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Cycling Is Key to Safer, Healthier, More Vital Cities

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Re: Cycling Is Key to Safer, Healthier, More Vital Cities

#131

Post by smileysteve »

option wrote: post #40

I wonder how a bike or even public transit is going to replace a car? 1) How am I supposed ro go to the beach with two kids, stuff for picnic and surfboards on a bike or even on a bus?!! 2) Public transit is all good, but have you ever been in a PEOPLE jam during rush hour in a subway? Because I had. And I will take SV traffic jam over it any day. The truly bad things happen because of radicalism - it should not be b…

In LA, the train goes right to long beach. You have your two kids carry picnic stuff; you may just want to rent a surfboard there.

*note, I lived in LA for 4 months w/o a car; It's a pain to fit a longboard in an UberXL.

Re: Cycling Is Key to Safer, Healthier, More Vital Cities

#132

Post by Steltek »

clavalle wrote: post #103
notauser wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but fewer people are having children, which reduces the demand for suburban living. The suburbs also have less attraction for me as a parent. In the old days you could let your kids roam a suburb freely - now you can't. So why not live in a city? You have the same restrictions, but also a lot more distractions such as free museums.

Why can't you let your kids roam in a suburb?

I suppose my kids could technically "roam" but they won't have anywhere to go that's interesting. Most kids can't even walk or bike to school in the suburbs.

Re: Cycling Is Key to Safer, Healthier, More Vital Cities

#133

Post by village-idiot »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #97
village-idiot wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Buying suburban for me would replace my 30m walking commute for a 1.5h driving commute, all for a yard I wouldn't have time to use with my commute. Not a good trade for me. I also don't have any kids and won't be having them.

Fair points. My commute is 20 minutes (long enough for one NPR podcast and a Dunkin Dounts coffee on the way), and I only go into the office a few days each month. My employer even installed an EV charger for me!

That sounds about perfect for a driving commute.

Re: Cycling Is Key to Safer, Healthier, More Vital Cities

#134

Post by oftenwrong »

village-idiot wrote: post #87
jbob2000 wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm genuinely curious: do you wear glasses? How do you keep them from getting fogged up/iced over when riding in the winter? Don't waste your time. Pro-cyclists are the most biased and privileged people I've ever met. Just get on your bike, it's so easy! forgets that some people have bad knees . All you need is some goggles when it rains! forgets that people wear glasses . Just wait for the snow to be cleared! forg…

I laugh at the idea that cyclists are privileged people when your entire argument is "I want to sit in my $30k steel box, not have to prepare for changes in weather, not interact with other people, and not work". The idea that someone on a $400 bike who read a weather report and works to commute is "privileged" is ludicrous.

Don't forget the massive infrastructure investments required to support life built on the private car. Maintained roads and gasoline come at an enormous cost to society. The cost of everything is multiplied by driving-based distances.

Re: Cycling Is Key to Safer, Healthier, More Vital Cities

#135

Post by lykahb »

brightball wrote: post #54
village-idiot wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are far too certain. 70 years ago a prognosticator wouldn't be considered insane to say "the ship sailed on cities 50 years ago, Americans live in downtown and that's not changing". These things do change, often quite quickly. Personally, I think the Boomers are in for a big shock when they try to sell their homes for a "fair" price, and discover that Millennials neither want nor can afford large suburban homes.…

> Millennials neither want nor can afford large suburban homes I see this often. Very few people want large homes when they are either single or don't have kids. As soon as you do have kids and they start to grow to an age where they want to play outside, having space to run, play sports, be away from traffic, have their own room, etc gets a lot higher on your priority list. You can also get a suburban home without i…

The suburbs have less air and noise pollution, which is good for the children but overall it's a dull and isolated environment. Playing alone in the backyard just because that is the only place where a child can go out of the house is quite sad.

In Europe the children can go to a shared park or a playground. Strolling along a street is also safe and quite pleasant when there is little traffic. There is more space and things to do than you can have in your backyard. And more importantly, they get to play with other children.

Re: Cycling Is Key to Safer, Healthier, More Vital Cities

#136

Post by village-idiot »

chrissnell wrote: post #128
village-idiot wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Buying suburban for me would replace my 30m walking commute for a 1.5h driving commute, all for a yard I wouldn't have time to use with my commute. Not a good trade for me. I also don't have any kids and won't be having them.

How old are you? I was quite sure that I wouldn't have kids, either, but I randomly met a nice girl who lived in the (urban) apartment upstairs from me and next thing I knew, I was 38, married, and watching my son being born. It comes at you fast and unexpected and it wasn't at all the life-ruining thing that I was sure it was when I was 28. Here in my early 40s, my only regret is not doing it earlier.

Old enough and married long enough to make me changing my mind unlikely.

Re: Cycling Is Key to Safer, Healthier, More Vital Cities

#137

Post by _corym »

I’m a big proponent of bicycling, not only because of it’s health benefits but also because of city-design. Recently there was a poll taken place in my city which proposed reducing lanes to add more sidewalk and bike lanes to a few streets for the added commute time of around 1-2 minutes. As both a driver and a cyclist this is an acceptable trade off. Especially since the proposed streets had previously seen a lot of vehicle-pedestrian accidents.

I think an important part of having a more bikable city is that it leads to a more livable city. My bike ride to work takes me through the south-east part of town which was previously segregated. These areas aren’t well-suited to biking, but should be. If you are poor and your car breaks down you still have to have a way to get to work. A car is a hell of a lot more expensive then a bike or a bus.

Re: Cycling Is Key to Safer, Healthier, More Vital Cities

#138

Post by imgabe »

c0nsumer wrote: post #112
imgabe wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's also these things called "clothes" humans have been using to protect themselves from the elements for quite a while. Humans walked across Siberia with little more than animal skins. I think most can handle a 30 minute bike ride when it's a bit chilly.

It's often not the cold, but the riding surface. Ice, snow, and water really change the dynamics of riding a bike.

The same is true for cars, yet nobody uses that as a reason not to drive a car.

Re: Cycling Is Key to Safer, Healthier, More Vital Cities

#139

Post by village-idiot »

option wrote: post #63
adrianN wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe you should keep your car for the rare occasions where you actually need to transport a lot of stuff (you could rent a car if that happens infrequently enough) and not clog the roads every day when a bike and public transit could take you to the office just as quickly.

Personally, I actually commute to work by motorcycle (not sure why it isn’t more popular in CA). But, of course, like a bicycle, it is not for everyone.

Perception of risk is why. My wife has made it very clear that I’m a single man if I ever get a motorcycle.

Re: Cycling Is Key to Safer, Healthier, More Vital Cities

#140

Post by Steltek »

brightball wrote: post #54
village-idiot wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are far too certain. 70 years ago a prognosticator wouldn't be considered insane to say "the ship sailed on cities 50 years ago, Americans live in downtown and that's not changing". These things do change, often quite quickly. Personally, I think the Boomers are in for a big shock when they try to sell their homes for a "fair" price, and discover that Millennials neither want nor can afford large suburban homes.…

> Millennials neither want nor can afford large suburban homes I see this often. Very few people want large homes when they are either single or don't have kids. As soon as you do have kids and they start to grow to an age where they want to play outside, having space to run, play sports, be away from traffic, have their own room, etc gets a lot higher on your priority list. You can also get a suburban home without i…

I'm a Millennial (by some definitions) with kids. I don't want "more house"; instead I want my kids to have access to things to foster their independence and growth.

I have a lot of friends, with kids, who have had to look farther out into the suburbs because of home prices and inventory. And nothing in this price range is HGTV material, believe me.

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