Living Car-Free in Vegas & Other Questionable Life Choices | Ray Delahanty | TEDxFremontEastDistrict

Ray Delahanty focuses on cities and transportation with an eye toward sustainable, low-impact living and travel. He shares how his background as a transportation planner and project manager brought him to live a car-free life in Las Vegas. He covers why someone from one of the US' most famously forward-thinking cities in terms of transportation and land use (Portland Oregon) would move to Vegas and how the "sunk cost" of car ownership leads to unnecessary travel, fuel consumption, and emissions. He shares the challenges, successes, and abject failures of his car-free experience so far and why we must reduce internal combustion engine vehicle travel. Ray is the creator behind CityNerd, a KZbin channel that explores urbanism, transportation, and all the things that make cities unique. Every Wednesday, Ray takes viewers on a guided tour of cities at their best and worst when it comes to walking, biking, transit, livability, and sustainability, with a deadpan approach that StrongTowns.org describes as, “a hint of non-venomous, non-judgmental snark. It’s your favorite, funny, smart colleague you might Slack with a couple times a week, if you’re in the business.” The channel’s point of view is strongly influenced by Ray’s professional background in urban planning and traffic analysis. Prior to starting CityNerd in 2021, Ray’s career spanned 15 years as a planner and project manager for consulting firms & public agencies in Portland, Oregon, leading planning and design work for a diverse portfolio of projects including bus rapid transit lines, light rail station areas, central city protected bike networks, & congestion pricing studies. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@NotJustBikes]

Living car-free in Vegas. You're a braver man than I!

[@beetdiggingcougar]

I love the range between Jason in NL and Ray in Vegas. Anything is possible.

[@checkoutmyyoutubepage]

I live in Vegas too without a car.

[@firecracker3911]

Not Just Bikes! Hi❤❤

[@raymondperez5776]

I’m only liking this because Jason said it! I appreciate Not Just Bike and Mr. C.N.

[@alans.philippines]

You’re braver than me *

[@pacerdanny]

Given that you theoretically could sell out almost any stadium in the world, that audience was lucky to see you in such an intimate venue. All joking aside, if you did a live appearance in my city, I 100% would go.

[@climaterealityprojectlasve607]

I agree!!!! We had 500+ RSVPS but unfortunately, it was the worst weather day of the year. Three other major events including a full blown music festival were canceled that day. These speakers really were rockstars and pulled off presenting in some insane weather somehow making it look like everything was calm. We experienced everything from wind, heat, and even rain that day! We love Ray!

[@stinkyhumans]

This guy city nerds

[@Katherine_Tea]

citynerd gang represent

[@AidanS99]

I’m so glad that these city planning KZbinrs are gaining more traction. It makes sense that as cities grow they should try to grow in density, not sprawl.

[@Steve-tj9on]

Crawl n sprawl....

[@treycherie6236]

I used to work for the City of Las Vegas and the mayor often would speak about “growing up, not out”. I’m curious to see what it’ll look like 10-15 years from now.

[@CassieSnowLV]

Jam-packed talk, full of case studies paired with the fact that the presenter is really living the car-free/car-light life - inspiring.

[@KellyS_77]

Usually when people say “Thank you for coming to my Ted talk, they mean it as a joke. You actually did the thing! :)

[@TheCriminalViolin]

That's very on brand I feel like for Ray haha.

[@kirstenromtvedt162]

Having lived in Tokyo Japan, I long for the freedom of being able to go anywhere without gassing up, finding a parking spot and waisting my time driving. I could go drinking with friends with no worries about getting home. I've been rear-ended rear-ended rear-ended twice. I don't want to drive

[@catlerbatty]

Saw the title and thought yeah I know a guy who lives car-free in Vegas. Turns out it is CityNerd!

[@ThePantherproof]

You often think, "look how cheap it is, only 15 cents a mile for gas." But you ignore the fact that the interval between repairs, accidents, and eventual replacement gets shorter. Insurance companies might be more if you drive more. So the real cost is much higher.

