4 ms·

This is definetely the way to move forward, but here in Berlin it would be political suicide for now. The steps to take (some of which are already being taken):

This is definetely the way to move forward, but here in Berlin it would be political suicide for now. The steps to take (some of which are already being taken): - Introduce good bike lanes, narrowing down streets. Give bikes more priority in traffic rules (can't really be done in Berlin since they are federal rules). - Introduce an inner city car toll. Offset losses to businesses that absolutely require it through tax breaks. (construction, delivery drivers, taxis etc.) - Close down non-essential streets completely during most hours (4-6am free for deliveries etc.). Reduce parking/make drivers pay for parking. At the same time, you need to make it easier for people to switch: - Reduce prices of public transport for residents. In Berlin they want to introduce a yearly ticket for 365€, that is perfect. - Increase availability of public transport, and make all busses electric. - Introduce large parking spaces at key points in the far suburbs of the city. Parking there costs a fee that also works as a day ticket for public transport. Express busses take you to the city centre/other key infrastructure points. Some of these are already being worked on in Berlin, otherwise I know are on the agenda and being discussed. In Berlin specifically though, some points might not be legal. Inner city toll for example might be prohibited by federal law. E: One important point I forgot: Cars account for 25% of all emissions in Berlin. On the local level, getting rid of cars is the best thing we can do to combat climate change.

lm28469 7y ago
> This is definetely the way to move forward, but here in Berlin it would be political suicide for now. It's definitely a political suicide in most cities in the world, but it's probably the best way to get out of the madness we lowered ourselves into while retaining most of the mobility. I agree with everything you listed.
turk73 7y ago
I think probably disconnecting all the electricity would also be a solid move.
thrav 7y ago
I definitely felt like Berlin was way behind Paris on bike lane quality, but I did appreciate the number of intersections that have been half blocked by pillars, to make streets less conducive to any other kind of through traffic. I rented a Vespa while I was there, which was a great way to get around, but I was blown away by how many times cars sped by me in a hurry from behind. It’s rare to ever see a car get going >30mph (~50kph) in San Francisco, whereas some Berlin streets felt more like freeways. I wouldn’t have enjoyed being on a bicycle in some of those situations.
dorgo 7y ago
>Reduce parking/make drivers pay for parking. They did that. 2€ per hour. One of the reasons I don't have a car. But I would rather walk two hours to the office and two hours back before I go by tram / public transport. There are many reasons/problems but one is: it is overcrowded and I don't like people. I go by bike or ebike instead.
- CydeWeys 7y ago
  2€ per hour isn't remotely high enough, and doesn't come close to covering the actual costs of all that real estate that a parking spot uses up. Rates as high as 20€ per hour are likely necessary for the most popular neighborhoods. The cost of parking needs to be high enough such that you can remove a lot of spots and convert them to other uses (i.e. protected bike lanes, commercial loading zones), and still keep multiple free spots per block so that people willing to pay the high prices don't need to drive around to find spots.
  - dorgo 7y ago
    If I could pay 20€ per hour maybe I would advocate for the same thing. Let's build more (underground) parking decks which could be afforded by more than the richest 1%?
    - mikepurvis 7y ago
      I think the point is that perhaps only the richest 1% actually need to own their own private automobiles. With good enough alternatives, it is possible to push car ownership up out of the middle class, and that's ultimately what's needed. Otherwise, the whole thing is just half measures that make it harder for poor people to get around.

lm28469 7y ago

> This is definetely the way to move forward, but here in Berlin it would be political suicide for now. It's definitely a political suicide in most cities in the world, but it's probably the best way to get out of the madness we lowered ourselves into while retaining most of the mobility. I agree with everything you listed.

turk73 7y ago

I think probably disconnecting all the electricity would also be a solid move.

thrav 7y ago

I definitely felt like Berlin was way behind Paris on bike lane quality, but I did appreciate the number of intersections that have been half blocked by pillars, to make streets less conducive to any other kind of through traffic. I rented a Vespa while I was there, which was a great way to get around, but I was blown away by how many times cars sped by me in a hurry from behind. It’s rare to ever see a car get going >30mph (~50kph) in San Francisco, whereas some Berlin streets felt more like freeways. I wouldn’t have enjoyed being on a bicycle in some of those situations.

dorgo 7y ago

>Reduce parking/make drivers pay for parking. They did that. 2€ per hour. One of the reasons I don't have a car. But I would rather walk two hours to the office and two hours back before I go by tram / public transport. There are many reasons/problems but one is: it is overcrowded and I don't like people. I go by bike or ebike instead.

CydeWeys 7y ago
2€ per hour isn't remotely high enough, and doesn't come close to covering the actual costs of all that real estate that a parking spot uses up. Rates as high as 20€ per hour are likely necessary for the most popular neighborhoods. The cost of parking needs to be high enough such that you can remove a lot of spots and convert them to other uses (i.e. protected bike lanes, commercial loading zones), and still keep multiple free spots per block so that people willing to pay the high prices don't need to drive around to find spots.
- dorgo 7y ago
  If I could pay 20€ per hour maybe I would advocate for the same thing. Let's build more (underground) parking decks which could be afforded by more than the richest 1%?
  - mikepurvis 7y ago
    I think the point is that perhaps only the richest 1% actually need to own their own private automobiles. With good enough alternatives, it is possible to push car ownership up out of the middle class, and that's ultimately what's needed. Otherwise, the whole thing is just half measures that make it harder for poor people to get around.