Aufa Johnson Joe From Malaysia
April 2013

Hey. My name is Aufa and I live in thia small country called Malaysia. If you NEVER heard of it, its okay, i don't blame you. When i first find out about Stana's ATP i was excited to ride a bicycle or walk to school. But as usual, my mom won't give me her permission. She said i was "Too young" . Okay, maybe i was since i was only 11. I tried and brag her about it every. single. month. Now, finally (Im 14 now), she gave me her permission. Mom will always be mom, so she gave me one condition if I want to do ATP. She said that i need to bring one of my maids along with me. It was a tough choice but at the end i agree because this could make this world a better place. I really did enjoy doing ATP. It was one of the greatest experience i ever did. So, stana, thank you for inventing this project. Before I knew you, My driver would drive me somewhere even tho its like 500m away.



Madelaine Freire From Uruguay
April 2013

Hi!! I think that atp is awesome, because it encourages people all around the world, to create a less polluted planet and as a result fewer illnesses Big Kiss form Uruguay



István Bagó From Hungary
March 2013

Hi! I wanna inform you, that in Hungary is a little enterprise, and product of this is a 3 wheel electric bike: Pannonrider. I use this bike for go to work everyday, summer and winter too. It is a velomobile.




Karen From South Africa
March 2013

Use alternative traveling with what is already there. This is taken in the Outeniqua mountain.





Anne From Porto Alegre
March 2013

Rush for more bikes on the streets, in Porto Alegre (Southern Brazil) ; )





Christopher From PARIS
February 2013

I was in the French Alps last week, in Valmorel. And while in the mountains, this alternative travel type just came to me: a sledge towed by 6 beautiful huskies!!!! Now you're going to tell me "Chris, come on, it's unusable in LA, Paris or any big city!!!". True, but I wanted to share this pic with you because it reunites green attitude, beauty of the dogs (who were very talkative believe me!) and efficiency (4 people were trailed). You all take care and...keep thinking greeeeeen! Cheers, Chris



Anne-Sophie From Les Sables d'Olonne
February 2013

In my city, Les Sables d' Olonne, in France, we like bike, you can rent a bike and others ... and ride near the ocean. have a good day ! Anne-Sophie




Linda Li From San Diego
January 2013

What I absolutely Love LOVE Love about being Disabled! When my Friend Alex who is a Triple Amputee gets on the bus with his Arm hooks and the whole bus looks intimidated by them and looks at him as if he's a leper. And I am just simply Excited To see my Friend again! I Always Give him the most Excited "Hello" And just start telling him about my life! And Immediately the Entire bus becomes Relaxed and Realizes he is just a regular "Cool"Human being. It's always such an awesome moment when this happens. I feel so privileged to know What a great guy he is! If this is the only Difference I make to Humanity. I am Honored. Totally makes being having Ehelrs Danlos Syndrome and being Invisibly Disabled Worthwhile!!! Changing the World one busload at a time!


Liz from Detroit, MI
January 2013

I chose, a few years ago, to get rid of my car & 'go green'. I lived, at that time, in a residential area adjacent to Detroit, MI where the streets were pretty calm & quiet. I rode my bike to the hospital where I worked & to the TV studio where I produce & host my own cable TV show (I still have the show but now fly in from NYC).
I started the project of 'hoof/bike it' as part of a TV segment, the duration of this originally to be 2-3 months. I soon found the effort to be NO EFFORT, rather, a blast! I powered myself through two Michigan winters on my bike or on my feet. Lucky for me I love snow. I loved the challenge. If I can do it, anyone can!


Heike From Germany
November 2012

Hi from Germany. In September I spend three weeks in LA. It wasn't my first time there but for the first time I brought my bike with me. I'm used to use a bike everyday so how bad could it be, hmm? On my second day in LA I woke up early around 4 am and because I wasn't on a schedule I left shortly before 5 am just to drive around to get the feeling how it is to go by bike in a car town. To my surprise I found bike lanes which weren't there 3 years ago. After a while the traffic growth heavier, the lines in front of a red traffic light growth longer but I always could drive to the front of the line. I'm sure that I'm faster at a certain place at a certain time at least through rush hour. The best part is that you can stop whenever and wherever you want. You don't have to search or pay for a parking spot. You see so much more this way. I rode my bike for around 70 miles that day and I came along some bad road conditions. Back at home I realized that they weren't that bad in comparison to our roads except one and that was on Melrose Ave.. About the cars: There were a lot of them and on the same time there were more cyclist out there than I've seen before. Some car driver honk at you I don't know why. The roads are definitely big enough for all us. All in all I got the impression that most car driver are more carefully around a bike. Maybe it's because they are not used to them or it was because I drove by the rules. I'm not sure if you don't have to have lights on your bike in LA but I've seen a lot without it. I haven't seen one with a light in front and rear either front or rear but never both. About other cyclists in LA: When you pass them they smile at you and you just smile back. It's kind of like a bond you have. A riding a bike in a town like LA bond :-) it's nice. As a tourist I have to say riding a bike in LA is not bad at all in fact it is so much fun. Try it and don't give up. In a Beckett and Castle word: Would I do it again? ALWAYS



Adrienne Yong From Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
December 2012

I found out about this great project via Stana Katic and I thank her for doing so. Without this project, I don't think I would've actually gone out and used the public transport. The last time I took the train, the services weren't that great but now, it is so advanced that it surprised me. I never would've known if it weren't for ATP. Now, I take the train whenever I can if the destination is near a train station. When I need to go into town, I always take the train. It not only saves my gas money and avoid the constant traffic jams whenever I go by car, I actually start noticing things around me. I see my town in a whole new angle and it is awesome. Just a few weeks ago, I got my friends to join me to ATP our way into town. We were going for a concert in town so we took the train. So thank you ATP!



Ruth Wolseley From Northumberland park Newcastle
November 2012

My work colleague and I both live out at the coast and decided to make the journey home more Fun by having an Alternative Transport Race. she went by Bike and I walked in to town and took the metro we hit the road from the hospital at the same time. we couldn't believe it when I came out of the metro station and turned onto the road home just as she rode past, we declared that a draw it was kinda funny we so did not expect to arrive at the same Time. I am totally for alternative transport It means I can have a cat nap on route in the morning (or even better not having to drive after night Duty) and don't have worry about parking which is awful at the best of time but ridiculous the when the Toon Play at home (who in there right mind builds a hospital next to the a Football stadium). I haven't given my car up completely but I definitely prefer to and use other types of transport most of all. I love a this project as it validates my views particularly as I get a lot of stick for not using my car to get to work. Thanks Guys :-)PS when I visited LA after graduating I used public transport all the Time folks thought I was mad but I lived to tell the tale and had an amazing visit it was cheap and easy and I got a chance to see bits of the city I wouldn't normally have seen. Thanks again


Jon From Bulgaria
October 2012

Hello from Bulgaria! As you know we have a school partnership with Andreea's project at her school, It's Friday leave your car at home. Now, after almost a month, I have to tell that this is wonderful, I feel like the atmosphere in my school, between us, as colleagues, has changed, we know each other better, we have more time to talk. Sometimes you work with people for a long time but you feel that you don't know them. But now, it's different. This is amazing, the way you connect with people while you walk,bike,use bus/metro/train to go to work. I personally met some old school colleagues, who I didn't see like for 10 years and now we reconnected. And it's also wonderful the state of spirit that you have when you go to work with other people and talk and laugh, in comparison with being alone in your car, when you are all nervous because of the traffic and you get to work with a bad state of spirit. Also the children are very happy with the activities that we have for them with this project. Thank you for all ATP team, Stana and Andreea. You are wonderful! Keep the projects alive! Jon



Ishani from Mumbai
10/22/2012

Hi, I am medical student from Mumbai, India. As a child who cycled to school everyday, I have rediscovered my love for cycling in the past year which has given me a chance to explore my city at a different pace. I have been able to convince about 10 friends of mine to buy bicycles and do the same. And what I like the most about cycling in the city apart from its obvious benefits is that we have formed a community of sorts that shares a deeper connection. Will be sending in the pictures soon!



Janelle Chadwick From Ettalong Beach NSW Australia
October 2012

My story is that I have relied on Public Transport and foot power all my life. I have never had a car or a driver's licence. Where I live, Ettalong is about 1 hour 40 mins from the City of Sydney each way and about 1 hour 30 mins from North Sydney each way where I work. I take a train and I can relax and sometimes sleep until I get there and back. I have lived in Ettalong for 17 years and lived in Sydney for over 27 years, so you can work out roughly how old I am. My work is public transport related too. So my life is fully into public transport.


Michelle From Michigan
October 2012

On October 3, 2012, our school had a Safe Walk to School day. Students were encouraged to walk to school and/or ride their bike. Those that ride buses to school were let off the bus about a quarter of a mile from the school. Our principal met them at a designated area and walked them to school. In addition to parents, teachers and the principal, Western Michigan University's womens basketball players walked with our students. Each classroom attended a 10 minute presentation put on by Fed Ex and the area ambulance drivers on how to safely walk to school. Students were taken through a mock crosswalk where they practiced how to check both ways before moving through the cross walk. Signs were set up to share information about wearing a helmet when riding your bike; the proper hand signals to use when riding your bike; how to walk in a busy area; using crosswalks correctly, etc. Students enjoyed this special day and talked about the benefits from walking and/or riding their bike (health and environmental) to school.



