Re: “Elm City toughens car taxes” (Sept. 2). I would like to present another perspective: It is quite easy to live in New Haven without a car.

To start, visit www.walkscore.com and enter your address. See how many services, restaurants and other amenities are within walking distance. The Yale Shuttle is free, and locations can be viewed in real time online or on your phone. There are 19 — soon to be 23 — Zipcars on campus for use by the hour or day. Trains leave every 20 minutes during peak hours from New Haven to New York, and others go to Hartford, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington. Riding a bike gets you free parking right outside the door of your destination. A fun animated Web site called “Smart Streets” shows how to safely navigate the city of New Haven on foot or by bike.

For further insights into living car-free in New Haven, Elm City residents can take a look at the “Transportation Options” Web site, where they will find links to transit schedules and Zipcar, as well as directions to airports, stores and outdoor activities without a car: www.yale.edu/to.

Holly Parker
Sept. 4
The writer is Yale’s director of sustainable transportation systems.