Overview:
-"I didn't ever see Black representation," Christina Debose says of online biking discussions.
-Under the moniker Socially Chrissy, she documents her car-free experiences in Detroit.
-Debose uses her online influence to call for more bike-friendly infrastructure throughout the city and more walkable areas.
In June 2021, Christina Debose was one of the thousands of Detroiters affected by a devastating flood.
Two straight days of heavy rain overwhelmed Detroit’s sewer system. Electrical problems at two east side pumping stations drastically reduced the ability to pump wastewater, flooding her neighborhood. Basements filled with water. Home appliances were ruined, and precious personal items were destroyed. The storm caused millions of dollars in damage.
Debose said she realized the impact of the storm when she looked out her window and saw her car floating down Trumbull Street.
Once the rain stopped, Debose called her insurance company. The insurer said it would pay her $15,000 to replace the car she had bought for $16,000 two years earlier. That same model car with double the miles would cost significantly more. It was money she simply didn’t have.
Without a car, Debose needed a way to get around. As a homeschooling mother of an autistic child, she frequently travels throughout the city for engaging activities for her 8-year-old daughter Eden. As a social media strategist, she attends meetings with clients across the city and needs to access workspaces.
Like any good Detroiter, Debose said she didn’t let her circumstances define her. She decided that alternative modes of transportation were her only other option.
“There’s literally a bus station outside my front door,” Debose said. “There’s a bus station right where I live. I’ve never taken a bus in Detroit. I lived in Chicago. I’ve taken a bus before, but never taken a bus here. So why not do it?”
Instead of buying another auto, Debose decided to buy a bike. It took a little while to acclimate to managing life without a car, but once she got the hang of it, she said the ride became much smoother.
‘Nothing limits my travel’
While public transit was fine, Debose said she’s most excited about biking, which gave her a new lease on life. Debose turned to social media to build a community around living a carless life, and said she found few people who look like her discussing nonmotorized transportation.
“I looked at how people online were documenting their travels around their own cities. There are a few Black individuals in D.C. who document themselves and they deliver food. But I didn’t ever see Black representation.”
Using her skills in social media marketing, Debose said she decided to be the change she wanted to see in the world. Under the moniker Socially Chrissy, she began documenting her experiences of roaming around metro Detroit. In one post, she tackles grocery shopping while on a bike with her daughter fastened into a child seat.
“Chrissy at this point, you’re making me want to get a second home downtown so I can be car free with you!” one Instagram commenter said underneath a post of her enjoying a day biking through the city with her daughter.
“Thanks for sharing this!” Another user says under a video of Debose riding through Ann Arbor, “Didn’t know you could rent e-bikes. I may need to plan a date day in Ann Arbor now!”
As summer sets in and temperatures rise, Debose forgoes public transportation and walks and bikes around the city with her daughter.
During the colder months when rain or snow covers the city, the two of them will depend more on public transportation like the QLine, People Mover, and bus routes, which are accessible means of getting around when leg power just won’t cut it.
Rain or shine, Debose said she doesn’t see herself going back to a traditional automobile anytime soon.
“Personally, nothing limits my travel in the city or the world,” Debose said.
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Socially Chrissy: A platform for public transit advocacy
Debose rates Detroit as an 8.8 for its ease of living car-free.
“Downtown, Corktown, Midtown, and the east side have some great car-free areas,” she said. “The 6 to 8 Mile area from Woodward to Wyoming is also amazing, with nice bike lanes and businesses with bike racks. Rosedale Park is improving, and the Grand River bus line is getting better.”
While Debose loves car-free travel, she said it isn’t always easy or convenient. She often posts on her social media about buses being late or broadcasts glaring shortcomings.
Mass transit in Detroit has limited regional connectivity and limited access to job centers, which affects the Detroiters who heavily depend on it.
If these problems become too much, or if her travels take her to the suburbs, Debose said she will take out her phone and contact an Uber.
It’s these shortcomings that have inspired her to do more with her platform than simply document her life. Since adopting her new lifestyle, Debose has publicly advocated for increased funding for the Detroit Department of Transportation so that bus lines can be extended and drivers can receive a pay increase.
She also uses her online influence to call for more bike-friendly infrastructure throughout the city and more walkable areas.
As the city grows economically and steadily updates its infrastructure, Debose said she believes that Detroit’s transportation system will grow along with it.
As Detroiters wait for a shift in public transportation, Debose is doing what she can as Socially Chrissy to highlight how viable a car-free lifestyle can be.
Through posts about checking out a brand-new small business or exploring a museum with her daughter, Debose makes sure to highlight the car-free method she used to get there.
Debose can’t wait to get back home after a long day, and she normally arrives home the same way she left it — on foot, by bus, or on the wheels of her bike.
By living her lifestyle publicly, Debose said she hopes she’ll encourage others to experience the city more intimately rather than always from behind a windshield.
“Right now, this is the Motor City, and that’s what moves people, not public transit,” Debose said.