Lille from France
October 2012

Beauty in the Streets (What Keeps Me Walking) Theres beauty in the streets for my eyes to catch and my heart to feel: grass finding its way through the asphalt, flowers growing between bricks; green hands tearing the grey fabric, sowing seeds of freedom like tiny grains of salt in a sea of concrete. Subtle signs of hope sidewalks will never steal. Under the same sky wherever I am, I let the wind play with my hair. Whether the sun warms my face or the clouds darken my eyes, it is my skin, my soul, my pace to share with the elements, my part to improvize at the right moment: a clear spell to embrace, a puddle to jump in, and other childlike charms. Instead of buildings, instead of stone and steel, I see notes rising from the ground. And as the road unrolls into an endless score the walls, sometimes, wrap themselves in magic. Every step that I take teaches me a new chord, then I can hear the town making its own music to the sound of my heels. Rather than the distance, it is about people. Schoolboys, joggers, beggars, walking down the streets every single day. Different realities colliding at one time. Humans fighting the same battle of being alive, perpetual travelers all coming a long way...




Becky From UK
October 2012

I like walking places its fun! All those people that moan its too cold in winter to walk get a warm coat and get over it! Im from England where it rains most of the time and Im not sure we even have summer here and I manage it! When I was at college I did an A level in Environmental studies when doing it I decided not to learn to drive like most other people did Im almost 19 and Ive still never driven! Now Im a student at Loughborough uni which is the largest single-site campus in the U.K and one of the biggest in Europe and all over campus and in to town people are walking, cycling or taking the bus. If they want to go out of Loughborough then people just take the train, hardly any of the students here use cars!

Katarzyna From Warsaw, Poland
September 2012

"I survived Critical Mass" Yesterday I decided for the first time ever to participate in Warsaw's Critical Mass, bicycle ride together with over 1300 other cyclists through quite big part of our city - 25 km long. I must say that it was really interesting experience, but I'm not sure whether I want to repeat it any time soon... A few things I've learned yesterday - cycling in such a huge crowd can be very stressful, especially when you need to bike very, very slowly and actually stop every few meters... I also learned that I have a very strong tendency to go (or rather bike in this particular case) against the stream. And that my favorite side of the road is the left one (in politics as well ;) Anyway, I've survived it and I'm quite happy that I took part in it, so maybe I'll repeat it some time in the future again :)



Andrea From Hong Kong
September 2012

Dear ATP Team my name is Andrea and as many other followers, I've learned about your initiative because I'm huge fan of Castle. I'm from Italy, but in 2010 I moved to Shanghai first and then Hong Kong. I'm really a big fan of sport cars, but since my relocation I had to get rid of the car and at that point I realized that I could live without it. Now every day I use public transportation to go to work and I really appreciate the fact that I can use the time to read, listen to music and of course watch some episodes of Castle! I really hope that your initiative will help to sensibilize the people to preserve our environment, especially in cities like Hong Kong. The world is already so selfish, let's try to make it better!

Nic, Kat & Laura From Sydney, Brisbane & Melbourne, Australia
August 2012

We just wanted to share our ATP adventure with you! We three Aussie girls, all from different states, met each other for the first time in July for a 'Castle gathering' in Melbourne and we explored the city by bus, train, tram and also on foot. We sprinkled a little Castle love dust while we were at it too ;) It was such a fun way to get around the city and very inexpensive too. We had a blast!




Anne From Porto Alegre, Brazil
July 2012

Mais amor, menos motor (More love, less engine) I took this photo in Porto Alegre, a white and lovely bike through the traffic. There are others like it scattered around the city. And in October, the city will also start the bike rentals for the population! Nice initiative towards a greater love and more care for our beautiful planet Earth. Congratulations, Stana and Seamus, for your great project. Brazil is are with you, guys! You are very kind and wonderful human beings. And we are all together in our love for the planet. Love you! A big and special hug from Brazil ; )



Sarah From St. Louis, MO, USA
July 2012

While we all know that an ATP way of life is the green thing to do for the environment (& can be a lot of fun!), it can also be a great source of empowerment. I am reminded of this on a daily basis at work, where knowledge & independence equal empowerment. As a physical therapist, I love that my job enables me to help those I work with to reach their full potential personally, professionally, & every way between, by teaching them the skills they need to return to a life of independence. However, after more serious medical conditions, such as a stroke, amputation, or brain injury; or progressive diseases, such as MS or Parkinsons, the way one defines independence can change. For a number of people, this means being able to recover to a point where they can simply stand up & sit down, mobilize in a wheelchair, or walk with a device on their own. Unfortunately, for many with physical &/or cognitive impairments, this also means a new reality of not being able to drive. When you live in a rural area where public transit is non-existent or even in a large metropolitan area suffering from budget cuts, as most of the clients I work with do, you find yourself very isolated & dependent on others when you cannot drive. After working hard to be able to return home, many find themselves unable to leave their homes to get to work, doctors appointments, grocery store, religious services, and to see family & friends. This can lead to loss of self-identity, increased depression, & caregiver burden. By participating in this great ATP movement & advocating for the expansion of public transportation & alternative means of transport, each of us is not only helping the planet, but to empower thousands of people we have never met by providing them with a means to access the cities in which they live and, in turn, in the ability to function in a more independent manner on a daily basis. So, thank you, to everyone who is participating in the ATP movement! Your personal efforts are helping to promote a healthier environment, a healthier lifestyle that is more physically active, and empowering people to be more independent by promoting & expanding means of transportation for those who are unable to drive a car.

Mark From West Winfield ,NY
July 2012

Though my vehicle is necessary for my job (as it is much too far to walk and there's no reliable mass transit I do try to get along without it when I can. This past April, I had to drop my minivan off for maintenance related to it's safety inspection. (which is mandatory in NY State) Instead of having someone drive out to the mechanic to get me, I chose to walk the three miles home. stopped a few times to check the scenery along the way.



Kim From South Australia
July 2012

Here is a picture of my children and I about to embark on a walk, ride and scoot. Being active with my children gives me the perfect opportunity to teach them the importance and benefits of a healthy lifestyle: fitness, fun and the environment. It is hoped by adopting healthy practices now, my children will continue to do so into their teenage years and adulthood. The ATP is a fantastic initiative. We try not to rely on our car and use the alternatives as often as possible. Thank you for promoting such a worthwhile cause.



Eva-Maria From Germany
June 2012

I live in a big city and I ride my bike every day. Usually this is the fastest way to go around. Going by public transport to my regular places (University, work) takes me about twice the time than by bike. Riding a bike gives me a lot of freedom. No worrying about a parking space or about enough change for a ticket. Only a few days in the year I take public transport, especially in winter, when it gets too dangerous on the snow. But every time I'm counting the days until I can use my bike again. :-) Walking is also a wonderful way to explore the city. I once read that our senses probably are made for the walking pace. We can't recognize and take in everything if the pace is too fast. I believe in that, you see and remember so much more when you walk. Except for three years I never owned a car - I even grew up without a car in our family. I simply don't need one. On the rare occasion I really do need a car I rent one. So life without a car is possible and I wouldn't want to miss my bike. Thank you for your project and keep on with the great work!

kannita From India
June 2012

I am 13 years old and walk home from school everyday.I love walking home as i get to see different kinds of things .In India there's lot of traffic but the traffic police helps me and my friend cross the road.Its really fun chatting and coming back home.Though its a bit tiring but am doing it for the environment so its cool. I would like to thank STANA KATIC for inspiring us and making us think about the environment.

Elena From Switzerland
June 2012

My name's Elena and I'm 17 years old. I actually do ATP every day. The only way I can get to school is taking the bus. But one day I felt like walking to school. Stana Katic, my favorite actress, inspired me. It seemed to be awesome, to walk and listen to your favorite songs, thinking about life and just enjoying everything around you. When you go by bus, you don't see a lot of the nature. We have beautiful forests and meadows here in Switzerland. So one sunny morning i just grabbed my iPod and my school stuff and I started walking. I walked through a lovely forest. I was the only person in the forest, it was an awesome feeling. The air was very fresh and cold and a light breeze blew. I had to walk 1.5 hours, i had a lot of time to think about life. I was so happy when I arrived at school. I felt like a newborn baby ;) I do that once a week now, it's the best thing i've ever did. The best thing about it is, that I convinced my dad to walk to work. I went to work by car every day even though we don't live far from where he works. I talked about that awesome feeling walking to school gives me and he wanted to try it, too. Now he walks to work every day! One car less in Switzerland ;) ATP is an awesome project which I really like to support. =) (i took the picture while walking to school. it was enchanting!)



