I can’t help but think that cars (EV included) just aren’t the answer. I feel like bikes aren’t the answer either. I feel like the metro and high speed rail are.

Most people don’t drive because they like driving (US), most people drive because they have to. And that sucks. You shouldn’t feel like you’re forced to drive. Because that’s auto insurance and auto registration that you have to pay.

You can’t eliminate roads altogether. You need at least one or two lanes for fire trucks, ambulances, garbage trucks, etc. but you can create pockets of no car zones.

People like me who like cars, should be able to have places we store our cars. We should have places where we can explore the limits of our cars instead of driving through traffic. But that should be a strictly extracurricular activity.

In the no car pockets, you should be able to walk to a grocery store, hardware store, that has what you need. You should be able to have mixed zoning. Single family units shouldn’t be the norm. If I own a car but it’s not my dedicated form of transportation, I can buy a cooler car and I don’t need a garage next to where I live to store it. I can store it outside no car pockets so that I can take public transport to my car and then take my car to the track.

Yes, it’ll take awhile to get there but why aren’t we doing more to that end? Am I too idealistic?

  • bionicjoey@lemmy.ca
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    11 months ago

    I think the best possible form of transportation to design our cities around is feet. It’s extremely feasible to build neighborhoods where 90% of what you need to live and work is within a 10-20 minute walk. Density and mixed use are key.

    Then I honestly don’t think it matters that much how people get between said neighborhoods. Just by prioritizing walkability we would get rid of 90% of trips.

    • BCsven@lemmy.ca
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      11 months ago

      There are newer developments in suburban BC, that have done the village model. storefronts on bottom, and townhomes, or low highrise above. everything you need for daily existance is in the plaza below. I had culture shock in chicago, where the only way across road from hotel to restaurants was by car. No sidewalks, no pedestrian crossing. Just make a run for it and don’t fall in the ditch either side of roadway

      • bionicjoey@lemmy.ca
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        11 months ago

        That development style is awesome. It’s hard to find outside of older, more run down neighborhoods in most cities.

    • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      The trouble with walkability is variety. I get in my car, I can reach shopping malls, clothing stores, restaurants of practically any cuisine, and the post office to send a letter.

      Years ago I lived in a major city on the east coast with decent public transit and high “walkability index” ratings. I could walk to a bodega, three pubs, two pizza places, a chinese restaurant, an organic grocery store, and the gym. I biked to work and to school, and could take public transit to the regional rails to get out of the city if needed.

      I still needed a car.

      You can’t carry a week’s worth of groceries for a family on a bike, and certainly not when it’s raining.

      Public transit takes two or three times as much time compared to driving point to point. Walking could turn a 20 minute errand into a full day adventure. And if I need a specialty store, or to take my kids to the doctor, I’m not waiting around for a bus that may be an hour behind schedule.

      The car should be the backup. There should be other options, more favorable options. Cheaper, cleaner, faster for when you just need to get somewhere. Walking is only a replacement when you live near everywhere you ever need to go and you have enough money to just have everything at your fingertips.

      • bionicjoey@lemmy.ca
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        11 months ago

        Years ago I lived in a major city on the east coast with decent public transit and high “walkability index” ratings. I could walk to a bodega, three pubs, two pizza places, a chinese restaurant, an organic grocery store, and the gym. I biked to work and to school, and could take public transit to the regional rails to get out of the city if needed.

        I still needed a car.

        What on Earth for? I honestly can’t think of a reason why you would need a car in a situation like that. I live in a very walkable neighborhood but with considerably less amenities and I get by just fine without a car or a bike.

        Public transit takes two or three times as much time compared to driving point to point.

        No it does not. That’s only true if cities invest all of their transportation budget into car-centric infrastructure. Public transit is way more efficient.

      • hddsx@lemmy.caOP
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        11 months ago

        Genuinely curious: why do you need a weeks worth of groceries? From living in a big city, albeit in Asia, the benefit of living close to the market is that I can just go pickup what I need for the next few days, and then come back later for the rest.

        • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          A few reasons, but the big one is time. It takes less time to shop once a week than it takes to go every few days.

          It also lets me save money by shopping in bulk for nonperishable items. I can throw 24 rolls of toilet paper in the trunk of my car, or if there is a sale on frozen vegetables I can stock up.

          The other reason is personal, meaning it doesn’t apply to everybody, but I have psoriatic arthritis. It comes and goes, but right now I can’t walk to the mailbox at the end of my driveway without two tylenol and my cane. Thankfully, I’m not using a wheelchair right now, but using a cane on the bus is no picnic, and it means I have to carry everything with my bad shoulder. With my wife, two kids, and a dog, even a two day shopping trip is probably more than I could carry.

          But that’s why my wife does most of the shopping lately. Time is still the number one reason.