[@emma70707]

Depreciation of the vehicle and opportunity cost also gets you. You might have spent that $10k on starting a new business or housing costs to live closer to work/a more interesting neighborhood.

[@trainluvr]

I drive less thanks to access to bikes and transit. My 27 year old Honda runs like new and only costs about 2 to 3 thousand a year to operate 5,000 miles.

[@jessecramer6617]

The paradox of self-imposed limits yielding liberation, and aiming for "some"--not "all"... brilliant as always sir

[@HILARI333]

Amen !!!!

[@jamespwalter13]

City Nerd ftw

[@marcjohnson2574]

Wooo!

[@aidenworth8186]

Amazing talk! We need better city planning with walking and biking in mind as our cities grow.

[@TheCriminalViolin]

Pedestrians and mass transit done right always should be a top priority!

[@guatemalantomcat]

No. I hate bikes. This country needs TRAINS TRAMS AND BUSES. Riding fully clothed and comfortably in a train/tram car full of a diverse mix of workers is more socially healthy and overall a better experience than sitting on a metal tube and dressing like an Olympic reject. I will NEVER understand the obsession with biking over good public transport.

[@deanmoriarty6015]

@@guatemalantomcat literally who ever says biking *in place* of public transit? you're fighting an imaginary argument brother

[@TheCriminalViolin]

@@deanmoriarty6015 There's actually a lot of big bike folks who push for Bike infrastructure and funding over both pedestrian and infrastructure in the US. In fact, Portland itself is infamous for that kind of bicycle crowd having a lot of say, sway and power when it comes to influencing city & transit funding and planning for the city. And a lot of these folks do in fact fit the cliches he expressed. So he likely has a lot of experience himself with it.

[@jamaly77]

​@@guatemalantomcatPeople who capitalize entire words are usually just clueless kids. And it shows. What a laughable comment.

[@thewayitgoes860]

Once you open your eyes to how much cars actually cost in both the long term and the short term, it really makes you question if it's actually worth it. I've often thought about how well Vegas could be to bike in. It feels a little bit of a missed opportunity that it's not easier than it is. Disheartening to see the same roads and highways expanded while our bike network, bus accessibility, and sidewalk quality suffers Good talk! Hope vegas as a whole thinks hard about what they want for their city and the people who live here

[@maYTeus]

most warm climate mild Sunbelt cities are flat and great to bike. The only thing holding them back is how aggressive the investment in car-only infrastructure is. written from Orlando 😢

[@dootyminnozezelochi2257]

​​@@maYTeus except in the summer lol, for most of them. Though LA, San Diego, Oakland, etc. have the PERFECT climate for year-round cycling, flat terrain in the parts where people live, and high (or at least much higher than popularly percieved) population density and proximity of trip origins and destinations, so in those places (with many millions of residents) it really is SUCH a damn shame that they're not friendly to cycling.

[@maYTeus]

@@dootyminnozezelochi2257 the mayor of Emeryville, near SF is a God send. One of the few politicians actually doing something about it. My local mayor for Orlando does nothing but lip service and PR stunts

[@Jacksparrow4986]

​@Dootyminno Zezelochi summer cycling could probably be greatly improved if cyclepaths were shaded using solar panels. While not possible for all the time, it could give the cyclists a welcome respite from the worst of the heat and produce cheap renewable electricity.

[@carstarsarstenstesenn]

@@dootyminnozezelochi2257Still better than cycling in freezing, icey, and/or wet conditions. trees are great for shade and less people driving will mean less heat in your city.

[@jbrook4526]

Love it! So happy citynerd is getting a bigger platform.

[@whazzat8015]

30 folks?

[@jbrook4526]

@@whazzat8015 Glass half empty kind of person huh? I would think it was obvious that I meant being featured on an account with 37.9M followers.

[@whazzat8015]

@@jbrook4526 There is an interesting take on TED talks from the guy who did Fresh Off the Boat. Just thought it not unusual to have such a small live audience, given the size of his site. Seats half empty, and not many of them. TED oversells itself rather bigly. Ray does a good job.

[@Steve-tj9on]

​@@whazzat8015 he's in Vegas😏..and go check out his site genius.

