Sammamish council member finds joy in his car-free lifestyle

With most residents being well outside of walking distance to amenities and services, limited public transit, and minimal bike lanes, Sammamish is considered a car-dependent city by WalkScore.com, the database used by the likes of Zillow to score cities’ walkability. But Councilmember Sid Gupta has managed to enjoy a car-free lifestyle in Sammamish since 2010.

Gupta almost exclusively gets around by bike. When biking is not feasible, he walks, buses, or carpools. While he admits that living car-free is not easy, Gupta is committed to doing his part for the environment. 

“The climate has always been important to me. I know [biking] is more sustainable. I also want to acknowledge outright, it is less practical, it is less convenient not to have a car, especially in a place like Sammamish,” said Gupta.

Gupta admits that life without a car has its challenges. One of his biggest challenges is traveling long distances—finding optimal bus routes can be difficult, and biking and busing can both take significantly longer than driving. What might take an hour by car could take him multiple hours each way.

“If there’s a meeting in Redmond or in Seattle, I have to plan my day around that a lot more than if I had a car,” said Gupta.

Still, for Gupta, the extra time and effort are worth it. Though, he recognizes the advantages that enable him to live car-free. He does not have children to transport to activities, he often has the option to work remotely, and he has friends, coworkers, and family who can carpool. Plus, his work as a council member and volunteer is mostly within Sammamish or very close-by, keeping his commutes simple.

Gupta has not kept his 14-and-counting-year commitment on environmental passion alone. He has been able to sustain his efforts in part because he truly enjoys his alternative transportation lifestyle.

“If I do have the option to ride my bike I do try to take it, especially with the East Lake Sammamish Trail open now. If I have meetings in Redmond, I actually kind of look forward to those because that’s an opportunity to ride that beautiful trail,” said Gupta.

While not everyone has the option to live fully car-free, Gupta is optimistic that many could incrementally reduce their use of gas-powered cars and make a collective difference. For anyone interested in reducing their car dependency, Gupta recommends starting small and focusing on parts of the car-free lifestyle they enjoy.

“If you like walking, walk. You don’t have to ride a bike; if you like running, run. Personally, I cannot stand running. Do whatever works for you,” said Gupta.

Overall, Gupta hopes to inspire people to do what works best for them while finding ways to help the environment.

“Just one trip that you make a week, that makes a difference. If everybody does that, suddenly that’s a big collective change,” said Gupta.