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That makes no sense... US cities are super lucky to have such wide streets. If they WANTED to they could easily make dedicated bus and bike lanes that are safe
by jopsen 9y ago
That makes no sense... US cities are super lucky to have such wide streets.
If they WANTED to they could easily make dedicated bus and bike lanes that are safe.
It easy they have so much space. European cities have to almost ban cars, to make room for bikes...
This is a political issue, where Americans choose not to do something.
- lmm 9y agoThe US has plenty of space for bikes and pedestrians, but being a cyclist or pedestrian makes less sense there because the cities are so spread out. All the space taken up by those highways and parking lots mean that the places people actually want to go to are much further apart.
- closeparen 9y agoPeople who vote in municipal elections despise anything that looks like density. If it weren’t for freeways and parking lots, there would still be massive lawns and open spaces dotted with sparsely packed low rise and mostly single family buildings. Parking contributes, but it’s mostly that American towns have at most a few blocks where European-level density (3-6 story buildings directly adjacent to each other) is permitted. Good luck prying the detached house with a backyard out of the typical American family’s hands. Good luck getting them to consent to a multi family structure next door.
- justinator 9y ago> That makes no sense... US cities are super lucky to have such wide streets. Unless you're a pedestrian that wants to cross those wide streets. My stays in Salt Lake City are sometimes harrowing.
- jopsen 9y agoGiving cars preferential treatment is a political choice. You can choose to use your streets differently. I see wide streets in SF that could have been closed and turned into pedestrian only streets. Union comes to mind, there are shops and restaurants on both sides, close it to traffic and you have nice shopping street.