[@theojaquenoud419]

Keep fighting the good fight Ray. Enjoy your well deserved time in Spain after this year of Vegas you subjected yourself to!

[@I_am_anastasiia_]

Thank you so much for this talk. I'm an architect from Europe and I used to car free lifestyle as well. Lived 2 years in Las Vegas without a car and I have so much emotion about this experience. I had to buy small barbells just to walk outside, so people think I was exercising, because if you just walk people think you are insane or homeless.

[@freyak5401]

Urbanists like Ray and the countless others on this platform (though I'll admit, CityNerd is my favorite) have helped encourage me, a disabled person, drastically reduce my vehicle miles traveled. Along with all the costs and externalities associated with that, it's also really helped me finally manage to get some exercise (which can be really difficult for someone who's disabled like me and struggles to walk and lives in suburbia surrounded by stroads)

[@trainluvr]

I love awkward interactions regarding transportation choice. It boosts my self esteem.

[@heatherweiler662]

Currently car free in Tucson (since December but actually sold my car this week). It’s totally doable but finding I need more so planning a move to Chicago.

[@CityLifeinAmerica]

I love this talk. I am Car-Lite myself here in Phoenix. I don’t bike but daily, I park at a park and ride and hop on transit for the entire day to do everything I need to, until the end of the day where I head back to my car and drive home.

[@whatwherethere]

More nervous than on his channel but nice to see an urbanist out talking directly to the people.

[@andreeanasca8216]

I think he said he’s an introvert so it makes sense 😁 proud of him

[@lucasstewart3297]

I bike 95% of the time by choice. It’s been a good choice.

[@Meg_A_Byte]

Having the courage to move to Las Vegas without a car really does show how free your mind is. Great Talk, thanks!

[@checkoutmyyoutubepage]

I live in Vegas without a car too.

[@thiabrabson2533]

I am now carless😅 using my bike to get to work & grocery shop❣️ I try to make sure I’m very visible at night but I try to ride on the sidewalk as much as possible👏🏿

[@pablouribe1522]

Great to see CityNerd at TEDx! Great talk!

[@StLouis-yu9iz]

You did a great job Ray! Keep up the good work ❤

[@starrwulfe]

Did not know my hometown also watched Ray. Awesome. 👍🏾

[@servantofallah9908]

I’m a big fan of yours! You did a fantastic job. I also bike to Trader Joe’s. I would also be taken aback if I was told to drive safe lol.

[@KellyS_77]

My TJs always used to ask “Do you need help out to your car?” I would just say “no, I’m parked right there” and point at my cargo bike chained to the front railing (visible from inside the store).

[@thezombieslayer12100]

CityNerd!!!

[@alcubierrevj]

CityNerd is really taking off!

[@scottsloop1402]

Yes City nerd!!

[@sfhayesvalley]

Ray Delahanty is everywhere now, and it's great!

[@David.Marquez]

THE GOAT! This talk is just as jam packed of fun and information as the videos on his channel.

[@HILARI333]

Ray, you are a special person.... and are wonderful ! Love the DRYYYYY humor...and intelligence. I am living "car light."..in the Catskill Mountains of NY.

[@chrischampagne9469]

My boi City Nerd! Love his channel.He summed up the big picture so nicely here. I'm living car-free in Seattle and love it! Proud to be cutting my carbon emissions and saving money doing it. I love my walks. Love the bus network, the trolley buses, the light rail, the streetcars. Even the monorail is useful sometimes (something we have in common with Las Vegas.)

[@Newyorker000]

Citynerd is the best 🙏❤️

[@lolajuliet2662]

Yesss so happy for Ray! I love the CityNerd channel. Wishing the best for him

[@stan7417]

I've been watching this guy on youtube for a while and I really do hope his platform keeps growing. The economic, environmental, and social aspects to car-free living all seem better for a strong community, and i'm glad to hear passionate people who are willing to educate others on this topic.

[@treycherie6236]

Moved from Baltimore, MD to Vegas in 2021 and couldn’t stand that I pretty much couldn’t walk anywhere. I lived downtown by that place where this was filmed and that was pretty much the extent of my walking lol. Cool vibes over there though!