Sonia From Algeria
June 2012

First of all, I want to thank Stana Katic and Seamus Dever, for making this project real ... because we all want to save our planet . I'm 15 and I always go to school by foot, it's healthy and sometimes we discover new things in our way :) And in years to come, i really want to help Stana and Seamis to defend their cause, I think they are beautiful people, you guys who are supporting them are beautiful people too ! I told my dad to try to " Forget" his car for a week, and he did ! all my family is on the Project, and if I can do something to get all the Algerians on this project I'll do it ! when we go downtown with all the family, we leave the car and walk, we share really good moments together ... and my project is: " No car ALL the summer " I'll just Bike, we have really good palce here in Algeria ! so good luck to you guys, and help us to make of our earth a better place to live in :) Sonia



Zanna Kellett From Middle Of Nowhere, Scotland
May 2012

Where I live it is really hard to access public transport - there are very few buses and mostly, people just give up and drive everywhere. But I have tried to prove in my last week of holiday that even 'out in the boonies', you don't have to rely on cars. They're expensive and bad for the environment, and with a bit of planning (and getting up a bit earlier) it's possible to walk or cycle to many places. We have just had a great heat wave, and I cycled 10 miles to the beach (and then I had to cycle back...) - there were so many cars! - but I had a great day, which was also good for me :D The nearest town to my house is 7 miles away, but I can also cycle there and it doesn't take long - and it's much cheaper than using a car. My friends are shocked that I haven't learned to drive, but I don't see the point - they have all been out burning money and the planet in the sunshine with their cars - how is that fun? :P

Michele Scott From Kewanee, Illinois
May 2012

The area that I live in here in the midwest is ideal for cycling! We have many bike paths in the Mississippi River Valley and are in the process of possibly adding some major west to east routes across the country as well. They have bee working on the south and north routes along both sides of the river. Another recent development occurred in Davanport, Iowa with a cycle to work event. These are happening more and more around this area. I ride and I am young 61years of age. Kewanee is a small community hit hard by the economic problems of the past few years. I live in a 55+ building,and while most of us ride to keep in shape there are many that cycle to save money as well. I used to ride my horse all over town too for the sheer pleasure of it! Wish I could do the same today, but people would complain. Keep up your wonderful work to help the planet! It needs all the help it can get right now!

Birte Schmitz From Reigate, UK
May 2012

Dear Stana, Seamus and the rest of the ATP Team. First of all well done to a great cause in bringing attention to alternative ways of travelling. My name is Birte Schmitz and I am a 33 year old German national living in the UK. Ever since I can remember my parents have advocated using alternatives to cars. Being German it is not unusual to grow up riding your bike everywhere or going out on bike rides with friends and family. I used to cycle to school and all my part-time jobs. In a country like Germany this is easy, as the provision for cyclists is great and you are almost the King or Queen of the Road. I moved to the UK almost 12 years ago when I started University. Being the person I am I was very keen on riding my bike to uni every day. The problems I faced, however, were endless: First of all cycling on the left hand side is near suicide, especially with motorists not being very thoughtful, secondly, there were no cycling paths on my way to uni and finally, the road surface was awful. Therefore, I decided to ditch the bike and walk the 3 miles to and from uni everyday (come rain or shine). I now live just south of London and commute up into the city every day using the trains and walking to and from the station. London and the UK in general have changed a lot over the past few years with regards to provision for cyclists. The country seems to have realised that we cyclists are out there and that things have to happen for us. London's mayor introduced what we call 'Boris Bikes' a few years ago. Bike hire with different stations in Central London (like Paris and other cities have had for years), which is great and you can see an increase in bike usage throughout the city. Unfortunately, I still think that the UK is a long way away from providing adequate facilities for cyclists and needs to spend much more than the £1 per head they currently spend on this (looking to the rest of Europe might be an idea). Baby steps are being taken but until I feel safe on a bike I stick to my own two feet, trains and a great selection of music to get to and from work. I teach Tourism and a lot about sustainability and slow travel and think that alternative transport is a major part of these subjects and more attention needs to be paid to issues surrounding these. Oh, and the picture I added is a flyer that was handed out today at Victoria Station, encouraging people to walk during the Olympics 2012. London might have 8 million inhabitants but the centre is easily walkable. Thanks and good luck for the future. I will keep checking in. Birte :)



Anna Mara From Croatia
May 2012

Dear ATP team; I grew up in a very overpopulated, unsecure city (Caracas, Venezuela) so public transportation was never an option. I got a car when I turned 18 and I continued doing what I always did, drive everywhere. Then I moved to Zagreb, Croatia. I'm not going to lie, during the winter I used my car as well, for a tropical kid -10 celsius degrees is just unbearable. But then spring started and I decided I'd join the project. Not only I'm doing something good for the planet, but also for myself. I'm even recovering my toast skin color :) Wishing you all the best!



Stefan Funke From Berlin, Germany
April 2012

Dear Stana, Seamus and the rest of the ATP Team, my name is Stefan Funke, I am 46 years old and live in Berlin, Germany. For the last 20 years or so I used our public transport system which in my opinion is pretty good - to move within the city. At the start of 2011 I decided to switch to my bike for various reasons and couldnt be more happy with that decision. Because I always used the public transport I only knew the main route between my home and my office. Luckily I looked at google maps and found a really nice scenic route with virtually no traffic lights and not much car-traffic. Instead I found a way along a canal and through various parks (Berlin has lots of Parks and small lakes). If the weather is fine it feels more like a nice biking tour on a holiday then the everyday way to work. Timewise it is not much of a difference one way is about 9 miles (50 minutes with public transport, 45 minutes per bike and around 75 minutes jogging) and most of the time I am slightly faster with the bike then with public transport. It is also nice that we have a shower at my worplace. During the last year or so about 10% of my colleges started using a bike as well (for most it still depends a lot on the weather), the rest uses cars or motorcycles. I was suprised how well I was able to use the bike the whole year I had expected that it would be difficult in the winter with snow and ice but while we had lots of both it wasnt much of a problem. I also try at least once a week to run home and the next moring to work. That way I spare a lot of time for exercise. Sometimes I dream about my childhood when we had car free Sundays, thanks to the oil crisis during the mid-1970. It was awesome to bicycle on the inter-city highways all day long without ever seeing, hearing or smelling cars. It would be great if one Sunday per month would be car free. I started watching Castle about 2 weeks ago and I somehow fell in love with Kate Becket/Stana Katic so I found the link to ATP on her homepage. It is nice to know that even people in LA (I have never been there, but usually you hear that a car is a must have there) care about alternatives to the almighty car. I remember with horror that about 15 years ago a local election was won by the party which used the slogen freie fahrt für freie burger which translate roughly in no speed limit for car users (at least in the conext of the campaign). Luckily thinks seem to change and that party is no longer in power. During the last couple of years we got a lot more bicycle lanes and while we are certainly not even close to Koppenhagen (Denmark) we seem to move in the right direction. If imdb is correct it is Stanas birthday today, so happy birthday and all the best. Unfortunatly I wasn't able to upload a picture. Anyway, have a nice time everyone, Stefan

Daphne From Heiloo, Holland
April 2012

I'm a huge fan of Castle and all of the actors! I follow everyone on Twitter and Facebook and when I heard of the alternative travel project, I thought why not.. So I searched for the website and when I started reading I came to the conclusion that I'm doing a great job. I ride everyday 8 km to school and back.. And when the weather is too bad I go by train.. I just looked at the pictures you post and you were wearing a helmet.. WHY?? Are the roads that bad in the US? I never wear a helmet here in Holland.. xxx Love you guys and you are doing a great job!

Kirill From Moscow, Russia
April 2012

Hey, Stana, Seamus and all, who reading this. I'm Kirill, i'm 33 or so (who counts anyway :)) and i live in Moscow, Russia. Maybe it is a bit different here, comparing to USA, Australia and many EU countries. It is pretty painful to use car at the center of the city because of the traffic. When i had to move to the Moscow 8 years ago i had to choice if i want to take my car with me or leave it in St. Petersburg. I decided to leave it. Main reasons for this choice was huge traffic in Moscow and how often i will have to use car. Moscow has pretty good subway system with many stations, especially at the center of the city. So, if you want to get somewhere, it is much easier and time efficient to use subway and not bother with a car, especially if you live not so far from the station. Of course, sometimes you may need the car to bring something huge to your house or to go outside of the city. But there are alternatives. Order delivery, take taxi, use local trains. And of course it will save you a lot of money because you will not have to pay for the car itself, car service, parking and so on. Walking is a great way to get somewhere in the Moscow. Usually people thinks distance is too high and prefer to use buses and other public transportation, but actually sometimes it is faster to walk and not to wait for a bus. I'm fast walker and maybe someone, when see me, think i'm in hurry, but it is just my normal way to walk. It allow me to achieve 2 things - get fast enough to the destination and get some "sport". :) And, as mentioned Stana and others, when you walk, you will not miss something nice. Here is the photo I made by a phone on the way from work. Just to give you some feeling of cold Russia :). Of course there are some disadvantages in using subway or bus. At peak hours it will not make you so happy. Try to shift a bit your work time if possible. Hope your boss is a good one and will allow it :)



Pharysha Dean Pekas From Sagada, Mountain Province, Philippines
April 2012

I am Pharysha Pekas I am 14 years old. I learned about the ATP because I am a great fan of Miss Stana Katic and I would to share you my story. I grew up in a town far from the city. There we walk to our destination and it is fun. We only use cars when we go out of town but we use public transportation. We people in Sagada, most of us cannot afford cars so we use public transportation and when we use public transportation we save money and gas. One of the benefits of public transportation is that you get to know people and make new friends. But there is a problem about this cars that we use they bring out black smoke and we know that it is dangerous to the environment. And I am worried about this black smoke. I would swallow my pride to request you respectively to come here in the month of June to conduct a little talk about using Public Transportation safely without black smoke. And it would be a great honor for me if you will come. Doing this Alternative Travel Project is fun and I hope more people will be with us. God bless to all of you.



