There are so many benefits to taking more car-free trips that we only have time to scratch the surface on how great it can be.
Improve Health & Wellness
Choosing to walk, bike or ride public transit, instead of driving, can reduce stress and improve mental health.
Save Time & Money
A household can save nearly $10,000 by taking alternative transit and living with one less car.
Build a Sustainable Future
Transportation has become the number one source of carbon pollution in the U.S. Emissions from cars and trucks contribute to elevated levels of greenhouse gases that can affect our climate and harm our planet. Research shows that choosing a car-free lifestyle is the most impactful action we can take to combat climate change as an individual.
Benefit the Community
Studies show that walkers and bike riders spend more time shopping at local businesses.
Businesses are also looking for reliable transit options to attract and retain employees.
Neighborhoods with public transportation have increased property value.
More choice riders using public transit can lead to improvements that will benefit all riders.
Say hello to our very first Car-Free St. Pete Committee! As part of the Car-Free St. Pete Committee, our members:
Together, we plan to work towards our mission & vision:
Mission: To inspire the St. Pete community and its leaders through education, events, advocacy and planning to make thoughtful, equitable transportation choices to reduce the impact of driving alone and enable more fully car-free lifestyles resulting in better sense of place, healthier individuals, safer streets, a cleaner environment and a stronger economy.
Vision: Fewer car trips due to more viable alternative transportation options as well as improved streets and open spaces to enhance the experience of residents and visitors that choose to walk, bike, use transit, and safe forms of micro-mobility.
Let’s meet our 2021 Car-Free St. Pete Committee Members!
Aron Bryce is a Community Activist studying Public Policy at St. Petersburg College. He is heavily involved in a variety of community service and civic engagement organizations, and joined Car-Free St. Pete to advance transportation and sustainability policy.
Johnny V. Boykins, M.A., N.P., CHSS, is active in local politics & education when he is not being the Director of Operations in Florida for PalAmerican Security. He joined the Car-Free St. Pete Committee because he believes that by creating a more car-free community, we can drastically improve impacts of climate change.
Michael Huston, AIA, LEED-AP, is an urban designer and architect for Civic Plan Studio on Central Avenue and writer for his blog The Empirical City. He joined the Car-Free St. Pete Committee because he is a passionate advocate for alternative transportation and human-centric urban planning.
Donna O’Quinn is a local who spends her time volunteering at the Museum of Fine Arts and in February, Localtopia, when she is not busy doing software support from home. She joined the Car-Free St. Pete committee because she wanted to learn more about car-free options (as a visually impaired person), be a voice for potential expansion in St Pete, and engage the community in education.
Bryan Casañas-Scarsella is the Legislative Aide to District 6 Council Member Gina Driscoll for the City of St. Petersburg as well as the President of St. Pete Heights Neighborhood Association. He joined the Car-Free St. Pete Committee because he thinks he has valuable insight that will help us to push the envelope when it comes to transit.
William Kilgore is the organizer of the St. Petersburg Tenants Union, a group dedicated to standing against gentrification, skyrocketing rent prices and negligent landlords here in St. Pete, FL. As someone who hasn’t owned a car in over a decade, William joined the Car-Free St. Pete Committee to share his perspective on the issue of alternative transportation as someone who deals with it firsthand here in St. Pete to ensure better options for low income earners who don’t own cars.
Saumitra Chandratreya is a local visual artist who works and volunteers at the Second Saturday Art Walk and was a part of the inaugural World Café St. Petersburg Community. He joined the Car-Free St. Pete Committee because as an urban dweller and a resident of St. Pete, he can be of help through volunteer opportunities and engage with the transportation agencies for the city and the Tampa Bay metropolitan area. He wants to engage the art community with the efforts of Car Free St. Pete and create more awareness about going car free for art events in the city. He looks forward to voicing his concerns and analyzing solutions for the sustainable growth of the city.
Megan Basnett is the Vice President of the Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA) in St. Pete, as well as a member of the Complete Streets Committee and CONA Multi-modal Transportation Committee. She joined the Car-Free St. Pete Committee because after living in Northampton, England; Portland, OR and Washington, DC, she experienced the car-free lifestyle and wants to bring awareness to our communities car-centric habits as well as highlight an understanding that car-free options benefit people who choose a private car lifestyle, as well.
Jeff Schorr is the owner of Craftsman House Gallery and Truffula Eco Boutique. Truffula features earth-friendly products including sustainable clothing, vegan footwear and accessories, backpacks, upcycled jewelry, and more! He joined the Car-Free St. Pete Committee because he personally gave up his car over 6 years ago and would like to see more people use alternate means of transportation to reduce stress on the environment as well as create more friendly and less crowded streets.
Marcel Gruber is the owner of the 5th St Apartments, Crescent House, and co-owner of the newly opened Par Bar. He joined the Car-Free St. Pete Committee because as a local business owner and resident, he understands the need for vehicular traffic for small business to be successful, but also believes there is a much more functional path to making the streets safer through a reduction in commuter vehicular traffic in commercial corridors.
Sheila Halley is a high school special education and algebra teacher that volunteers with Preserve the ‘Burg in her free time. She joined the Car-Free St. Pete Committee because as a Pinellas County School teacher with UPass benefits, she has fallen in love with using public transportation and wants to encourage other downtown residents to use public transit as opposed to driving to the other side of downtown, especially as the SunRunner bus route starts.
Shaquille Lashley is a realtor at Barkett Realty as well as a Downtown Partnership Member, Chamber of Commerce Member, and Historic Uptown Neighborhood Association Board Member. He joined the Car-Free St. Pete Committee because he would like to create a safe and inclusive St Petersburg, which includes improving our poor infrastructure to prevent pedestrian deaths.
Domenico Pontoriero believes that alternative transportation options are vital to a thriving community. He is committed to making more transportation options available and accessible to the general public, to create a more valuable, equitable, and livable Saint Pete. He is currently active in his neighborhood association and previously completed graduate work in transportation planning at USF.
Brian Stevens is a new resident to St. Pete, moving here in September 2020, and works in private investment management. He joined the Car-Free St. Pete Committee to continue his 15 years of volunteer work in support of transit, smart urban development and making cities walkable. He loves that St Pete embraces forward thinking planning and is eager to help build a vision for a stronger pedestrian friendly footprint.
Haley Busch is the Outreach Director for 1000 Friends of Florida, a statewide smart growth nonprofit. She joined the Car-Free St. Pete Committee because as people continue to move to St. Pete, she wants to help shape the future of our growing city by demonstrating how to move about our community without reliance on their car. She is particularly interested in raising the profile of the PSTA system and helping to mainstream bus ridership culture.
Watch how people in our community are choosing to go car-free.
Receive updates on upcoming Car-Free St. Pete events & initiatives.
You can go car-free to these downtown St. Pete events!