[@CityLifeinAmerica]

Own your house, but cars should be optional. I do feel a lot more freedom walking, taking the bus/train and doing what I want and work while moving. Infrastructure should not be catering to only cars either.

[@EricaGamet]

I am carfree in Seattle for 6 years now... and also have no desire to own a home again. Renting works for me because I get antsy living in one place too long... I'm kind of getting itchy lately but I do love Seattle so much... and I don't want to give up the sweet deal I have on my apartment. I definitely fall into that category of not caring what other people think.

[@Diego-ox7lo]

can’t believe i’m just now seeing Ray’s ted talk, love this dude

[@FromtheWindowSeat]

Love this. 👌 I can relate. I went car-free when I moved to London (easy to do there with the tube etc). But when I moved home to Adelaide, Australia (a car-centric city in a car-loving nation) I didn’t see the point in getting a car. I often get similar reactions from locals when I say I don’t have a car (people think it odd). But you really do get creative in terms of your options and I rely heavily on public transport and cycling. It’s honestly easier than people who drive, imagine. That said, I do get frustrated by the dominance of cars in the city, which makes life a bit harder / more dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians, than it would otherwise be. 🤔

[@jspihlman]

CityNerd nerd here great talk Ray!!

[@superork26]

I think it's really interesting that car ownership is the most important factor, I know a lot of people in my dense European city who own cars but hardly ever use them (which probably isn't so great either, since they take up space parking)

[@Snowshowslow]

I live in a dense European city too with quite a few friends who don't love cars but do own one and they definitely use their cars a lot more than we (car free people) use shared cars etc. Certain trips are just easier when you've got the metal box parked out front and when it's raining it's just so tempting. So they definitely don't do everything by car, but the threshold for them is SO much lower that it still makes them drive loads more than we do (and conversely, not owning one makes us choose other options more than it does them).

[@bullydungeon9631]

The awkward interactions with family when I show up to stuff by foot is probably the hardest part

[@checkoutmyyoutubepage]

At least you’re not driving around to find parking.

[@davidpomerantz]

Not Just Bikes Sent me

[@roberts1677]

City Nerd has a name!

[@yeijiscott6936]

I have been car-free in Las Vegas since 2013. I own five businesses in central-west and south west vegas with over 30 employees. It can be done. But it is really hard work to get others to buy in to this lifestyle. The common answer is “public transit sucks here”. My response is always, “when was the last time you ever rode RTC?” 🦗 🦗. I truly enjoy riding and can only see it getting better. Widening roads and inducing traffic is so antiquated thinking. Also hope the Boring concept works and eventually goes fully automated.

[@checkoutmyyoutubepage]

Vegas local here. I always take the bus too.

[@guym6093]

RAY HAS MADE IT!!! He has a TEDx video!

[@user-kc4db3bi5b]

This is a great talk, but indeed, the real issue is how we design our cities. At the moment we're clearly focused on the needs of cars. We think our cars serve us, but in fact we exist to serve our cars. In terms of what our cities could look like if we focused instead on people and nature, the possibilities are amazing. I describe them in my own TEDx talk on Imagining a car-free city (across the world in Dhaka, Bangladesh, but the issues are actually similar to those in Vegas and elsewhere in the US, where I'm originally from).

[@simsley5501]

“All is a lot to manage” yes yes yes!!!! As someone who deals with mental disabilities that make it hard for me to keep on top of things, one of the main reasons why i dont want a car is because it would be wayyyy to much for me to keep on top of. Like, it’s one thing for me to struggle with managing medical appointments or getting my hair cut regularly or doing my laundry every week - that only affects me and my personal health - but to add on a car that if i don’t get maintenance/oil changes/etc. done regularly and/or when needed, it could potentially fall apart in the middle of the highway and kill/hurt tons of people? No thank you, let me stick to struggling to maintain myself and that’s it!

[@KurtHalfyard]

I really enjoyed you in 'stage form' and on your feet in this rather different forum from CityNerd. Keep up the fine work.

