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Story Updated: Jun 23, 2008 at 12:21 AM PDT
By Susan Harding and KATU
PORTLAND, Ore. - Drivers were not welcome in a particular part of north Portland on Sunday and the experiment brought out strong opinions from all sides.
From pure joy to frustration and anger, we heard it all when the city decided to block off 150 square blocks near Interstate Avenue and police directed traffic out of the area.
The idea of the 'car-free' event was to shut out all traffic so people could bike and walk without worrying about vehicles.
The streets were packed with people, from experienced cyclists to young families, and whether it was a success or a failure depended on who you talked to.
We started playing that way, and now I am to the point I start my truck once a week just to make sure it still runs.
The PROBLEM around here -- is all the nasty, dirty cars. Roads are full of them, and it makes them unsafe to use for bikes or walking. And there are virtually no sidewalks or other trails.
We started playing that way, and now I am to the point I start my truck once a week just to make sure it still runs.
The PROBLEM around here -- is all the nasty, dirty cars. Roads are full of them, and it makes them unsafe to use for bikes or walking. And there are virtually no sidewalks or other trails.
I'm lucky to live where I can do without the car and there are plenty of sidewalks.
Although, I hear you about the safety of walking. I almost got ran over by a cab driver today even though it was my right of way. I was sure to stare him down with a dirty look.
Anyone who has ever driven in Portland would probably be happy to not drive. Talk about a difficult city to get around in...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Philip T
Sure, I hear you.
We started playing that way, and now I am to the point I start my truck once a week just to make sure it still runs.
The PROBLEM around here -- is all the nasty, dirty cars. Roads are full of them, and it makes them unsafe to use for bikes or walking. And there are virtually no sidewalks or other trails.
What do you do for work that you don't need a car? I thought from your previous posts that you are involved with solar installations.
Most people I know have to drive to work. But I will say that since we are moving to Idaho most of my employees are pretty determined to live within a few miles of work because of gas prices. Most of them live about 20-30 miles away right now.
I am typically car free from Monday to Friday. I bicycle commute to work every work day, and can walk to most stores near where I live for any day to day items I need during the week. Weather in my area is nice about 95 percent of the time, so that encourages me to be out and about every day instead of in my rolling cocoon. I have a car that gets used occasionally on weekends for a shopping excursion or as an escape vehicle to get away from the vast southern cal megalopolis.
Anyone who has ever driven in Portland would probably be happy to not drive. Talk about a difficult city to get around in...
What do you do for work that you don't need a car? I thought from your previous posts that you are involved with solar installations.
Usually I say I do weird projects for strange people in bad locations. Seems every project has at least one of those factors. Sometimes all three at once. But what I do is usually called Design and Build. I am an Electrical Engineer but also a contractor. Various solar and renewable energy has been a focus since 2004/5.
I have a shop and playground that we more or less live in. A couple of 50 year warehouse buildings sitting on 3 acres. One building is now a house, the other a workshop. So most stuff I can design and build here, and then take it or get it shipped to where it goes and put it in.
So I have a truck, trailers and all sorts of tools, but driving is not really a daily thing.
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Most people I know have to drive to work.
Agreed. But why? Because that was/is how the business was set up and operated -- not because the workers want to. Biggest mess I see with that is the million-some folks who all have to get on the highway all at the same time every morning and again every afternoon.
Again, why is that? The moron business owners. They set up things for what works best for them, or even with less thinking -- how they have always done things.
My fantasy for a day would be a highway-time-of-use tax that hits employers (only, not the workers) who require their employees to all show up the same morning hours and evening reverse. Just like you have to pay more for primetime use of a cell phone. Those employers grossly over-burden the highway systems, and add massively to air pollution with no consequence, while the employees have to sit for hours of traffic weekly.
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But I will say that since we are moving to Idaho most of my employees are pretty determined to live within a few miles of work because of gas prices. Most of them live about 20-30 miles away right now.
Yeah, my measure would be "bike-distance." Maybe 3 or 4 miles, tops. Folks can save A LOT of money if they can stop using and park a car.
Me too! The town I live in (Arlington, VA) actually promotes themselves as a place where you can live car free. They even have a website/promo campaign called The Car-Free Diet. I just saw a poster on the metro that said "I just lost 2,000 lbs. in one day on Arlington's car-free diet!" It's a good attitude to have, imo.
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