Neysa From Minnesota
April 2012

Dear Stana and Seamus, I live fairly close to the elementary school and the high school in my city. Close enough that the schools wouldn't send a bus to get me, so I got used to walking or biking every day to get to school -even in the freezing Minnesota winters. The two years I spent busing to middle school were strange, and I was happy to be able to walk to school for the 4 years of high school. I'm 18, I don't have my driver's license, and I take the city buses to college every day. My bus is getting fixed, and after that I plan to bike to school more often. I think the ATP is amazing, and I applaud all your your efforts. We don't have a great busing system here, because there aren't enough people who use it. I have a few friends who bus to college with me, and we spend our time on the bus either catching up with each other, or with our reading. My mother's work is a two minute walk from our house, and she walks there almost everyday. My younger brother is excited to get to be like his older sisters and walk to school once he gets to high school. Great job! Neysa

Martin Kortekaas From Rotterdam, The Netherlands
April 2012

Ok, my name is Martin and live in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. For Dutch standards that is a very crowded city with a lot of people living and working every day and there is also a lot of traffic. One of the reasons is that Rotterdam is one of the bigger ports in the world and so that means a lot of traffic from and to Rotterdam for all kinds of business related matters. Approx. 5 years ago I just decided to go to work every day by using my bike and so I did. Now 26 months ago I bougth this new bike with a meter on it which keeps score of speed and distance and today I noticed that I had travelled more than 9500km / 5900miles ! That is an average of 365km / 227miles per month. I've no idea how to calculate how much more CO2 I had produced if I had used a car every day to go to work, but I think I have a very low carbondioxide footprint ;-). So on my own simple and modest way, I made the world a tiny bit better to life in for myself and others and even more important; for future generations to come! Because I always travel to work using my bike, I'm not having any trouble with traffic jams and have a good work-out at the same time. As you maybe know is that here in The Netherlands there are very good seperate lanes for bikes and it is very safe to ride your bike here. Only thing is that that we can have a lot of rain here and there can by very much wind but if you are dressed for every kind of weather even that is not a problem. But maybe in the future we will have here in The Netherlands special bike lanes that will be covered with a roof and providing shelter against rain and wind, the name already exists ; speedlanes . We crazy Dutch and our bikes! Well people it's just very simple to go carfree, you just have to do it ,if only for one day a week or month. It will change your life! Trust me, I know that it's just that simple. To you all good luck and stay safe, what ever carfree way of transportation you choose . Martin

Caroline From Sunshine Coast QLD Australia
April 2012

Hi my name is Caroline and I am 17 years old. I heard about ATP through a "Castle" Facebook page and researched it more as I was curious as to what it was. I also saw a video on YouTube about Stana Katic talking about it and got interested. I am currently in my 1st year of my Bachelor of Primary Education at the University of the Sunshine Coast. I live a 10 minute drive from the University and went to high school and primary school right next door to the uni. Ever since I was in primary school, to get to and from school I caught the school bus. The only days I did not catch the bus were days it was raining. As it is about a 3-5minute walk to the bus stop from my house, everyday I walk to the bus stop to catch the bus to uni. From school it is a 15minute walk to the university bus stop. A walk I used to do every day 5 days a week. Now that I am at uni for about 2-4 hours a day I catch the bus as it is a more convenient means of transport to and from uni. Over the past 2 months I have begun volunteering at the primary school I attended. As I start at 9am I had to leave to catch the bus at 8:15am. And walk the 5-10minutes to the primary school from the university. The only days I get driven to uni is a Wednesday as I start at 7pm. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesday nights I get driven home as I finish at 8pm or 9pm. As I do not want to catch the bus and walk the streets alone at night. Although I haven't officially signed up for the Alternative Travel Project I still complete it on a day to day bases. I know that it is when you go car-free for 7 days a month. As there are days I do not travel via car, my main means of transport is in fact walking and public transport. I check the ATP website on a regular basis just to see what is happening and read other people stories and in fact Stana and Seamus' stories on their ATP experiences. I wish to be involved more in the ATProject and help out in anyway I can. Thankyou for reading my story and good luck with your ATProject's . With love from the land down under. ;)



Emily From Adelaide, Australia
April 2012

Dear Stana, Seamus and the ATP Team, My name is Emily. I'm 13 years old and live in Adelaide, Australia. I found out about the ATP through social networking, and because I'm a huge fan of Stana and Seamus, I decided to see what it's all about. I've always been passionate about the environment and I've grown up educated about the effects we have on it, but before discovering the Alternative Travel Project, I hadn't really had an opportunity to make a difference. My sister and I live close to our school, yet for some reason, we never really thought of walking or riding a bike. After looking at your website, I've become inspired to make a change, and now I'm walking to school as often as I can. I'm also trying to spread the word through social networking sites, and since raising the issue among my friends and the school's environment group, lots of other people are beginning to realize that it just takes a day without a car to help out. Thank you for creating such a great, and inspiring project. I hope you have realized that it isn't just affecting your city, but is making a change in Adelaide too! The project's affected me in a huge way, and because of my age, I'll grow up knowing that there is always something I can do to help out.

Nancy Bischelbach From Luxembourg
April 2012

Dear Stana, Seamus and ATP Team, My name is Nancy and Im from Luxembourg. Remember tini-tiny country lost in the middle of Europe? (Right between Belgium, France and Luxembourg). Found it? Good =) Now, where to start? Weve only recently crossed the number of 500,000 inhabitants (I think in year 2010), which makes it roughly 501.3/sq mile. We are a small country with probably the highest number of registered cars per inhabitants in Europe (I think). Luxembourgs traffic is particularly influenced by 153,000 people coming to work from across the border, meaning Belgium, Germany and France. Add to this the active employed population residing in Luxembourg (196,000). We are thus compelled to find the best approach in means of transportation to get those people to work as car-free as possible on a daily basis. We have an efficient network of buses all around the City (Luxembourg City), making it very easy to commute. The same goes for trains. Our plan to operate a tramway system by 2014-2015 is in full progress in order to reduce car and bus traffic within the city. We dont have a subway because the entire City is built on rocks (the walls and the fortifications of the City are protected by the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (UNESCO) since 1994). A bike-rental system operates since 2008. There are 54 stations located in the centre of the City or short bicycle journeys. The stations are approximately 300 to 400 metres apart and easily accessible. It can be rented by week, by month or by year. All in all, I am pretty much aware when it comes to public transportation within my country and I also know that our government does its best in this regard (e.g. tramway project and two new train stations in the City). Our government is constantly seeking for new ways and solutions to make travelling around our country as easy as possible whether it is by bike (implementation of special bike tracks), by car (use of Park and Ride parking system); by bus (Hybrid), or by train (managing fare prices, coordinating bus and train schedules, etc.). Basically, I am quite fortunate to live within 3 minutes walk from a train/bus station. As of last year I have a new job in the City Center and I love to take the train in the morning to get to work. I found back my passion of reading books again and listening to music while on my way! It is also faster by public transportation than by car (at least for me). I hope that in the future more people will rely on it as well. To raise awareness all around the globe is important. CO2 emissions arent healthy and we all know this. Walking and Biking isnt only beneficial to the environment but also to your health. I can see how the miscellaneous campaigns seem to have an impact on people and together we can make it work, and I am glad to know that a project such as ATP exists in the US! Best Greetings from across the Atlantic, Nancy Bischelbach (Twitter crazycookie76) PS. Attached a picture of me ready to leave for work with music in my ears and backpack on my back.



Robyn Vella From Malta
April 2012

Hi, I'm Robyn, I'm 20 and I'm from the tiny Island Malta. Nearly a year ago I was diagnosed anemic and was so tired that I accepted lifts to any place, no matter how short the distance. I got better yet my laziness overcame me and I was still asking people to drop me off places instead of getting a bus somewhere. After hearing about The Alternative Travel Project I decided to change my attitude and do something worthwhile. Malta is tiny and it takes approximately 15 minutes to get from one place to another by car. I stopped asking for lifts from my family even if it meant having to get up extra early to get to my destination. Buses have become my best friend and I'm constantly catching them to save my grandparents or mother having to use their car for no need. There are so many alternative ways to travel and I think it's a pity that people depend on their cars so much. I've convinced my little sister to do the ATP with me as well. I believe that with a bit of help from everyone, we can make such a positive impact on the environment around us. I'd also like to thank Stana Katic and The Alternative Travel Project for helping me change my attitude. You've not only changed my way of thinking but you've also changed my lifestyle which has bettered my health.

