Not in the suburbs...
cheap automated taxis are a way more realistic idea for reducing traffic. Not just for last mile either. Switching transportation in the middle of a trip even once wastes a ton of time and adds hassle.
Car-Free Streets Will Soon Be the Norm
141–150 of 286 posts
Re: Car-Free Streets Will Soon Be the Norm
#142Not in the suburbs... cheap automated taxis are a way more realistic idea for reducing traffic. Not just for last mile either. Switching transportation in the middle of a trip even once wastes a ton of time and adds hassle.
> Not in the suburbs...
Which, as a reminder for urbanists, really translates to "Not in the only place 90% of the nation's population is allowed to live"
Re: Car-Free Streets Will Soon Be the Norm
#143Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Absolutely no one is advocating removing cars from those areas. You'll find plenty of people here who will be happy to argue that living outside of dense cities is unsustainable and has to end. They're wrong. But it's their opinion.
I engage pretty heavily with civic & transit planning, and I've never heard someone argue that in my entire life. If that is an opinion held by some, they are certainly a minuscule minority.
Search HN comments for something like "unsustainable suburban" and you'll find plenty of hits from people arguing basically that suburbs have to (somehow) end.
Re: Car-Free Streets Will Soon Be the Norm
#144Earlier quoted context omitted.
With the right gear, cycling in winter isn’t bad at all, provided the path is clear.
Anecdotal, but I've ridden a bike in winter only once. There was a lot of melted snow "slush". I almost slipped twice. One of those two times, I was right in front of a car when my back wheel slid off to the side, and I caught myself from falling just in time. I've never done it again, it seems suicidal to me. It was a mountain-style bike, and I would have assumed the tires had enough grip. I'm sure you can pick up t…
Studded bike tires are common in bike friendly, cold cities. Work great with ice. It's all about the right tool for the job.
Although what a lot of winter bike commuters do in my city is go by bike 95% of the winter, and take the bus when the conditions are really bad.
Re: Car-Free Streets Will Soon Be the Norm
#145Earlier quoted context omitted.
With the right gear, cycling in winter isn’t bad at all, provided the path is clear.
Anecdotal, but I've ridden a bike in winter only once. There was a lot of melted snow "slush". I almost slipped twice. One of those two times, I was right in front of a car when my back wheel slid off to the side, and I caught myself from falling just in time. I've never done it again, it seems suicidal to me. It was a mountain-style bike, and I would have assumed the tires had enough grip. I'm sure you can pick up t…
It really seems to be an activity that takes a special type of person to enjoy - my wife, being an avid summer biker, tried winter biking a single time, and came back with a giant bruise on her knee and a bent pedal and swore never again.
Re: Car-Free Streets Will Soon Be the Norm
#146> When asked what they like most about a city they have visited [...] It's the people who live there you need to ask. People visiting a city generally have different goals and different constraints than people who live there.
I've read that, though never personally asked, people in manhattan rarely own cars and all the traffic is from outsiders and construction workers. I can't verify this but I suspect this is probably a pattern that is replicated in many major cities since most of the residents understand the functionality of the local public transportation system.
Only about 22% of households in Manhattan own cars. But there's also a huge number of cabs, Uber/Lyft, limos, etc., many of which are taken by locals. Also a lot of traffic comes from delivery vehicles, buses, and so forth.
Re: Car-Free Streets Will Soon Be the Norm
#147San Francisco had one street block near Union Square closed off for a looong time because of construction, and they put some fake turf on it. Occasionally there would be pop-up events, like a little Christmas fair. I would deliberately walk slightly out of my way to go up that block because it meant no cars and wayyy more room to walk. I loved it and was so disappointed to see it turned into a normal street again.
Sidewalks are stupidly narrow here. Two people walking side by side can make it hard for people going the other way to walk around them. There are poles and trash cans and store front tables that take up even more room. Walking is a pretty dreary experience as a result - you feel like a second-class citizen.
I would love it if the city just took even like.. one street going east-west, and one street going north-south, and convert them to walkable promenades for a sizable portion. I'm curious why this hasn't happened yet - is there significant local opposition? For storefronts or restaurants, the direct in-front parking would be lost yes, but there would definitely be more foot traffic, and there would still be parking on adjacent streets. I suppose the main loser would be homeowners that use street parking.
Re: Car-Free Streets Will Soon Be the Norm
#148Earlier quoted context omitted.
Depends what part of Europe. Around the mediterranean, sure. But in the industrial north / Benelux - not so much to see, but the cities are gorgeous.
Strongly disagree. My wife & I cycled from Copenhagen to Skagen to Amsterdam to Paris. We loved both the cities and the countryside.
If I may ask, how did you do so? How did you handle luggage? (Or did you have none?) Were you part of a tour, or just on your own?
Re: Car-Free Streets Will Soon Be the Norm
#149We get it citylab, you hate cars, and think everyone lives in the downtown of a metropolis. Meanwhile, the rest of us have places to be, and 99% of my country has no public transport. While I agree that city centers need more walking room, the categorical exclusion of longer distant transport options will just create more parking lots at the border of such areas. The more modern planning ignores the forest (countries…
America is certainly decades (if not centuries) behind in public transportation. However, these CityLab articles are doing a great thing by highlighting our unhealthy dependence on cars and making it a part of everyday conversation. If we're ever going to change we need to start by agreeing there is a problem and discussing realistic solutions. I don't quite understand your point about the "technological and class di…
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Re: Car-Free Streets Will Soon Be the Norm
#150Earlier quoted context omitted.
Depends what part of Europe. Around the mediterranean, sure. But in the industrial north / Benelux - not so much to see, but the cities are gorgeous.
Strongly disagree. My wife & I cycled from Copenhagen to Skagen to Amsterdam to Paris. We loved both the cities and the countryside.
That's true - cycling is a completely different experience in that part of Europe, it's quite lovely.