There are so many benefits to taking more car-free trips that we only have time to scratch the surface on how great it can be.
Improve Health & Wellness
Choosing to walk, bike or ride public transit, instead of driving, can reduce stress and improve mental health.
Save Time & Money
A household can save nearly $10,000 by taking alternative transit and living with one less car.
Build a Sustainable Future
Transportation has become the number one source of carbon pollution in the U.S. Emissions from cars and trucks contribute to elevated levels of greenhouse gases that can affect our climate and harm our planet. Research shows that choosing a car-free lifestyle is the most impactful action we can take to combat climate change as an individual.
Benefit the Community
Studies show that walkers and bike riders spend more time shopping at local businesses.
Businesses are also looking for reliable transit options to attract and retain employees.
Neighborhoods with public transportation have increased property value.
More choice riders using public transit can lead to improvements that will benefit all riders.
As part of the Car-Free St. Pete Committee, our members:
Together, we plan to work towards our mission & vision:
Mission: To inspire the St. Pete community and its leaders through education, events, advocacy and planning to make thoughtful, equitable transportation choices. We strive to reduce the impacts of driving and enable more fully car-free lifestyles resulting in better sense of place, healthier individuals, safer streets, a cleaner environment and a stronger economy.
Vision: Fewer car trips due to more viable alternative transportation options as well as improved streets and open spaces to enhance the experience of residents and visitors that choose to walk, bike, use transit, and safe forms of micro-mobility.
Let’s meet our current Car-Free St. Pete Committee Members!
Haley Busch is the Outreach Director for 1000 Friends of Florida, a statewide smart growth nonprofit. She joined the Car-Free St. Pete Committee because as people continue to move to St. Pete, she wants to help shape the future of our growing city by demonstrating how to move about our community without reliance on their car. She is particularly interested in raising the profile of the PSTA system and helping to mainstream bus ridership culture.
Korie Mulholland is passionate about ensuring that there are safe, affordable, efficient ways to travel throughout Pinellas County. She works as a teacher and private tutor and lives in Gulfport with her husband and two kids. She is eager to help families learn about all the transportation options in our area and equipping kids to get around safely.
Christine McCann is a Medical Behavioral Assistant at James B. Sanderlin K-8 IB World School and the secretary of the Palmetto Park Neighborhood Association. She organizes a Bike & Roll to School Day every month with her husband. She joined the Car-Free St. Pete Committee because she feels strongly about all the benefits of a car-free lifestyle, including safer streets, cleaner environment, strong community, health & wellness, and equitability for all people.
Kristen Ehrlich, Esq., LL.M. is a tax attorney specializing in corporate law. She serves as a St Petersburg representative on Forward Pinellas Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee and is actively engaged in community efforts to revitalize south St Pete. Kristen joined Car Free St Pete in order to support the notion that walking and cycling on our city streets should feel as safe and effortless as jumping into a car to get around.
Sheila Halley joined the Car-Free St. Pete Committee because as a Pinellas County School teacher with UPass benefits, she has fallen in love with using public transportation and wants to encourage other downtown residents to use public transit as opposed to driving to the other side of downtown, especially as the SunRunner bus route starts.
Toby has been an active BPAC committee member since November 2022 and a dedicated volunteer for various transportation-related events in St. Petersburg. While studying geography at the University of South Florida, he interned with Car-Free St. Pete in spring 2023 and has continued volunteering ever since, participating in events like Halloween on Central, Localtopia, and the Baycation series in Tampa.
Saumitra Chandratreya is a local visual artist who works and volunteers at the Second Saturday Art Walk and was a part of the inaugural World Café St. Petersburg Community. He joined the Car-Free St. Pete Committee because as an urban dweller and a resident of St. Pete, he can be of help through volunteer opportunities and engage with the transportation agencies for the city and the Tampa Bay metropolitan area. He wants to engage the art community with the efforts of Car Free St. Pete and create more awareness about going car free for art events in the city. He looks forward to voicing his concerns and analyzing solutions for the sustainable growth of the city.
Lara Wojahn serves as the Chief Compliance Officer at Dominion Blockchain Solutions as well as a tax reviewer at CliftonLarsonAllen. She also actively participates in the St Pete Bicycle Club. Passionate about advocacy, she aims to shift St Pete away from car dependency and work with decision-makers to create safer, more bike-friendly infrastructure while on the Car-Free St. Pete Committee.
Alfonso Hernandez is the Social Media Manager for Car-Free St. Pete. A passionate advocate for public transportation and sustainable travel options, he discovered Car-Free St. Pete shortly after moving to the city. He bikes to work as a baker of Pete’s Bagels every day as it is his main method of transportation.
Domenico Pontoriero believes that alternative transportation options are vital to a thriving community. He is committed to making more transportation options available and accessible to the general public, to create a more valuable, equitable, and livable Saint Pete. He is currently active in his neighborhood association and previously completed graduate work in transportation planning at USF.
Brian Stevens is a new resident to St. Pete, moving here in September 2020, and works in private investment management. He joined the Car-Free St. Pete Committee to continue his 15 years of volunteer work in support of transit, smart urban development and making cities walkable. He loves that St Pete embraces forward thinking planning and is eager to help build a vision for a stronger pedestrian friendly footprint.
Watch how people in our community are choosing to go car-free.
Receive updates on upcoming Car-Free St. Pete events & initiatives.
You can go car-free to these downtown St. Pete events!