[@leagueofotters2774]

Living car free is so much easier these days than it was even 10 years ago. You can get literally anything delivered including your car trip to where ever you would go if you owned a car.....

[@cheyenne1820]

I love this man

[@FalconsEye58094]

Vegas really should have a good transit system, in a party city with a lot of drinking there must be a problem with DWI

[@checkoutmyyoutubepage]

The Taxi lobby made sure that didn’t happen.

[@pavlo_koliadenko]

You are gold, Ray! Thank you for what you are doing.

[@Benjamin.Jamin.]

Car ownership is of course the main factor. Becuase if you don't have one, you can't use it. Fine. But the link is more complex, car ownership is higher in NL, DK and i think CH than UK for e.g. but car *use* is lower. So alternatives, density and good planning are big factors too.

[@SymphoniasStories]

I enjoy Ray's channel on YT. I've learned a lot from his channel and others like it.

[@nopunts9947]

Self imposed constrains is liberating is brilliantly said. I’ve noticed this being true in many aspects of my live as it drives adaptation and improvising which is very rewarding.

[@sebastianjoseph2828]

Great video, I like how it's similar to an earlier couple videos of yours CityNerd but with a couple more points. Much respect to you for trying out car-lite living in a tough place for it, it's been encouraging!

[@brbertram]

A talk everyone should hear.

[@ulubulu_]

This inspired me to try to live car free in Kansas City (not vegas, but also not the most bike friendly town around)

[@jdsfrisco]

I find there are many different kinds of suburbs. Some are more bike and pedestrian friendly than others. As a rule, the older the better. But it's still easier to move than to try and live in a place that mandates car ownership.

[@user-xs5dp4gw8e]

Personal radius, car total cost of ownership, Vegas alternative routes, lots of great points. CityNerd walking the talk! 16:58

[@definitelynotacrab7651]

Give you a lot of credit for doing this talk, you did great!

[@xXpupperzXxx]

Ayyy citynerd!

[@Jacksparrow4986]

Great talk! I don't know everything about the us specifics, but in germany I've come across snarky comments like "oh you'll get a car once you have family". Now I have two kids (and a fancy cargo bike) and my car sharing/rental/parents car usage is extremely limited, basically visiting grandparents when staying with my parents and an oddball trip every few years. My wife is even thinking about taking some driving lessons as she never had enough practice after getting her license.

[@Snowshowslow]

Very relatable :) We're expecting our first and looking into which cargo bike would be best for us. There are of course things that I just don't tend to do, like go to specific adventure parks or zoos that you can basically only get to by car. We aren't going to rent one to go there, we'll just choose some other option. But that's a trade-off I can easily live with :)

[@Running4Daze]

Team CityNerd in the house :) great talk/presentation Ray!

[@knutthompson7879]

Perhaps the most charismatic public figure of our age! And while I am being cheeky, I really enjoy CityNerd and honestly am at least as awkward. Only love from me.

[@vegas_mapletrees]

As someone from Vegas, thank you for making this ted talk ! I love your videos and coverage of how bad car dependency is and how bad relatively recent if not most North American cities are designed, and it's really a great moving the spotlight to this huge issue of not having other alternatives because of how little public transport is designed and funded. As you probably wish, I wish more people were car-free and there were other alternatives, as it would even benefit people who love cars, since there would be less people on the road and less traffic for them.

[@brianalaborious5630]

I knew it was CityNerd once I heard no car in Vegas 😊

[@lvrinvn3080]

the GOAT

[@rwrunning1813]

15:20 Or... You could look around! Or even focus on a conversation with somebody. Many possibilities for what you can do when you're not putting your full attention into safely piloting a two-ton machine.

[@TD05SSLegacy]

Nice work! You are genuine and funny.

