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You still have to deal with the operating costs. And if everyone has to walk all the way over to the garage/roadway to hail them down, it's just a horribly expensive variant on the city bus.
You're asking the wrong question. The question isn't to ask why you're the only person on the bus. Why are all those people in individual cars?
You still have to deal with the operating costs. And if everyone has to walk all the way over to the garage/roadway to hail them down, it's just a horribly expensive variant on the city bus.
You're asking the wrong question. The question isn't to ask why you're the only person on the bus. Why are all those people in individual cars?
Because in the modern US car slum, pedestrians are second-class citizens. The bus systems run with the intention of serving the general public but ends up catering to only those who absolutely need to use it. A lot of places have bus stigma because these people freak them out. Anyone who can afford to drive does, even if it keeps them in eternal consumer debt.
You're blaming the technology, not the underlying structure of the neighborhood. Assuming there were no cars, or even buses--would people be physically able to walk to work? If not, why not?
You're blaming the technology, not the underlying structure of the neighborhood. Assuming there were no cars, or even buses--would people be physically able to walk to work? If not, why not?
It could take them up to 2-3 hours, but most people I believe would physically be able to do it. At this point even though it would be ideal for people to live really close to where they work, people move around jobs too much to ensure that will always be the case. I think it would be reasonable to expect people to be able to walk from their house to the nearest major road to catch a bus, van, or taxi to get to where they need to go.
You seem very attached to the idea of keeping those totally separate park-like suburbs, so widely separated from other uses, but don't want to keep the cars that make them possible.
You seem very attached to the idea of keeping those totally separate park-like suburbs, so widely separated from other uses, but don't want to keep the cars that make them possible.
When did I state that I wanted them to be separate from other uses?
Quote:
Originally Posted by abqpsychlist
So my idea of a (relatively) cheap way to improve suburbia is to unpave the streets. Of course, in my ideal future scenario, people don't 'own' their cars but rather participate in share-taxis and therefore the space dedicated to hosting cars could be put to better use.
They could replace them with a bike path and sidewalk and maybe some social areas or playgrounds or snow cone stands, or have some gardens or something...whatever the people there decide.
Oh and people could convert their garages (if they want) to apartments or extra rooms or whatever to better utilize that space.
...I don't know the percentage of space taken up by roadways and parking lots, but I know that's the canvas for our urban development in the 21st century.
I'm all about multi-use zoning, and I think much of the space occupied by surface parking lots could be put to much better use.
If I took the bus to work, it would take me two hours. If I drive, it takes 30 minutes.
Congratulations!! However I don't believe you're the majority in doing so.
Real estate is usually cheaper too where there's little or poor access to public transit. I think the cost more than anything is what drives people to live in suburbia.
In many eastern cities the cost of living in the city is far cheaper.
I think it all depends. In the south and west of the US, it's pretty much "drive til you qualify" but I could see how in the bigger cities it could be considered a luxury to have a house in the burbs.
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