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But Eisenhower wanted the interstate system to go between cities, not through cities. And it's the latter that's the real problem. That we have freeways betwee

But Eisenhower wanted the interstate system to go between cities, not through cities. And it's the latter that's the real problem. That we have freeways between cities is no real issue for bikes, in Germany they have the Autobahn system and they still have reasonably bike friendly cities like Munich. Similar situation for Dutch cities IIRC. But the autobahn system doesn't cut through the middle of cities in Germany nearly to the same extent as it does in the US. Actual high speed parts of the Autobahn basically stop a certain part of the way into Munich, and you have to get off onto surface streets. But anyway, that's just one problem among many for car dominance in the US.

chrisco255 7y ago
Germany has a fraction of our population. In 1950 the U.S. had 150 million people. Today it has 320 million. The interstates were largely built outside of urban cores but sprawl often took them over. Most European cities were built before the car. Their grid and design is totally different than U.S. cities. Autonomous buses are an ambitious but realistic solution to people's transportation needs based on the reality of American real estate, roads, and commuter needs. You won't get there with bikes in the U.S.
- TulliusCicero 7y ago
  It's a fixable problem, long term. Bikes aren't super dependent on high density like a subway, even the relatively low density of many US suburbs can work okay if the infrastructure is good, and you allow POI (like shops/restaurants) within a reasonable distance. That would necessitate zoning changes, but it's easier to achieve than overall density changes. If you look at cities that DO have good infrastructure, they have relatively high bike rates even without being particularly high density, like Davis, CA, or Portland. The idea that it just can't happen in US cities is not borne out by the facts.

chrisco255 7y ago

Germany has a fraction of our population. In 1950 the U.S. had 150 million people. Today it has 320 million. The interstates were largely built outside of urban cores but sprawl often took them over. Most European cities were built before the car. Their grid and design is totally different than U.S. cities. Autonomous buses are an ambitious but realistic solution to people's transportation needs based on the reality of American real estate, roads, and commuter needs. You won't get there with bikes in the U.S.

TulliusCicero 7y ago
It's a fixable problem, long term. Bikes aren't super dependent on high density like a subway, even the relatively low density of many US suburbs can work okay if the infrastructure is good, and you allow POI (like shops/restaurants) within a reasonable distance. That would necessitate zoning changes, but it's easier to achieve than overall density changes. If you look at cities that DO have good infrastructure, they have relatively high bike rates even without being particularly high density, like Davis, CA, or Portland. The idea that it just can't happen in US cities is not borne out by the facts.