A small town in Michigan may be the last original car-free bastion in the United States.
In the 19th century, Mackinac Island banned "horseless carriages" — aka automobiles — because of their potential to scare the horses of carriage men. It has been without cars since July 6, 1898, and is home to the country's only vehicle-free state highway.
"The lack of motor vehicles on Mackinac Island has given the place a special character that makes it truly feel like a vacation escape," according to the town website. "Visiting Mackinac Island is an opportunity to leave your fast-paced life at the ferry dock for a few days and slow down to clip-clop speed for a much-deserved breather."
Emergency vehicles and utility trucks are allowed on the Lake Huron island, home to 1,025 people in 2021. Golf carts (on golf courses) and snowmobiles (in winter) are used as well, but transportation is powered by horses and bicycles.
Fort Mackinac, Mackinac Island State Park — established in 1895, it was then the country's second national park after Yellowstone — and some famous fudge attract one million visitors to the island each year. The state park makes up over 80% of the island, and it takes 8.2 miles to navigate its perimeter.
While Mackinac Island is a throwback, other locales are spurring renewed interest in similar lifestyles. Tempe, Arizona, has a relatively sizable car-free neighborhood, while Wales recently banned new road projects. The latter move was to reduce pollution, as transportation accounts for an outsize portion of the planet-warming gases that envelop Earth and promote rising temperatures — 29% in the U.S.
But that's not the only reason for cities to ditch gas-powered transit, particularly of the car variety. Walking improves your health, of course, and highly walkable neighborhoods are also good for business and improve home values.
Mackinac Island has earned plenty of accolades for its long-held stance, and Mary McGuire Sleven, former executive director of the tourism bureau, told TriplePundit in 2013 that bikes especially had permeated the island's "way of life."
"They are like a part of our bodies; we don't even think about it," she said.
"When I see a tourist go out for a bike ride around the circumference of the island, you can just tell the difference when they come pedaling back into town — they are more relaxed and have a big smile on their face."
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