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> "if we want to see a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, we need to move away from the idea of ubiquitous transportation via personal vehicles." Unfortuna
by jppope 8y ago
> "if we want to see a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, we need to move away from the idea of ubiquitous transportation via personal vehicles."
Unfortunately, this is extremely difficult in the United States... we've spent 70+ years building our entire country around the personal vehicle. Save Boston, NYC, Philly, Baltimore, DC, Chicago, and perhaps SF, ALL of our cities require owning a car. Strategically Musk might actually be going the right way... by starting to get people to think about transit in a different way.
- dereke 8y agoMaybe the infrastructure that is in place to support cars could pivot to public transport? We could replace some/all lanes on motorways/interstates with train tracks. Reduce roads in cities to one way and install trams in the other lanes.
- eMSF 8y agoRailway fetishism is truly something I guess I'll never really understand. Trams are LOUD and annoying.
- AnthonyMouse 8y agoReplacing interstates with rail doesn't work. For one thing, there is already rail running parallel to most of them, so there is no need for it. Moreover, the usage is different. A person lives in the suburbs, they drive five miles through their suburb, then get on the interstate for 10 miles, then drive to an office park 5 miles off the interstate. If you get rid of the interstate, what are they supposed to do? Drive 5 miles to the train, take the train 10 miles and then walk 5 miles? Buy a second car to use for the other leg of the commute? What you need is to relax the zoning/density restrictions in the city so that more people and businesses can afford to be there instead of in the suburbs. Then they can use the existing mass transit within the city, which unclogs the interstate for the people who can't, e.g. because one of their endpoints is outside the city for legitimate reasons or because they have to transport bulk material in addition to humans.
- dereke 8y agoWell I agree people should work locally and communities should be organised to facilitate that. > Moreover, the usage is different. What I am suggesting is in an effort to force/encourage different usage (que communist/fascist labels). But in answer to your question. Take tram/bus, change to train, change to tram/bus. Pain in the arse. Yes. Maybe that is what is required to re organise around more sustainable communities?
- AnthonyMouse 8y agoThe problem is that you can't have a tram/bus there because the population density for that part of the trip is too low to justify it. An empty bus is worse than a single occupant car.
- dereke 8y agoSure, so a combination of on demand and better scheduling. Lightweight electric transport (ebikes, scooters, golf carts? etc.) Obviously implementation depends a lot upon the local geography/density/weather etc. Definitely not proposing a one size fits all solution.
- AnthonyMouse 8y ago> Lightweight electric transport (ebikes, scooters, golf carts? etc.) These already exist. But compared to an electric car they're less safe, slower, less comfortable, have less cargo capacity, etc. Their primary advantage is being less expensive. The reason they aren't already used more is some combination of not being able to meet the relevant safety standards and their cost advantage not overcoming their numerous disadvantages. There is a reason hospital emergency rooms call motorcycles donor cycles. The fatality rate for that kind of transport is astoundingly high.
- dereke 8y agoThe reason they are less safe is because our infrastructure is setup for massive lumps of steel. I'm not suggesting driving lightweight vehicles on roads. I'm suggesting changing the roads so they are optimised for lightweight vehicles and big lumps of steel are second class citizens, either banned or only allowed to operate at certain times etc. Get the big lumps of steel off the roads and you have far less issues at the ER.
- fucking_tragedy 8y ago> Strategically Musk might actually be going the right way... by starting to get people to think about transit in a different way I disagree. Tesla's offering keeps ubiquitous personal transportation on life support at best, and neuters public transportation initiatives at worst.