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Short of Venice, no city on earth is “car free” by objective measures.
The average resident in NYC a) does not have car or b) doesn’t use one for day to day necessities and that’s what should be judged.
I disagree. This thread is clearly referencing cities where being car free is an option and is being misinterpreted as being about cities where everyone in the city has that option. NYC was referenced as a city where that is true and I’m responding that it’s not. NYC is certainly at or near the top but the greater point is that this was not intended to be a discussion about cities where every place in the city is car free.
It might be interesting to see what the stats are like taking the densest contiguous 36 square miles of Staten Island (equivalent land area to Miami and make a comparison. I suspect Miami would come out on top, but if so, the difference probably isn't going to be much.
Right, and I think a stat I'd favor over averages of a municipality would be to mostly ignore municipal lines and instead count contiguous / very well-connected land area of very walkable areas.
Interesting as those may be, my point is that this thread is about the ability to be car free in a city and not which cities are car free in their entirety. There’s a range and that’s why the OP was a ranking.
Interesting as those may be, my point is that this thread is about the ability to be car free in a city and not which cities are car free in their entirety. There’s a range and that’s why the OP was a ranking.
Right, I do agree calling NYC a "car-free city" is confusing and inaccurate. That being said, Staten Island though not a city on its own, is effectively one of the larger contiguous urban areas where living without a car does not result in massive loss in quality of life, and I'd say probably top 30 within the US with the best of it towards the northeastern section of the island.
The obvious answer is NYC. It's been long known and popularized as the ultimate pedestrian city. Nowhere comes close. I've had multiple family members live in the city their entire life and never had a driver's license. And I'm not just talking Manhattan but the Bronx and Queens too. This has been a common theme in NYC forever. Anyone who uses Staten Island as a barometer for NYC's car/car-free lifestyle is just pulling at straws and has no clue as that borough is a complete outlier with the smallest population of any borough by far. And even Staten Island has long been known for having the Ferry as the main mode of transportation for its residents into Manhattan.
I think everyone in eastern queens should get a license.
I think everyone in eastern queens should get a license.
There are still some parts of Eastern Queens where it's not too bad to live without a car.
Really what needs to happen is for LIRR and other commuter rail systems to act as a S-Bahn system with much more frequent service with multiple stops in the core so the existing LIRR stations are better utilized. Along with that should be extensive, frequent bus service acting as feeders to these stations.
The obvious answer is NYC. It's been long known and popularized as the ultimate pedestrian city. Nowhere comes close. I've had multiple family members live in the city their entire life and never had a driver's license. And I'm not just talking Manhattan but the Bronx and Queens too. This has been a common theme in NYC forever. Anyone who uses Staten Island as a barometer for NYC's car/car-free lifestyle is just pulling at straws and has no clue as that borough is a complete outlier with the smallest population of any borough by far. And even Staten Island has long been known for having the Ferry as the main mode of transportation for its residents into Manhattan.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OyCrumbler
There are still some parts of Eastern Queens where it's not too bad to live without a car.
Really what needs to happen is for LIRR and other commuter rail systems to act as a S-Bahn system with much more frequent service with multiple stops in the core so the existing LIRR stations are better utilized. Along with that should be extensive, frequent bus service acting as feeders to these stations.
Where in eastern queens are we talking? Are you talking about the immediate dense areas next to flushing?
I think everyone in eastern queens should get a license.
Eastern Queens is like Nassau county. None of them can drive.
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