What if you parked your car for an entire month, and didn’t look back? That’s precisely what more than 170 volunteers did in Uber’s One Less Car Challenge, a bold experiment across seven cities in the U.S. and Canada. The idea was simple: give up your personal car for four weeks, rely on other modes of transport, and see what happens. The goal? To explore what it takes to live a car-light lifestyle, one that’s cheaper, cleaner, and better for city life, and to uncover the barriers that still get in the way.
Can you live without your car? The answer is: yes, mostly.
Participants slashed their personal car use by an incredible 97% during the challenge. Many found that combining public transport, walking, biking, carpooling, and ride-hailing could meet nearly all of their daily travel needs. By the end, 20% said they were ready to give up their car for good, while 3 in 4 planned to drive less and use other options more often.
The magic number is four.
Like a similar trial in Australia, this study confirmed that people need reliable access to four solid alternatives to realistically ditch their car: public transit, walking, carpooling, and ride-hailing. Public transit, walking, and carpooling each replaced about one in four trips, with on-demand car service filling in specific gaps, such as late nights, heavy bags, or trips to areas with limited transit options.
But going car-light isn’t always a smooth ride.
The first two weeks were tough for many. Some participants missed the flexibility and spontaneity of being able to hop into their car. Others encountered the harsh reality of patchy or poor infrastructure, including missing sidewalks, disconnected bike lanes, and bus stops without shelter. These frustrations highlight why many people still hesitate to make the switch.
Unexpected perks: more than just saving gas.
Participants didn’t just survive without their cars; they often thrived. They avoided traffic, skipped the stress of parking, and discovered new local spots they’d never visited before. Many also reported feeling healthier, more energetic, and more socially connected. One participant even said they started chatting more with neighbors they’d never noticed while driving.
Rethinking the “one person, one car” mindset
With over 230 million cars on U.S. roads today, Uber’s challenge offers a glimpse into a more sustainable and people-friendly future. If cities can support a stronger mix of transport options and remove the friction that keeps people tethered to their cars, more of us might find that we don’t need to drive nearly as much as we thought. Car-light living isn’t about giving up freedom; it’s about finding smarter, healthier, and more connected ways to move.
The report ends with a clear message: reducing car dependence is possible, but it requires cities and transport providers to meet people halfway. That means offering more reliable and convenient alternatives, making them easier to combine and access, and rethinking policies that make car ownership the default. For those essential trips where a car is still needed, there should be flexible, shared options available.
In short, the path to a car-light future is not just about getting people out of cars; it’s about giving them better choices.
Source: Uber