Angela From Franklin, Tennessee
April 2012

Hello Stana & Seamus, My name is Angela, Im a 32-year-old living in Franklin, Tennessee, which is just outside Nashville. This area is very car-oriented suburbia, where parents will drive their kids to the bus stop two blocks away, just so the bus can drive them another mile to the school. (Why?) The few bike paths and sidewalks around were designed with recreation in mind; the individual neighborhoods have them but the main roads do not, so nothing is connected. The bus service is quite limited they stop running at 5 p.m. and dont even run on Sundays. Im lucky enough to work from home so I dont need a car for work, but the limited options here along with being a single mom of two young boys and a part-time caregiver for a disabled adult make it nearly impossible to go completely car-free. But ever since the first videos came out, the ATP has helped me realize I can certainly use my car A LOT less than I have been. When #GocarFREE March started, I really buckled down. I filled up my gas-guzzling Taurus on March 1st and decided to see just how long I could go on a single tank of gas. If my schedule allowed the extra time, I would walk my son to/from preschool. I started planning ahead and combining trips. For example, I have to use my car to do the recycling, so I combine that with picking up canvases at the art store. I would plan most errands when my kids were at their Dads, so I could quickly ride my bike or walk. Normally I go through at least 2+ tanks of gas a month, but by making these small changes I made it 35 days on a single tank of gas. I literally forgot what side my tank was on when I pulled in the gas station on April 5th. The best part of all of this has been that I feel GREAT. An hour walk or bike ride with my headphones can really clear my head and turn my day around. I even lost 5 pounds in March without even really trying. My next goal is to get my kids, ages 8 and 4, more involved. They dont have bikes yet, so Im hoping to get them some in time for the next school year. But either way, well definitely be walking more and taking the time to connect as a family. I hope I can get them to love it as much as I do and get them out of the mindset that they need to have a car all the time. THANK YOU for starting the ATP, its a really wonderful idea and has made a big difference in my life.



GEZ TEMPRELL From SHEFFIELD,UK
April 2012

Hi everyone, Just dropping you a line to say I had a fab ATP March, I hope you guys did too? For the last year, in a bid to get fit again(@ 40 ) ,I started to run home from work 1 day a week ( Having got there by bus). This then increased to cycling to and from work 1 day a week too. Then during the extreme weather in winter ,the bike day was replaced by walk home from work day(again having got there by bus). So when ATP march came along I was re-energised knowing loads of people around the world would be doing the same including, Stana and Seamus. The playlists kindly given from Stana, were an inspiration and I decided to compile my own too. For ATP March I had 2x run days with playlists titled Run Trax 1 & 2 , 3x walk days with playlists titled 1980's revival and 2x Music from Castle..... for the 2x cycle days I thought it better to hear the traffic! I think I could get into this playlist for every occasion mode and I'll definitely be sorted for the next ATP month. Anyway I had a fab time and I can't wait until the next one! In the meantime I'll carry on my routine and I'll leave you with some pic's of my gruesome 4.5 mile journey home ,all uphill..... whether cycle or foot. The pic's just don't do it justice! Keep up the excellent work, Gx



Irina From Russia
April 2012

Hi, my name is Irina. I'm 47 years old. I'm from Russia, from the beautiful city Rostov on Don. Many years after university, I worked at a research institute in the department of ecology. This is about me. When I was in Rostov, I use public transport, it is much easier and faster. Very often, I come to Israel, where my son is learning. We live in a beautiful location not far from Jerusalem. Not far from the place where David fought Goliath .. And every day to get to the bus, I go 3 kilometers on foot. People probably think I'm "crazy Russian", but the beauty that I see and the air and nature I do not care what they think. The main thing my dog is very happy. And I want to say thank you, what you delete is very important.



kudrun From France
April 2012

Hi! I'm 28 years old and I live in the North of France. I love photography, nature make films, write srennplay, sport, musique and nature. I prepared a march experience but I don't have time to finish my project in time. So I give you my favorite photo of this travel. My project was: Try to stay one week without car during vacation and see if it was really possible. I went in England and Irland during one week and it was a very good trip! It's almost possible to have one week in holidays without private car but complicated when you want to go in the really country. I send you my film when I 'll finish the realisation. First I took a train in Lille "eurostar" to London. Then I took underground to Victoria and a bus to a little town near avesbury. 300 people in the village. Very quiet and beautiful. I was by my friend Jo. I stay several days here and I visited nature, avesbury, the town of bath, and the woods. After I took a plane to Stansted airport ond go to Dublin. I was by another friend. A french friend who lives in Dublin. Concerts, hiking, visiting Dublin... And the most important: take pictures, film, write, observe nature. I wanted to cycle but "you can't low a bike during winter". I hate this society who you must be like another: to be vacation during the summer! lol. So we could not cycling but we can walking! And it was amazing! Very amazing! I give you soon my film kidrun



Chris From Oldenburg,Germany
April 2012

Hi,I'm forty-one years old and I've never owned a car or think that i need a driving licence. There is so much public transportation everywhere, and I personally think that's enough. Ok,In the wintertime I take the bus to go to work, and otherwise I am just using my bike if the weather permits it. and if I want to go into the holiday, then I just go by train or by carpooling. I have gone everywhere I also always wanted to go... ... WiTHOUT A CAR !!! in effect.. Car free for Life ..haha and it works. 8-)



Samantha From Minnesota
March 2012

Last week for spring break, I rode my bike anywhere and everywhere I needed to go. It felt so incredible to know that not only was I getting exercise, but I was relieving the world of a little more air pollution! I can't wait until summer so I can get more rides in!

Becca From England
March 2012

Hi! So, I walk to school everyday, and at the weekends (when I'm not at my dads house) I like to walk to my friends houses or to the shops, or just sometimes for a walk. Walking to town with my friends is so fun, especially in the summer because we play something like taylor swift out loud and sing a long whilst we're walking, and I know that it's a great way to help protect the world. I've actually convinced a few friends to try and walk places instead of getting the car, so yay!

Allyson Deramond Guerrero From Maipú, Santiago de Chile
March 2012

I tell you here in chile public transport is very bad, so long ago people had to seek other means to reach your destination. We now use the bike much, is our new means of transport and the best. It is very common to see people biking to work, study etc .... Personally 2 years ago I use the bike and the subway to travel in Maipu and Santiago I think it's the best you can do to avoid contamination and thus fail to fill the streets with cars.! I think this project (ATP) is the best ever made. Harnessing public recognition to raise awareness about the harm caused by misuse of the cars and look for new ways to teach people about this great modern evil is worthy of congratulations. I send my greetings and congratulations for this wonderful idea. 



Santiago From Haedo, Argentina
March 2012

Hello. Im Santiago, Im 28 and Im from Haedo, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. I work as a technician for a credit card company providing support on site to shops and businesses that use our devices to process credit card sales when they stop working or need some kind of fix or configuration. So, travel for me is not the classic travel to go to the office and return at the end of the day. For me, the whole day is an almost nonstop travel going to different stores located in different cities of Gran Buenos Aires (the urban area surrounding the City of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina). I make my daily route taking trains and busses, so public transportation is really important for me. When I started in this work, was amazing for me to find out and learn how different locations and places that seem to be disconnected or distant from each other are really well connected by busses lines or train rails. And the journey between them doesnt take as long as the people think. Usually the people I attend ask me Why dont you use a car. The answer to that question, besides of the company regulations, is that for me public transportation is a comfortable way to travel, fast enough to accomplish my daily assignments and I dont have to worry for traffic jams, parking and maintenance and fuel costs. And the most important thing: Im helping to produce less pollution and also Im helping my health due to the daily walk. So, I think if I can make my job traveling the whole day on public transportation, people can give up their cars if they only have to travel to their jobs and back. I hope my story encourages people to give up their cars and learn more about the public transportation on their cities and start use it.

