Thursday, October 10, 2013

Mackinac Island US - A City Without Cars

In Mackinac Island, US, cars have been banned since 1898. Located just offshore of mainland Michigan, in Lake Huron, Mackinac Island and its namesake city have long been a favourite spot for a relaxing getaway.

When automobiles first began to arrive, moving along the island's once-quiet roadways, startling horses and spitting out smoke, it became clear to locals that this new invention was not for them. In 1898, the Mackinac village coucil moved to outlaw the automobile before the monsters had a chane to take over.

Although the small island is home to only around 500 people, in the summur, that number swells to 15,000 as tourist flock to the island. However, aside from a couple of emergency vehicles, there's never a car to be seen. Transportation on Mackinac is limited to walking, horse-drawn carriages, and bycycling,

Getting around on the island is very easy and people here save a lot of money which would otherwise be spent on cars. Mackinac is home to the nation's only careless highway, the M-185, offering easy access to its coastline, uncluttered by parking lots or gas stations.

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