Growing number of Americans going carless

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Bicyclists ride along Market Street earlier this month in San Francisco, where the number of cyclists has surged 71 percent between 2006 and 2011. This appears to be a nationwide trend, as nearly 10 percent of American households are carless.

Whether by choice or because of financial necessity, the number of American households without a car has doubled over the past two decades – and is now approaching 10 percent.

The impact of this trend could be significant, especially when it comes to alternative forms of transportation such as car-sharing and mass transit, according to research by CNW Marketing.

“While the recession was in large part responsible for the latest spurt, the trend was already clear,” says CNW’s research chief Art Spinella. “A growing number of Americans felt they didn’t need or want a personal car.”

According to CNW data, the number of U.S. households without a car stood at a modest 5.7 percent in 1991. That figure stayed relatively stable through the early part of the 2000s. But it has been increasing slowly since then, with a “rapid rise” beginning in 2007. By last year, the total number of carless households hit 9.3 percent...

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