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> the city plans to maintain its metro system’s capacity at less than two-thirds of its pre-pandemic activity. As a resident of Milan, I find this rather disp

> the city plans to maintain its metro system’s capacity at less than two-thirds of its pre-pandemic activity. As a resident of Milan, I find this rather displeasing. I don't own a car (and have no plans to own one), and I exclusively depend on the metro + trains to get to work, which is too far away for serious walking or even cycling. FTR: it's actually far easier to go there (at least from where I live) with public transport than walking , cycling, and even with a car. Even at full capacity trains are already packed, and I'm afraid that this will make matters worse than before (example: at some point last month metro lines cut rides to < 50%, and were hastily pushed above that again because trains were too crowded even for the decreased ridership, people who could not work from home and had to go to work instead). Also, what happens if it rains?

simongray 6y ago
> Also, what happens if it rains? I'm from Copenhagen. Almost two thirds of us use our bikes to get around. The weather is incredibly shifty on this island and during autumn and winter it rains pretty much every day. Not always all day, but there's a high chance it will rain during your daily commute. So what do all the people here do? To cope with the weather we have developed advanced technology that negates the effects of rain. It's called: the raincoat.
- paganel 6y ago
  Not all of Europe is Copengahen when it comes to climate, quite the contrary (even though that is very hard to understand even for some of the people I talk to here in Bucharest). Not sure about how rain manifests itself in Milan but summer rains here in Bucharest can be quite the thing, one minute you're minding your own business and two minutes later you can soaking wet if you had dared stay in said summer rain for too long. Something like this [1] or this [2] [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYtYcV-S_0M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYtYcV-S_0M [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e4dxzpZCZ0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e4dxzpZCZ0
  - simongray 6y ago
    There's plenty of heavy showers during summer in Denmark too.
Broken_Hippo 6y ago
Also, what happens if it rains? That is a cultural dislike. Seriously. I was born in the states - Indiana. NO one walked when it rained unless you were poor. When you did walk, you probably had an umbrella. Being female meant that sometimes, people would offer me rides randomly. I moved to Trondheim, Norway. There is a saying here - "There is no bad weather, only bad clothes". Which, you know, is only half correct. I do not drive here. I walk. I take public transport. I do this regardless of whether in general. I do tend to avoid walking if it is really heavy rain, but not so much in normal rain. People bike with snow and ice on the ground (I'm not that brave). And yes, clothes make a big difference (though they do not turn weather 'good). You simply get used to it and get over it.
- lbeltrame 6y ago
  Some back of envelope estimates: 75 minutes of walking to get to the workplace. Approximately 50 minutes if I go via bicycle (directions are not straightforward for many reasons). This is regardless of weather and/or traffic if on the road. 30-40 minutes if I go via metro + train (the actual trips take 10ish minutes each). Unless forced to do differently, the most efficient choice is evident. I'm also lucky enough to live inside the city. Commuters that can't work from home have it even rougher, since they live outside and they take up to an hour or more with public transport.
  - Broken_Hippo 6y ago
    Sure, that's out of reasonable walking distance: Depending on your day, the occasional bicycle isn't out of question. Even in rain. (To be fair, I'll walk daily anywhere that is 30-45minutes most days). But honestly, the bicycle is cultural as it would be better to prioritize bikes so it is faster. Same for public transportation. Car-first infrastructure and lack of pedestrian/bicycle/mass transit are political decisions.
    - lbeltrame 6y ago
      In fact, people are actually using bike sharing a lot already here since they were first put into practice several years ago (there are stations where you can hop on close to many spots with high traffic).

simongray 6y ago

> Also, what happens if it rains? I'm from Copenhagen. Almost two thirds of us use our bikes to get around. The weather is incredibly shifty on this island and during autumn and winter it rains pretty much every day. Not always all day, but there's a high chance it will rain during your daily commute. So what do all the people here do? To cope with the weather we have developed advanced technology that negates the effects of rain. It's called: the raincoat.

paganel 6y ago
Not all of Europe is Copengahen when it comes to climate, quite the contrary (even though that is very hard to understand even for some of the people I talk to here in Bucharest). Not sure about how rain manifests itself in Milan but summer rains here in Bucharest can be quite the thing, one minute you're minding your own business and two minutes later you can soaking wet if you had dared stay in said summer rain for too long. Something like this [1] or this [2] [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYtYcV-S_0M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYtYcV-S_0M [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e4dxzpZCZ0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e4dxzpZCZ0
- simongray 6y ago
  There's plenty of heavy showers during summer in Denmark too.

Broken_Hippo 6y ago

Also, what happens if it rains? That is a cultural dislike. Seriously. I was born in the states - Indiana. NO one walked when it rained unless you were poor. When you did walk, you probably had an umbrella. Being female meant that sometimes, people would offer me rides randomly. I moved to Trondheim, Norway. There is a saying here - "There is no bad weather, only bad clothes". Which, you know, is only half correct. I do not drive here. I walk. I take public transport. I do this regardless of whether in general. I do tend to avoid walking if it is really heavy rain, but not so much in normal rain. People bike with snow and ice on the ground (I'm not that brave). And yes, clothes make a big difference (though they do not turn weather 'good). You simply get used to it and get over it.

lbeltrame 6y ago
Some back of envelope estimates: 75 minutes of walking to get to the workplace. Approximately 50 minutes if I go via bicycle (directions are not straightforward for many reasons). This is regardless of weather and/or traffic if on the road. 30-40 minutes if I go via metro + train (the actual trips take 10ish minutes each). Unless forced to do differently, the most efficient choice is evident. I'm also lucky enough to live inside the city. Commuters that can't work from home have it even rougher, since they live outside and they take up to an hour or more with public transport.
- Broken_Hippo 6y ago
  Sure, that's out of reasonable walking distance: Depending on your day, the occasional bicycle isn't out of question. Even in rain. (To be fair, I'll walk daily anywhere that is 30-45minutes most days). But honestly, the bicycle is cultural as it would be better to prioritize bikes so it is faster. Same for public transportation. Car-first infrastructure and lack of pedestrian/bicycle/mass transit are political decisions.
  - lbeltrame 6y ago
    In fact, people are actually using bike sharing a lot already here since they were first put into practice several years ago (there are stations where you can hop on close to many spots with high traffic).