After a century of highways, parking lots the size of small counties, and a national belief system that says “freedom is a cup holder,” a new survey suggests Americans may be ready to loosen their grip on the steering wheel.

Researchers at Arizona State University found that nearly 60% of car-owning Americans are either strongly interested in or at least open to living car-free a statistic that quietly upends decades of car-first planning.  About 18% are fully ready to ditch their vehicles, and another 40% are peeking over the fence at a world with fewer oil changes and fewer fights over parking. The takeaway is not that everyone wants to sell their pickup tomorrow, but that the appetite for alternatives has survived a hundred years of asphalt propaganda. Even more surprising: interest cuts across income, education, and geography, meaning this isn’t just a “big city, no money” thing, it’s suburban parents, college grads, and professionals who are all a little tired of worshipping at the altar of the gas pump.

For Montana, where distances are long and trucks are practically family members, this matters more than it might first appear. While going fully car-free in rural areas may remain a fantasy (unless teleportation finally ships), the study points to real implications for Montana’s economy, tech sector, and education system. Even small shifts like more walking, biking, transit, or shared transportation could reduce household transportation costs, free up income for local businesses, and reshape how towns like Billings, Bozeman, Missoula, Great Falls, Butte and Helena grow.

It also opens doors for Montana-based tech and engineering startups focused on mobility, mapping, transit software, and outdoor-friendly urban design, while universities and colleges could see rising demand for training in transportation planning, infrastructure tech, and sustainable design. In short, fewer Montanans may be dreaming of life without wheels—but many are clearly interested in not needing them for every single errand. And if policymakers give people a taste of life beyond the windshield, the study suggests they may discover something shocking: freedom can exist without a car payment, and it doesn’t even require premium fuel.

Survey: Most Americans Are Open To Ditching Their Cars