. It’s far cheaper, if you live in Bangor with no children and no long-distance commute, to rent a car when you need one instead of keeping one parked in the driveway. A less car-centric economy would help more people save money and reduce their carbon footprint. 

Earth is a single ecosystem, and humanity a single species. We do need to act locally and think globally. If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that we all need to take care of one another. The person next to you on the bus or in the store could have a communicable disease. Doesn’t it make sense to insure that everyone, regardless of means, has access to immediate, effective health care? It’s time for opponents of universal health care to change their minds on this one.

So that’s it for 2020. In the first weeks of the New Year I’ll be restructuring this blog and website, updating links and settings that I barely understand, and trying to keep the whole thing afloat in the soupy sea of social media. I can’t say when I’ll post next, but I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read Slower Traffic over the past five-plus years, and I hope you’ll continue to read and share and comment. Be safe out there, and treat others with respect, especially if you disagree with them. See you on the other side.