Several factors make a city easy to live in without a car. The most important one is a widely available and efficient public transportation system. Another is having daily amenities, such as groceries, shopping, schools and entertainment, nearby and within easy reach on foot or by bicycling. The best cities have both features.
Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton
Transit coverage: 83.5% (13th highest)
Service frequency (minutes): 7.4 (8th lowest)
Jobs reachable in 90 minutes: 39.9% (16th highest)
Walk score: 66.3 (13th highest)
Commuters who bike: 2.23% (2nd highest)
Portland is such a good place for people to live without a car due to both its public transit system and the ease of walking and biking around the city. The metropolitan area is served by TriMet, which in addition to other services offers a Free Rail Zone — a region that includes most of downtown Portland and where light rail and streetcar rides are always free. The city has a number of benefits for bike riders, including designated bike-only areas at traffic signals and free bike lights. It has the second highest rate of commuters who ride bikes to work in the country.
Read more: The Best Cities to Live in Car Free
