Europe’s cities are making less room for cars after coronavirus
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Re: Europe’s cities are making less room for cars after coronavirus
#2That is a great idea. Push more people to crowded public transit where infections can spread easier.
Re: Europe’s cities are making less room for cars after coronavirus
#3That is a great idea. Push more people to crowded public transit where infections can spread easier.
From the article it's clear that the intention is to replace car use with biking and walking, not use of public transport.
e.g. (from the article):
As a result, Milan is going big on cycling and walking. Over the summer, the city core will be partly remodeled to give over 22 miles (35 kilometers) of road space previously used by cars to bikes and pedestrians. Those cars that are allowed into the center must adhere to a new reduced 30 kilometers per hour speed limit. The aim is to make traffic more fluid and give pedestrians more space to spread out safely.
Re: Europe’s cities are making less room for cars after coronavirus
#4That is a great idea. Push more people to crowded public transit where infections can spread easier.
Public transit is a lot better in Europe, and besides, this is a long term plan.
Re: Europe’s cities are making less room for cars after coronavirus
#5That is a great idea. Push more people to crowded public transit where infections can spread easier.
Nope, the article says
"Accordingly, says Milan Mayor Beppe Sala, the city plans to maintain its metro system’s capacity at less than two-thirds of its pre-pandemic activity. Instead of the 1.4 million average trips it saw daily before the pandemic, it will accommodate a maximum daily ridership of 400,000."
Instead, they're focusing on supporting walking and cycling.
"As a result, Milan is going big on cycling and walking. Over the summer, the city core will be partly remodeled to give over 22 miles (35 kilometers) of road space previously used by cars to bikes and pedestrians. Those cars that are allowed into the center must adhere to a new reduced 30 kilometers per hour speed limit. The aim is to make traffic more fluid and give pedestrians more space to spread out safely."
Re: Europe’s cities are making less room for cars after coronavirus
#6That is a great idea. Push more people to crowded public transit where infections can spread easier.
From the article it's clear that the intention is to replace car use with biking and walking, not use of public transport. e.g. (from the article): As a result, Milan is going big on cycling and walking. Over the summer, the city core will be partly remodeled to give over 22 miles (35 kilometers) of road space previously used by cars to bikes and pedestrians. Those cars that are allowed into the center must adhere to…
So basically, the idea is to substantially shrink people's worlds in real, day to day terms, reducing the distance it's practical to travel to work, socialize and shop? Why even live in a big city anymore at that point, if you're only going to be able to interact with a small corner of it?
Re: Europe’s cities are making less room for cars after coronavirus
#7That is a great idea. Push more people to crowded public transit where infections can spread easier.
Public transit is a lot better in Europe, and besides, this is a long term plan.
Better in what way? I've in Paris for decades, people are jammed together all the time. Horrible conditions during a pandemic. Let's face it, cars are better in this case. Biking in Paris where it rains all the time and gets really cold, good luck with that (I'm a biker myself and use it all the time, just not feeling good about this knowing Parisians).
Re: Europe’s cities are making less room for cars after coronavirus
#8That is a great idea. Push more people to crowded public transit where infections can spread easier.
Nope, the article says "Accordingly, says Milan Mayor Beppe Sala, the city plans to maintain its metro system’s capacity at less than two-thirds of its pre-pandemic activity. Instead of the 1.4 million average trips it saw daily before the pandemic, it will accommodate a maximum daily ridership of 400,000." Instead, they're focusing on supporting walking and cycling. "As a result, Milan is going big on cycling and wa…
This is misleading - the city controls supply, not demand.
By cutting service in specific routes, they're probably just going to increase density on them.
The issue is less about 'net capacity / ridership' as much as literally density on each ride.
Paradoxically, reducing density comes with increasing capacity.
Cities/central planners do this kind of thing all the time, they change some thing over here and think that people's behaviour will change. Sometimes it does - but people still need to get to work, pick up their kids, etc. and if the choice is not public transport, it's often 'car'.
Again, creating 'more supply' of biking routes may move the needle but it doesn't change the fact you live 12km from the office and biking is not practical for many people in those circumstances.
Re: Europe’s cities are making less room for cars after coronavirus
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
From the article it's clear that the intention is to replace car use with biking and walking, not use of public transport. e.g. (from the article): As a result, Milan is going big on cycling and walking. Over the summer, the city core will be partly remodeled to give over 22 miles (35 kilometers) of road space previously used by cars to bikes and pedestrians. Those cars that are allowed into the center must adhere to…
So basically, the idea is to substantially shrink people's worlds in real, day to day terms, reducing the distance it's practical to travel to work, socialize and shop? Why even live in a big city anymore at that point, if you're only going to be able to interact with a small corner of it?
That's how I understood it as well. This idea seems to be gaining popularity in a lot of places. I wonder how much this is going to cost their local economy in the long-term.
Re: Europe’s cities are making less room for cars after coronavirus
#10That is a great idea. Push more people to crowded public transit where infections can spread easier.
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