Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Then just don't widen the roads any more, the problem will take care of itself once traffic congestion gets bad enough to seriously disincentivize driving (single occupancy vehicle commuting in particular). Of course, the money can be redirected to bus-only roads if need be. (or possibly bus only during rush hour on weekdays)
And get rid of the zoning laws requiring construction of a minimum amount of parking space, because that is another way to encourage people to use transit more.
And finally, get rid of the zoning laws requiring minimum square footages in the city, so as to decrease the cost of housing in the city relative to the suburbs.
The "experts" advocating for higher driving costs are what is wrong with this country. I think "experts" is a misnomer anyway; I would call them fanatical ideologues.
Let people decide how they want to commute to work, or how they want to go other places. Do many stubborn auto commuters spend too much time stuck in traffic? Well, that's on them - it's their choice. People have a way of choosing what is best for them, using their own criteria, despite what urban planners and other ideologues try to force people to do against their will.
There is not a degree of public transit that could be given to me that would want me to give up my car. Nothing is more convenient than having your own vehicle. Public transit should be for emergencies, not for everyday use in America. Of course, cities like New York and DC are exceptions to this, but that is not the American norm.
This is absolutely the wrong approach. Public transit should be usable and reliable for every day use, so that people who do not want to drive and/or cannot drive can live without having access to a car. Driving should not be the only available choice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by randomparent
I disagree. I think the reverse is true. Well-designed, reliable public transit is perfect for everyday travel, while cars are better for emergencies.
Yup. Well, I mostly agree. Driving should not be the only choice for people. There should be multiple ways to get to your destination, not only a car.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CravingMountains
What about for grocery shopping? Or freezing weather?
These are not "roadblocks" to using transit. You can bring a bag or even a cart on to the bus/train/whatever to carry your groceries. If it is safe enough to go out in your car in freezing weather, it is also safe enough to go outside and walk to the train station or walk to the bus stop.
Let people decide how they want to commute to work, or how they want to go other places. Do many stubborn auto commuters spend too much time stuck in traffic? Well, that's on them - it's their choice. People have a way of choosing what is best for them, using their own criteria, despite what urban planners and other ideologues try to force people to do against their will.
The problem is we don't actually give people choice. We build crappy transit (or transit experiences), and then wonder why no one chooses it. It is not a choice, when it is made unappealing in every way.
This is absolutely the wrong approach. Public transit should be usable and reliable for every day use, so that people who do not want to drive and/or cannot drive can live without having access to a car. Driving should not be the only available choice.
Yup. Well, I mostly agree. Driving should not be the only choice for people. There should be multiple ways to get to your destination, not only a car.
These are not "roadblocks" to using transit. You can bring a bag or even a cart on to the bus/train/whatever to carry your groceries. If it is safe enough to go out in your car in freezing weather, it is also safe enough to go outside and walk to the train station or walk to the bus stop.
No. I am sorry, but no. lol. In Atlanta right now there is a cold front coming through. It is only about 40 degrees out but the wind is absolutely atrocious. So so so so windy.
I had nothing to do and I had to go to CVS to get some medicine, so I decided to walk, rather than drive my car there. It is about 15-20 minute walk to get there and 15 minutes walking back.
The whole time I was absolutely miserable. The wind felt like knives on my skin. It would fly right into my sweater and freeze my entire body. I can do this every now and then but if I had to do that every day because of relying on walking and public transit to get me around town I can only imagine the miserable person I would be. I am so happy to know that if I need to run any errands tonight I can simply walk into my garage, get in my car, and be warm wherever I decide to go.
Also I purchase my groceries one day a week and I get a lot of stuff. Without a vehicle I couldn't imagine hauling around all those groceries block to block. One of my bags broke just the other day and food fell out. What if that happened in the freezing cold of Chicago?
This is absolutely the wrong approach. Public transit should be usable and reliable for every day use, so that people who do not want to drive and/or cannot drive can live without having access to a car. Driving should not be the only available choice.
Yup. Well, I mostly agree. Driving should not be the only choice for people. There should be multiple ways to get to your destination, not only a car.
These are not "roadblocks" to using transit. You can bring a bag or even a cart on to the bus/train/whatever to carry your groceries. If it is safe enough to go out in your car in freezing weather, it is also safe enough to go outside and walk to the train station or walk to the bus stop.
This piece isn't even feasible. You can't have both. Not without taxing every penny from the populace at least.
Also I purchase my groceries one day a week and I get a lot of stuff. Without a vehicle I couldn't imagine hauling around all those groceries block to block. One of my bags broke just the other day and food fell out. What if that happened in the freezing cold of Chicago?
That whole scene in my head seems so miserable.
Okay? I'm not trying convince you to go without a car, only that public transit is not necessarily the disaster the naysayers seem to want everyone, everywhere to believe. It's a terrific resource and even preferable to driving for some of us.
Poor people need to wake up and stop having kids that they can't really raise properly. What we need is a $5 per gallon increase in the price of gasoline, to wake people up to the facts of reality. We also need to bring home all the troops, close all the foreign bases except the ones servicing our submarines. We need to sink the surface Navy, destroy the ICBM'S, disband the Army, Navy and Airforce, and put the Marines guarding a double fence, with mines in between the fences, on our southern border. We need to stop all foreign aid, kick out all the illegals, and do away will all welfare and all entitlements. In other words, double the tax intake, cut the tax expenditures, default on all our debts, and go back on the gold standard.
No. I am sorry, but no. lol. In Atlanta right now there is a cold front coming through. It is only about 40 degrees out but the wind is absolutely atrocious. So so so so windy.
I had nothing to do and I had to go to CVS to get some medicine, so I decided to walk, rather than drive my car there. It is about 15-20 minute walk to get there and 15 minutes walking back.
The whole time I was absolutely miserable. The wind felt like knives on my skin. It would fly right into my sweater and freeze my entire body. I can do this every now and then but if I had to do that every day because of relying on walking and public transit to get me around town I can only imagine the miserable person I would be. I am so happy to know that if I need to run any errands tonight I can simply walk into my garage, get in my car, and be warm wherever I decide to go.
Atlanta is likely one of the top 10 least walkable cities around. It has been designed to make it as uncomfortable as possible for you to walk somewhere. Nowadays, anything that is a 15 minute walk is converted to a 5-10 minute bike ride instead. Which is what I would have done for that CVS trip. But my CVS is a 10 minute walk.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CravingMountains
Also I purchase my groceries one day a week and I get a lot of stuff. Without a vehicle I couldn't imagine hauling around all those groceries block to block. One of my bags broke just the other day and food fell out. What if that happened in the freezing cold of Chicago?
That whole scene in my head seems so miserable.
Actually I am going to go backwards. Why is that those default grocery store bags are only designed to get you from the grocery store checkout to the parking lot without breaking? You are lucky if they even last that long. Where I live, you need to bring your own bag or pay a dime for a bag. These are infinitely more sturdy than the thin plastic ones they are handing out these days. I can walk miles without worries of it breaking. If you have a lot of groceries, and you are walking, you get a cart.
But really, if you are walking, you are going to move closer to the grocery store (and other walkable amenities). Instead of a 20-25 minute walk, you are going to make it a 10 minute walk. And you might even go more often.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