Marwa From United Arab Emirates
March 2012

Good day all.. Thanks a lot for this opportunity and ATP incredible project, may Allah bless all your efforts. In UAE, the weather is great in Winter, means from November till March, temperatures are between 15 and 25 degrees, so I try my best to maximize the use of these months in walking, most of my time my beloved Ford Mondeo is in its parking, and I am walking, and now I trained my Kids (7, 5 and 3 years) to practice walking and take big breath on this beautiful weather.. By walking, I discovered that you will be always in good health, good shape, you will get rid of your nervous and tension, and have plenty of time to think about nature, and about the blesses Allah gave to us. I really recommend all people to try walking as a good exercise to your health. Actually I did not listen to any Music while walking, I keep talking to my kids and hearing from them, this is the best time to do that with them :) The problem is in Summer season, from April to September, when temperature exceed 45 degrees and humidity is about 100%, so then I am forced to use my Air Conditioned Car. Here is a picture from my way to Hyper Market, around 3 Km walking distance. Thanks again for raising these ideas and helping people. Please spread the Word.. Kind regards Marwa Abu Dhabi



Marta From Riga, Latvija
March 2012

First of all - I want to say that ATP is really inspiring project, not only for helping save our environment but also because of the stories people submit all over the world! Since I'm student I don't own a car, so I travel around the city by public transport and on foot! & It is FINALLY SPRING here (=> almost warm & particularly sunny). Today I got afflated (Wind in hair, suge smile all over me afflated) to go extra-green and walk home (it takes about 2hrs)! A perfect way to clear your thoughts! Plus increased dose of vitamin D, healthy tiredness and happy mind! Thank You, ATL, Stana & Seamus for inspiration! :)



Kate From Maldegem, Belgium
March 2012

Nice initiative! Wish that I could contribute, decided 14 years ago when I could go and get my driver's license to not get it and live car free. I get everywhere I have to be with public transport, walking, by bicycle or hitchhiking. I live quite ruraI so public transport isn't that great in the evening and none at night, but easily walk the 20 miles home when I missed the last bus, listening to some music on my way. No traffic jams, no need to look for parking space, keeps me in shape, easily meeting new people while waiting on the bus/hitchhiking ... couldn't imagine it any other way.

Stephanie From Kentucky
March 2012

Spring has sprung in Kentucky, and I had been waiting for a good day to do my GOcarFREE day this month. Well, a perfect day finally presented itself on March 22. Armed with tunes on my iPhone, I headed out around 7 a.m. in the morning for my walk to work. Inspired by Stana Katic of "Castle," I wanted to share my walking playlist of music I listened to as I walked to work, to and from lunch, and back home in the afternoon. I just pressed "Shuffle" and let my iPhone decide what to play for me. It's amazing how much music while walking puts you into your own little world of bliss and contemplation. Music is one of my escapes and having that time just for me was a gift I don't take enough advantage of. My ATP GOcarFREE Playlist: March 22, 2012 Life in the Fast Lane (Live), The Eagles (ironic, eh? ;-) ) Twist and Shout, The Beatles Wrecking Ball, Bruce Springsteen One and Only (Live), Adele All of My Love, Led Zeppelin Walk On, U2 (again, the irony, lol!) Sin Wagon, Dixie Chicks Rhythm Nation, Janet Jackson Let's Dance, David Bowie Everything, Lifehouse Something Like This, Scissor Sisters Can't Help Falling In Love, Elvis Presley You Make My Dreams, Hall & Oates How Will I Know, Whitney Houston Handy Man, James Taylor I want to thank Stana and her "Castle" co-star Seamus Dever for bringing such a worthwhile cause like the Alternative Travel Project to my attention. I may not be able to GOcarFREE very often, but every time I do, I feel good about how I'm helping keep our environment a little cleaner in my own small way. Thanks for serving as a role model to us all!



Giorgio From Fabriano - Italy
March 2012

I am 40 years old and I'm writing from Fabriano, in the center of Italy, I have just finished my week without a car, traveling home-office for 4 times a day by bicycle for a total of about 7 km each day, then over the weekend I'm on a mtb on the mountain around Fabriano for about 20 km between trails, meadows and rocks. I knew the program #GOcarFREE by Stana Katic and I decided to join it first of all because it is healthy, then because gasoline costs 2 �?� / l and is now unsustainable spending. During this week, I rediscover my little medieval town with its narrow streets, squares and gardens unfortunately there are no bike lanes so the traffic is dangerous, but I decide to continue this experiment and leave, where possible, in the car at home, by from Italy!



Sonia From London
March 2012

I moved to London last September. At first I didn't feel comfortable walking alone as much, since I didn't know my way around and stuck to the subway system. The first playlist Stana ever posted on Twitter made something click in my brain and I just had to put that to my iPod and walk to work. That was in January I think? Ever since I've walked to work and back every day. It makes a huge difference. It saves me so much money. Its crazy expensive to use public transportation here and it doesn't really save that much time anyway. I get exercise every day even if I'm not going to training (I practice Muay Thai and MMA) and makes me feel more energetic. Walking makes me happy. And now that the suns out I've noticed that my fingers have tanned. I swear they're not dirty. Listening to good music and just letting your thoughts fly makes a one creative and relaxed Sonia. I'm glad I started to walk. Thank you Stana and Seamus for the amazing project. Hip Hey! Off to work I walk again!



Carmen Amrein From CANADA
March 2012

Story:A musicians adventure Canada by train and bus My ATP adventure began right after my plane touched down in NYC. My friends weren’t able to give me a ride from the airport. Taking my 2 baggage’s, 1 Hackbrett (musical instrument) and my handbag, I entered the bus. The following days, I went back and forth taking that exact same bus from my friends into the City, where I walked, took the metro and the busses. On my final day, I decided to hire a cab to drive me to the bus terminal. NYCs traffic can be a pain! I had to get off my cab early and walk to the next metro station… finally I arrived at the bus terminal and was off to Rochester (NY). Due to flooding, we had to take a Detour, so that I arrived with a major delay of 6 hours! After a nice week with friends in Rochester â€"lots of music, teaching and performing- I was on my way to CANADA!!!!!!!!!!! My first stop: Toronto. I had to get my Working Holiday Visa confirmed, so it took a while to get through customs at the Canadian border. When I finally had my Visa and my stamps, I stepped outside, on the Canadian side and … my bus was gone!!!!!!!!!!! I kindly asked one of the border control officers where the bus was parked and she told me that it was long gone! Perfect! Stuck at the border in the middle of the night!!! Being in shock â€"how the heck do I get to Toronto now?- I sat down and waited… after 10 Minutes I suddenly saw lights… there is a bus… Is there hope??? Yep, it was MY BUS! The two gentlemen seated behind me saw, that I was missing and told the bus driver. She had to drive to the US side of the border again, collected me and we went through the gates again. I actually entered Canada twice that night ;o) I either took the metro everyday in Toronto or walked. I had a couple of concerts in Kitchener, Thornhill and Hamilton (yes ;o)) upcoming. Took the bus to Kichtener and Hamilton and admired the countryside. Thornhill is another story… I found out, that the metro was driving to Thornhill and thought: wonderful! There I was, carrying my instrument, my instruments stand and my handbag on the metro. Suddenly, it stopped, half way to Thornhill… constructions! I had checked online the day before, they didn’t mention that this metro wouldn’t run all the way to Thornhill. There was no other way. We had to get off the metro and wait for a bus… don’t ask me how many busses drove by, all either driving to another location or “out of service”. Finally, after 1 hour, my bus came! Everyone squeezed inside. When I got off the bus I remembered, that the Pastor wanted to give me a ride, I had 10 Min. until the Sunday service began, well actually until me playing the Interlude… I woke up my friend to text me the address â€"yep, note to myself, even you are promised to be picked up, ALWAYS take all the numbers and addresses with you!- I hailed a taxi and arrived 2 Minutes before I played my first note!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gladly not all my Concerts in and around Toronto were that stressful… when I performed at the German protestant Church in Toronto I just had to take the street car. Super easy. After a nice stay in Toronto I made my way, taking the train, to Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Halifax and back to Toronto. After a short break in Toronto I was back on the train to Winnipeg, Jasper and Vancouver. The adventure loving musician I am, I wasn’t able to resist performing on the train! Playing on a train is fun! As soon as I started to play my first tune, there were cameras everywhere *lol* … and stressful at the same time… I always had to look out not to fall over when the train was bending ;o) Now that I’ve settled in Vancouver, I take the bus to my concerts â€"or walk. Furthermore I always walk to work, a nice 30 Minutes walk through beautiful Vancouver, with the beautiful Mountain view. I rented a car for one day in Halifax to drive down the Atlantic coast and in Jasper to drive to Banff and back… Funnily after I arrived in Banff I immediately started to walk and take the bus ;o) That were the only times I was sitting behind the wheel of a car within the past 7 months! You could say, that ATP rulez my life ;o) Lots of love from Vancouver, Carmen



Carole Cornthwaite From Lancashire, England
March 2012

Hi, This isn't much of a story actually but I decided to try and give ATP a go this year. Sadly with a 16 yr old daughter and a mother who can no longer drive, I am committed to transporting others around a lot! However, I am now attempting car-free Tuesdays as being the one day my daughter doesn't generally need taking anywhere!. I've discovered that I can walk to the nearest bus stop in about 40 minutes and then take a short bus ride into town to do my shopping. Mind you then I've got to carry the shopping back home, 40 mins walk!! Ah well, just have to make sure I keep shopping to a minimum!! It's worked today and, weather permitting, I'll be trying this every Tuesday from now on. Thanks to Stana & Seamus for their inspiration because this is something I never would have tried without it!!