[@thetimelapseguy8]

Great talk

[@QuesoCookies]

I think this talk could have benefitted from illustrating the ways cars can car-dependent infrastructure make you and others less free, rather than more, because I bet you Ted Talk attendees are probably in a socioeconomic class that car ownership is a given and they've only ever thought about bus use as a slower travel method, not one that people poorer than they are depend on and that anyone who cannot afford a car can become literally stranded in a suburb that is too far away from resources to walk or bike from, especially in Nevada heat, and who must own a car just to be able to buy food. Cars are also very unfree to move about amid other cars, so traffic reduction from more people taking the bus is actually what can make buses faster and more convenient to travel by, and that demand for buses creates more frequent and comprehensive bus routes, which eliminates the issue of being subject to other people's schedules. If there's a bus every 5-10 minutes, you never have to worry about missing one or even checking the schedule. Everyone is free to go anywhere at any time with comprehensive mass transit, and any of the arguments for the freedom and autonomy of movement that cars provide no longer hold up, and is, actually, improved compared to car dependence, thanks to reduced traffic and traffic-causing infrastructure. That's on top of, of course, all the freedom having more money by not owning a vehicle can provide. You're not only more free to go out whenever and wherever you want, you also have the ability to choose to go out because you have more spending money, which can be spent locally to support your home economies rather than going into the pockets of foreign car manufacturers. And in that way, even the country is more free not to depend on foreign countries to supply all the cars that are needed for everyone to drive everywhere, and can spend more on domestic projects other than road creation and maintenance.

[@shaunhall960]

7 years ago I switched to riding a bike. The amount of money I've saved has been amazing. Getting through the pandemic and now with inflation it's a lot easier to deal with expenses. Never going back.

[@jillengel4124]

I switched to car free three years ago and can’t believe the cost savings. My lifestyle hasn’t really been impacted by not owning a car either.

[@shaunhall960]

@@jillengel4124 Nice!

[@dark_winter8238]

Wish I felt safe enough to do it in the winter, but I don't trust drivers with snow and ice on the road.

[@BelleResells]

this is my first time hearing the term urbanist, i've been car free for 7 years

[@thomas_delaney]

Go Ray!! I love your videos - so glad this was recommended to me!

[@g.s.3450]

Excellent video! I loved your statements ‘setting your own limitations is liberating’ and ‘having it all is overrated’. There are trade offs from being car-free or car-lite. I live in the Phoenix metro area which is much like Henderson. Thank you for your experience based talk.

[@GirtonOramsay]

Big fan of the channel too! Growing up without a car in Orlando, I also have a morbid fascination with trying to live car free in car-infested hellscapes like Vegas. Especially considering that I've found out the good urbanism in the last few years. Luckily, I have enjoyed my life in college towns for the last decade.

[@weirdfish1216]

amazing talk!

[@mmmBryan]

Awesome to open up KZbin to today. Nice job Ray!!

[@johanna7254]

Love Ray's channel, lots of great info and he's also got the perfect amount of dry wit.

[@ommy7672]

City nerd!!!

[@christopherbaby3842]

What an amazing talk!

[@kevintodaro8501]

Way to go Ray! Big City Nerd fan 💚

[@YoJesusMorales]

I never really thought of his name, Ray, he doesn't seem like a Ray kind of guy,

[@OcaOca]

Wow it's great to see you do something like this

[@ethanrobinson6016]

Love your work CityChad...

[@TristouMTL]

Go CityNerd go!

[@LiveInLove33]

We're freer with more transportation options than we are when we're forced to pay hundreds per month for an isolating, dangerous metal box. Attaboy, CityNerd. Keep fighting that good fight!

[@annwhalen2076]

Excellent points!

[@emmar9104]

thank you for your service!

[@vamosatleti8415]

This is awesome!

[@redknightsr69]

I love this guy!

[@MichaelTrainorTheBestUrlEver]

Really exploring those different backgrounds.

[@solk.posner7201]

Awesome talk

[@kitchencarvings4621]

I love riding my bike for transportation and to run errands and I live in a very rural area. Fortunately, I work from home so I can, with some planning, ride my bike instead of taking my truck. I don't do it because I want to save the planet but because it is good for me and brings me joy and insane health benefits. If it is good for the environment that's a bonus but my main reason is my own good.

[@sevenflashowls]

Great job!

[@mcc.o.4835]

Great talk! 👏