Bicycle City isn't just a state of mind; it's the name of a small community that's set for a ceremonial groundbreaking in December in the countryside near Columbia, South Carolina.
Drawing his inspiration from Mackinac Island, Michigan, where cars have been banned for more than 100 years, Internet entrepreneur Joe Mellett is pushing ahead with his plans for a car-free community.
The Columbian newspaper reports that Mellett will offer home lots for sale and begin building a community center with rooms for rent and a small market early next year on the 160-acre development about 15 miles south of Columbia.
Refunds
The nine 1/5-acre lots will sell for $30,000 each; owners can get a $5,000 refund by pledging to bike or walk to work. Mellett said earlier that he rode a bicycle to the Amtrak station in Columbia in about 55 minutes.
Residents who own cars must leave them at a parking lot at the edge of the development. They can walk or ride their bikes home from there. Developers already have created more than 4 miles of paths through the woods (trees larger than 4 feet in diameter can't be cut), and home sites have been staked out.
The homes must be follow guidelines of a green building program.
Car-free cities
The developers expect the community center will draw eco-tourists and further create a buzz about the community. The center will offer small bed & breakfast-style rooms for rent, a market, an organic garden and bicycles and kayaks for rent.
The community is not totally unique. Mackinac Island forbids personal motorized vehicles on the island, where people get around by walking, bicycling or riding a horse. Also, Freiburg, Germany, has a neighborhood of 5,000 residents called Vauban. It's car-free because it's paths and walkways are too narrow for cars.
1 comments
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