Alexis Bobick Bajich From Overland Park
March 2012

Hi Stana! I'm in Overland Park, KS ~ with someone you might know! :) LOL! Due to a car accident in 2010, it left us with only one car so occasionally I walk home from work. It's about 45 minutes and I love it! I think going carless this summer, on occasion would work for us, as the hospital where my husband works is walking distance from our house! cmok, cmok i cmok! :)

Jacqueline From Farmingdale, NY
March 2012

Hi, I�??m Jacqueline, I�??m 21, and I live in Farmingdale, New York. This part of New York has a broader name called Long Island. The part of the island I live on is over-crowded and most people around here rely on their cars to get around. My dad is one of many other Long Islanders, who drive their car to the train station and then take a train into Manhattan for work. Around here taking the train makes your commute a lot faster than any car ever could. The amount of traffic on the roads makes it a hassle to get any where by car. Therefore for a lot of people like my dad the train is just an easy solution. Whereas I will usually ride my bike to work because I just enjoy the fresh air and some alone time with my music. By car it takes me ten to fifteen minutes to get to work, but it takes about forty-five minutes to an hour by bike. I don�??t mind the extra time because I use this as a time to take a break from my schoolwork and my job. It also happens to be a really nice ride along a creek except for one huge hill, which takes you over a parkway. I take a bike path, which runs alongside the parkway, from the high school where I live to Sunrise Highway where I work. This allows me to not have to worry about cars on the road, just other bikers, joggers, and some fishermen, who fish in the streams and lakes along the path. The path lets out onto Sunrise Highway and I work right across the street, but because it is a highway and has eight lanes of traffic, I do have to worry about crossing safely. My job also makes it really convenient for me to ride my bike to work because there are bike racks to chain your bike to right outside. The other place I love riding my bike to, is the beach. This is definitely more fun of a ride because of the reward you get in the end. After all of the sweating and pedaling, I get to take a dip in the ocean and for me there is nothing better than that. There is also a path to do this, where you don�??t have to worry about cars. I love that where I live has all of these convenient little paths that I can take to get where I want to go. This is the part that I travel from the website: http://www.lirunning.com/bethpage.htm �??From Sunrise Hwy to the park and back is 13 miles�?�As an additional bonus, you can connect to the greenbelt trail in the park, after going through the picnic area and actually run all the way to the [Long Island] sound.�?�



Ariadna From Spain
March 2012

Hello you all! I'm glad to say that thanks to the ATP and the things that Stana and Seamus have been posting, I've decided to go car free for 2 days a week. I started the first week of march since it was the beginning of the CAR FREE MARCH project; but I don't plan to give it up once the month finishes! I take the bicycle two days a week to go to the university for a two miles ride. Maybe it's not much, but I'm glad to feel like I'm helping. Thank you for bringing up projects like this, it's very encouraging for us to start and try new things to make the world a better place!

Sue From Kings Lynn Norfolk UK
March 2012

I cycle to work most mornings as I don't live very far from the school where I work in the canteen. There are many cycle paths round our town, so it's very easy to use a bike especially as it's quite flat. This morning it was very misty and this is the view I had of the old railway track which has been 'recycled'!



Shelli From Gainesville, Florida
March 2012

When I first came to the University of Florida campus I was sincerely afraid that I wouldn't be able to get anywhere without a car. Being a naiive freshman, I thought that there was no way I could get where I wanted to go just by walking. But I can. I've made it 2 years with little to no driving on my own behalf. Walking around campus, it's pretty daunting to see the number of cars and scooters parked here. Of course, with a 50,000+ student population, it's to be expected. However, I often wonder how often people actually *move* their cars. There's certainly very little need to, as I've learned since my freshman summer - the University and city make it easy for someone to be car-free. Personally, I rarely drive around the city. My city has such a fantastic bus system, that's free to students, which makes it incredibly easy to commute from an apartment or dorm to class - in fact, I rode the bus to class this morning. All of the bus routes for the entire city stop somewhere on campus, making it pretty easily accessible. I can only hope every college campus and city offers this type of system. There is also a massive amount of bikes on this campus. So many, that it's not on common to nearly be run over by one. As far as I can tell, students here do a pretty decent job of being ATP participants - even though most of them probably don't even know it. I try to walk wherever I can, take the bus whenever possible, and my car pretty much only gets driven for the 5 hour drive to and from South Florida, where home is. I love knowing that just a little effort can make a big difference, and I hope everyone has access to more environmentaly friendly forms of transportation.

Francyne From London
March 2012

Being a teacher in London means that getting around needs a car, especially out in the part I live in. I�??ve been trying to do my bit for the environment by taking a bus to work in the mornings (quite the sight sometimes with school books) and walking home from school at night. Having organised a trip for my year 9 students to a dance event on Saturday I set about sorting out the travel. Normal practice when going on a school trip is to book a coach and take the children across the city all together. This time, I wanted to do it differently. Being influenced by the ATP and Car free March I decided we would take the students on public transport. I discovered that TFL (Travel for London) will give schools free travel tickets if applied for in advance so decided to use them. I felt it would give the students a chance to explore the city they lived in from a different perspective; the number of them that hadn't been on a train into 'town' blew my mind. It seems they don't go outside their comfort zone very often and when they do they are in the back of a car not looking around them. The trip to the event took over an hour instead of 40mins by bus but it was worth it. We travelled across London by tram, train, tube and walking. It was quite the trip but worth every minute and so much fun. I got to know my students a little better, all 25 of them and we had a fun day out. We saw some sights and we helped the earth just a little bit more than before, Awesome Day! My favorite sight from the trip, South Bank, London.



Reaz Khan From Manchester, United Kingdom
March 2012

Having read other stories that have been submitted, it is clear that different people have different motives for contributing to Car Free March, but for me, the only reason is Stana Katic. She is sooo awesome! A real role model. Being a University Student living at home has its perks. Free food, free shelter etc. But it can be a hassle getting to University. The morning traffic through central Manchester is chaotic. I first took notice of the ATP through twitter when Seamus Dever and Stana Katic tweeted their followers to support the project. Immediately I thought "I'll give this a shot, if Stana's doing it, then so am I" And ever since then, I have been travelling to University on the MET. For starters, its quicker. It's also relatively cheaper and obviously more environmentally friendly. But besides this, its also a good way to socialise and meet new people. Anybody who follows Football (soccer if you're American) would know that there was a big european football match taking place at Manchester United earlier in March. On the day I was travelling to University and met alot of Spanish supporters who were there to watch their team, Athletic Bilbao. I dont think i'll be using my car anytime soon, I think the ATP is a great project and hopefully more and more people start to embrace it. P.S. Stana, if you're reading this you are so so awesome. Keep doing what you do and don't ever change!

Angie From New Brunswick, Canada
March 2012

Today was my first run since I sprained my knee 2 months ago, playing hockey... (so Canadian, eh?). I had to go to the bank and pick up concert tickets so I made those places part of my route. It felt great to finally get back out for a run, check things off my "to do" list, and not have to use my car! :)



Inès From Paris (FRANCE)
March 2012

Hey ATP ! What a feeling ! Being face to face with the nature, breathing fresh air, listening to music while biking or walking! Every time I come to L.A or San Francisco, I left my brown Vespa in the garage, and use my bike, it feels so nice! I discover the city again and again, enjoying the sun on my skin and there are so many great places you can only access by walk/bike! and there is this strange satisfaction going through your body, feeling healthier or happier? whatever it is, It's an addiction! Why doesn't ATP organize a 'together walk' in LA with Deamus and Stana? It could really give a good publicity for ATP. Think about it! �? BIENT�?T !!!



Rachel from NY
March 2012

Hello, I'm Rachel and I am from NY, but not the city. If you ask someone from my neck of the woods we'd tell you Upstate NY, ask someone in the city and they'll shrug and say Canada. :) I'm currently in school finishing my PhD and teaching Developmental Psychology. I was attracted to this project because I was given the amazing opportunity to spend last summer traveling alternatively...on foot through Italy. The photo above is one I took, which I am currently painting. Since getting back I've allowed myself to get pulled back into the 80 hour work week, meaningless stress and everything else has taken a back seat. That all changed for me about 6 weeks ago when I was told that I was loosing my eyesight (the teacher/scholar and painter may go blind- ironic huh?). Anyhow, I've committed myself to taking time to doing things I love, like walking to campus with my camera in my pocket (to later paint the shots I capture). So what if it takes longer to get to work; it is worth it. I thought this was wonderful project, with a meaningful purpose, and I wanted to be a part of it. I'm looking forward to whatever this experience can teach me :)



Gabriela From Miami, Florida
March 2012

I've always known that my dad was a forward thinker, and for the past 7 years he's been using only public transportation to get to and from work. Normally the trip from our house to his job takes about 40 minutes and is about 20 miles from our house. But using only the bus, the metro-rail and the metro-mover, the trip takes him a little over an hour. But he says the extra time in his travel is worth it because not only is he not using his car (thus less gas usage, less impact on the planet) but he now has more time to read, listen to music and overall- avoid Miami traffic! I've started to use my car less by taking a page out my dad's book and have been using the public transportation system to get to and from school. So instead of not using the car for one day, we're working on not using the car everyday.



