7 ms·

Cars are just silly in any urban environment, especially in city centers. Bikes are a much better alternative. Come to Holland and see what I mean.

avar 9y ago
Yeah, what do you mean? The city of Amsterdam for one made statements to the effect that its policy is not reduce the convenience for personal car owners when it comes to e.g. parking spaces. Venice is probably a better place to go to to see what a city without cars is like.
- isostatic 9y ago
  Sienna too
- Aeolun 9y ago
  A city without cars. Not a city with a terrifying amount of bikes, of which Amsterdam is a great example, even if there are cars as well.
- Twisell 9y ago
  However Netherlands don't resume as Amsterdam. And seriously if you don't know what he mean you either never been in holland or you never left it so you don't have comparisons points. As for Venice try live there for a week and buy your own grocery, you might revisit your judgement. Inability to ride bike, or for delivery vehicles to acces housing pose another sets of issues.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
chrismcb 9y ago
What do you mean? There are cars are all over Holland, even the city centers. Yes there are plenty of bikes and decent public transit as well. But here is not a lack of cars.
- mcv 9y ago
  I do often wonder why all those people insist on taking their cars into the city center, though. There's a busy shopping street near my home that for inexplicable reasons is not car-free, and at some moments the street is completely blocked by cars, and they're making it hard for bikes to get through as well. I don't understand what makes people want to take their car through that street. That seems like an exercise in frustration. We have a car, but we only very rarely use it to travel into the city. Bike is usually far better, even with kids.
  - Neliquat 9y ago
    It could be that they live further than biking is practical, or want to transport goods home.
  - Neliquat 9y ago
    It could be tha5 they live further than biking is practical, or want to transport goods home.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
piinbinary 9y ago
What if it is raining? What about when it is too far away to arrive without being sweaty? What if it is too cold to be outside for long? What if it is too far uphill? What if you need to take a child with you? Or two people from out of town? What about bringing back furniture from ikea? How do you leave the city and go out to the surrounding area? What if you need to get somewhere faster than a bike can take you? Cars remain necessary.
- CalRobert 9y ago
  * Somehow all those Danes and Dutch manage in the rain. * If it's that far away it probably isn't "urban". 15 km is doable for most able-bodied people in 45 minutes or so. (edit) Before somebody says 'BUT LA (or the bay or whatever) IS BIGGER THAN THAT!' - note that what the US calls "urban" is generally "suburban" by any reasonable definition of the word. Fremont's not a city, just a parking lot with a mayor, as described in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlTvSUCCqPo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlTvSUCCqPo ) * There's no bad weather, only bad clothes (if it's a snowstorm, then you shouldn't be driving either) * It's called a bakfiet, or a trailer, or their own bike * See above. Also, rail, bus, etc. * Trailer, taxi, or short-term car rental (car2go, zipcar, etc.) * For urban centers, trains or buses, for rural areas, you will find a number of companies happy to let you use their vehicle for a period of several days in exchange for money * In general, that would be somewhere out of aforementioned urban area so the previous answers reply. Some cycles have motors fitted to them - "motor-cycles" they're called, I think. For people who really, really need to zoom across urban centres (carefully and with extra training), ambulances, police cars, and fire engines remain an option.
- IshKebab 9y ago
  If it's raining you can wear a waterproof and waterproof trousers. The Netherlands are totally flat so you're unlikely to ever get sweaty. If you do pretty much all workplaces over a certain size provide showers at work. If it's cold you can wear a jacket. It's never that cold in Europe. You can get bikes that carry children. If you need to go long distances or move large things, sure use a car. I don't think anyone is advocating completely banning them but your objections are silly.
- 9y ago

avar 9y ago

Yeah, what do you mean? The city of Amsterdam for one made statements to the effect that its policy is not reduce the convenience for personal car owners when it comes to e.g. parking spaces. Venice is probably a better place to go to to see what a city without cars is like.

isostatic 9y ago
Sienna too
Aeolun 9y ago
A city without cars. Not a city with a terrifying amount of bikes, of which Amsterdam is a great example, even if there are cars as well.
Twisell 9y ago
However Netherlands don't resume as Amsterdam. And seriously if you don't know what he mean you either never been in holland or you never left it so you don't have comparisons points. As for Venice try live there for a week and buy your own grocery, you might revisit your judgement. Inability to ride bike, or for delivery vehicles to acces housing pose another sets of issues.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

chrismcb 9y ago

What do you mean? There are cars are all over Holland, even the city centers. Yes there are plenty of bikes and decent public transit as well. But here is not a lack of cars.

mcv 9y ago
I do often wonder why all those people insist on taking their cars into the city center, though. There's a busy shopping street near my home that for inexplicable reasons is not car-free, and at some moments the street is completely blocked by cars, and they're making it hard for bikes to get through as well. I don't understand what makes people want to take their car through that street. That seems like an exercise in frustration. We have a car, but we only very rarely use it to travel into the city. Bike is usually far better, even with kids.
- Neliquat 9y ago
  It could be that they live further than biking is practical, or want to transport goods home.
- Neliquat 9y ago
  It could be tha5 they live further than biking is practical, or want to transport goods home.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

piinbinary 9y ago

What if it is raining? What about when it is too far away to arrive without being sweaty? What if it is too cold to be outside for long? What if it is too far uphill? What if you need to take a child with you? Or two people from out of town? What about bringing back furniture from ikea? How do you leave the city and go out to the surrounding area? What if you need to get somewhere faster than a bike can take you? Cars remain necessary.

CalRobert 9y ago
* Somehow all those Danes and Dutch manage in the rain. * If it's that far away it probably isn't "urban". 15 km is doable for most able-bodied people in 45 minutes or so. (edit) Before somebody says 'BUT LA (or the bay or whatever) IS BIGGER THAN THAT!' - note that what the US calls "urban" is generally "suburban" by any reasonable definition of the word. Fremont's not a city, just a parking lot with a mayor, as described in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlTvSUCCqPo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlTvSUCCqPo ) * There's no bad weather, only bad clothes (if it's a snowstorm, then you shouldn't be driving either) * It's called a bakfiet, or a trailer, or their own bike * See above. Also, rail, bus, etc. * Trailer, taxi, or short-term car rental (car2go, zipcar, etc.) * For urban centers, trains or buses, for rural areas, you will find a number of companies happy to let you use their vehicle for a period of several days in exchange for money * In general, that would be somewhere out of aforementioned urban area so the previous answers reply. Some cycles have motors fitted to them - "motor-cycles" they're called, I think. For people who really, really need to zoom across urban centres (carefully and with extra training), ambulances, police cars, and fire engines remain an option.
IshKebab 9y ago
If it's raining you can wear a waterproof and waterproof trousers. The Netherlands are totally flat so you're unlikely to ever get sweaty. If you do pretty much all workplaces over a certain size provide showers at work. If it's cold you can wear a jacket. It's never that cold in Europe. You can get bikes that carry children. If you need to go long distances or move large things, sure use a car. I don't think anyone is advocating completely banning them but your objections are silly.
9y ago