The invention of the automobile revolutionized the way humans traveled from place to place in the 20th century, but now since we have entered the 21st century, people are beginning to question why we implement the automobile so much into our lives. The automobile should not be so interconnected within our lives, in fact, limiting it's usage would have many advantages. These advantages include cutting down on our carbon footprint, and reducing the amount of stress and congestion within our streets.

Restricting the usage of the automobile can benefit the enviroment immensly. After all, transportation is the second largest source of pollution in the US, so restricting automobiles can severly reduce the impact of carbon emissions on our enviroment (Rosenthal). If we don't take action now, and start cracking down on pollution from carbon emissions, our cities will develop smog problems similar to what Beijing experiences, which is one of the most polluted cities in the world (Duffer). Fortunetly for Paris, a week of partial driving bans helped clear the five days of near-record pollution it was experiencing, and it helped it return to normal (Duffer). If five days of reducing the number of drivers by half manages to clear the smog from Paris, it's possible to delay or even halt the risng of global warming across the planet if the globe decides to enact restrictions on car usage. Therefore, restricting car usage could have inumerable benefits for our enviroment.

Another advantage of restricting car usage would be a reduction in the amount of stress and congestion crowding our city streets. For instance, when Paris enacted the weeklong half ban on automobile usage, congestion was down 60% in the city's streets (Duffer). Another instance of a city banning automobiles is Bogota, Columbia, which bans cars one day a year. The goal is intended to promote alternative transportation in the city, and this leaves the "streets of this capital city eeirly devoid of traffic Jams" (Selsky). Many citizens enjoy this day, and resident Carlos Arturo Plaza described the day as "a good opportunity to take away stress and lower air pollution" (selsky). A city called Vauban in Germany are pioneering a new type community where no cars are permitted within the city, and the only area they are permitted are the outskirts of the city. This orientation benefits the residents by elimating most of the noise and stress of car engines running, and instead replacing them with the swish of bicycles and the chatter of wandering children (Rosenthal). A resident of the pioneer city, Heidrun Walter, said "When I had a car I was always tense. I'm much happier this way" (Rosenthal). Therefore, limiting car usage collosally reduces the pandomonium and congestion we experience everyday in our lives due to automobiles.

All in all, restricting car usage poses numerous advantages for everyone. The advantages include reducing our impact on the enviroment by cutting down carbon emissions, as well as decreasing the amount of stress and congestion found in our city streets.