Amy From Derry, Northern Ireland
March 2012

When I found out about this project in Initally thought that it was for adults who had cars, but then I seen different pictures from people who looked about my age (16), so I thought I could give this a go, now I travel to school by bus and nearly almost walk or cycle everywhere with my friends. This project is really one-of-a-kind.

Elisa From France
March 2012

HI ! When I have seen the ATP project thanks to Stana and Seamus I immediatly though that I had to walk more so I did a walk and took lots of pictures ! That wasamazing I realised that it was very cool and taht the project was great ! Thanks

sarah From Manchester, England
March 2012

Im currently trying to get out again after a flare-up of RA (Rheumatoid Arthrtis), so what better way than using shanks' pony (feet) and day..... P.S When i grow up can i please be stana, i'm actually 37, but whos counting.



Alexa From Florida
February 2012

I love this Project. I thought it was funny I would stumble across it now for as of tomorrow I will be walking everywhere instead of driving. Right now I live an hour away from school and I drive. Tomorrow I get the keys to my new apartment which is within walking distance to everything including school. So, I will definitely be participating in this project. I will go from using my truck every day five days a week. To maybe two to three times a month.

Felix from Amsterdam
February 2012

I think it's funny to see everyone riding their car, because a lot of people from the Netherlands, go to work by bike. This also takes less time because you don't get stuck in traffic and everywhere in the city are bicycle paths. And every time I go to an other country, for me it's weird to see no bikes. But that's also very typical for the Netherlands: everyones owns a bike and everywhere you look are bikes. I hope more people will ride to their work/school by bike. Because everyone at my school goes by bike (and some with public transport). But nobody is brought to school by a car!

Andreea Cristina Istoc From Romania
February 2012

Hey! Just wanted to say again a big thank you for this great honor to include our kids from kindergarten & primary school in your ATP video! We kind of celebrated today that day when the video was uploaded on 26th of February 2011... ;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ev65PazSBg I send you some pics from the ATP winter session, we had a freakin' hard winter this year, but we survived... ;) and we did a lot of ATP days, not only on Friday! At least we did, the ones from the schools who are a little further than the main school that is closer to town. But all my colleagues are doing the Friday without a car and they love it and I appreciate their support and dedication! Thank you for reading this! Hug, Andreea



Angelica Torre From Bacolod City, Philippines
December 2011

Hi! I'm Angelica Torre from the Philippines and currently studying as a 9th grade student. Everyday I would travel to school by either walking or riding in a what we call as "trisikad" or pedicab. There's no need for fuel, it's environment safe and mostly healthier. My brothers use this method of transportation, my mom, my classmates and my friends. Now, I just need to convince my dad to give up his car even for one day. I support the Alternative Travel Project 100%! I love Castle, I love Stana and Seamus and I would love to be part in a better change for our environment. I say let's keep walking and support #ATP! :))

Triinu From Tallinn, Estonia
December 2011

Hello from land of the cold here! I wanted to send in my story, how alternative travelling means have shaped my life. I am Triinu (you can call me Trinx, cause I know how hard my name can be to pronounciate), 24 years old and I live in this far land called Estonia. I have studied Environmental Science&Technology over 6 years and I have been working in Estonia's biggest airport as an environmental specialist over 3 years - so my purpose in my work & all is to make airports go greener. Also - i own no car. I refuse to buy a car, because I am living alone and with good mass-transport system we have in Tallinn, I can go everywhere I want. I start my workday early in the morning, i take a tram to go to city centre and there i will catch a bus that takes me to airport. In my work, i all day i try to deal with every kind of environmental decisions & themes. When i start to go back home, i walk to the nearest tram stop, or I take a bus or tram. That's for the winter (cause, you know, its snowy in here in winter). In summertime, i don't need busses or trams - i have my bike. I go everywhere with my bike. To work, to shop, to visit my friends. I also have rolleskates, which helps a lot too. When I am visiting my parents at my country home in countryside of estonia, i will ride my bike to the train station and i will take my bike with me to the train. When I arrive to the country - all i need to do, is come off from train with my bike and start peddaling home. That is what my life looks like daily. I need no car, i have everything i need. And - i feel healthier when I have walked few miles to home. Or ridden a bike. It makes me happier. And to know that i am environmental friendly that way - it makes me more happier. To be able to make a company more environmental-friendly ... and to make myself environmental friendly - i am so happy I can do that. Hopefully, this project inspires more and more people to actually do something to the environment and to themselves. I am really grateful that you all are doing this for world. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Triinu (Trinx) from Estonia



Samantha Vinson From Hugo, MN
November 2011

First off, I want to thank all of you for your hard work and dedication to this project. It means a lot to me :) Over the summer and late into the fall, I've been taking my bike whenever I can. But seeing as how Iive in Minnesota, it'll probably be hard to bike places :) But once spring has sprung, you can count on seeing me biking more often!

Suba From Montreal, Canada
November 2011

Hi, my name is Suba and I live in Montreal, Canada. Last year, I was a member of C-Vert, which is a group of teens between 14 and 17 years old caring about our planet. Last summer, we all went camping. No internet, no cellphones, zero technology. But, we had our bikes. We took a school bus to get closer to the camping station. There, we took our bikes, got to the camping spot about 40 km away. It took us around 6 hours to arrive. Believe me, we sweat a lot but it was all worth it. We had so much fun! We were surrounded by trees, lakes and mountains. It was all quite, no horns, no yelling people, only the sound of nature. Also, in Montreal, alternative transports are way too popular. There are too many people using the subway, the trains and the buses that the city created a bicycle project in 2008, which is called BIXI. It is a public bike system for urban transport. Guys, you have all my support in this project. Here's a picture of the group getting ready to take our bikes.



László Harsányi From Budapest / Hungary
November 2011

There are about 2 million people who lives in Budapest, the capital of Hungary and a very elaborate network of public transport serves them plus the many tourists as well. While it is very good to have about 200 bus lines, 3 metro lines, tram and trolleybus lines, even for a local it was not easy to find way to or from an unknown part of the city. Printed maps are good, but with the many lines they are usually cramped and often aren't at hand when they need the most. Since July there is a better alternative: use the well known Google map. Either on your computer at home or your Android/iPhone mobile you just need to type in the place where you want to go (it can be the name of the restaurant or club as well) and it will show you the possible route combinations. As there are many lines which operates throughout the night (welcome to a party!), the program suggest different solutions depending the time. In the first image there are two alternative routes from one place to another during daytime, on the second there is the best route by night. It works in direct connection with the timetable database of the public transport company (BKV), so even the temporary changes are adjusted. On the left you can see the number of the line (color coded: blue=bus, yellow=tram, red=trolley), and the stop where you should change. It is an easy to use and very useful app even to the locals, but invaluable to the tourists who come and want to discover the town on their own.



Lena in France

Hi everyone!
 
Thanks first for this incredible project.
 
Since a few months I have my own alternative way to travel. You can see the photo joined to this mail. His name is Loisir (I'm French, and he's too) and he's also my partner for work: I am a forest warden and instead of doing my job with a car, I use my passion for horse riding to patrol and report the problems, silently and respectfully for everything that surround me. This is awesome and I really believe in that way to work. This is the theoretical and utopian idea. Because I actually don't find any job! But, it doesn't matter, I wanted to share!
 
Big Thanks to Stana who made me discover the project and for the time she gives to our planet. And sorry for my bad English, I'm doing everything I can to change that!
 
I wish you success!



Katarzyna From Poland
October 2011

I see this building while ATPing after work almost every day, decided to take a picture of it last Friday... sort of a permanent exhibition of photos of people who used to live there before the World War II and who probably lost their lives during the war... this area was a part of Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw. 



Préma from France

Just came back from my vacation in Norway today, beautiful sceneries, atmosphere... and I enjoyed it WAY MORE by using a Bike ( ATP ! ) instead of a car... I could appreciate the environment and the silence... that picture was taken 2 days ago around the Svartisen which is Norway's second highest glacier ( area of 370 squarekilometers ) It is the lowest positioned glacier on the european mainland... 



Bogdan Bobo From Romaina

Hi! First, let me introduce myself... My name is Bogdan, I am from Romania and I am a sport teacher... I wanted to thank you personally for this, because you started this, thanks to you and for the project, Andreea came and showed us your videos, and she came with this great idea to do something similar and we did, and it was just amazing what happened next. We started to know each others better, we became closer, I can't tell you what a great group we are now. And the great moment is that some of us found their love... First Lori and Gabi, then me and Ionela... And we are going to get married next year. I know Andreea already told you this... I can't thank you enough for all!!! You are such a wonderful person. And a great actress,we all love Castle and finally Andreea showed us For Lovers Only... We were 10 teachers and some of us are Beatles fans, so when John Lennnon - Love started in the film, WOW, I can't tell you our reaction. Wonderful film, we really loved it. We watched it twice, until 2 AM and next morning we went to a school meeting, LOL, you can imagine what we were look like... Well, thank you again and we will do our ATP day every Friday!