When we moved to Ankeny in 2013, we had two cars, both with more than 100,000 miles on them. In the weeks before I drove this one (a 1994 Geo Prizm on a salvage title) 1000 miles (in a day!) across the mountains back to Iowa, I noticed the transmission having problems. I took it to the mechanic expecting to pay $1000 I needed for a house down payment to replace it, and wondering how we were going to manage the cost. Luckily for me, the mechanic discovered he could fix my problem with $40 and a hacksaw, and did. But throughout my time in the mountains, I lived in fear that the next one would be the repair I couldn’t make, and what would I do then?

Which is to say, I know what it’s like to stretch the lives of your paid-off cars as long as possible. And I know that you never know when that clock is finally going to be up, and whether you can replace the car when it is; It costs a lot of money every year to use and maintain even a cheap car.

If we can build a city where it’s just a little easier to not drive to every errand, to school, to work, we can not only ease up some traffic congestion, but we can also help people stretch the lives of their vehicles just a little longer, and allow them to spend that money on food, clothes, or saving up for a more reliable ride. It’s one of the reasons we bought the house we did, in a walkable and bikeable neighborhood. And it’s the reason why I think it’s important to plan for all the people, including people who can’t drive, don’t want to drive, or, today, when they need to get to work, can’t afford to drive.

We’re going to keep building roads and widening roads as we grow, but we need to make sure that’s not all we do. Life is good when you can walk to your favorite restaurant, brewery, bookstore, or school!