5 ms·
US infrastructure is focused around cars. People don't walk much because cities are spread out for wide roads meant for cars, highways, and parking lots. That m
by mcdonje 5y ago
US infrastructure is focused around cars. People don't walk much because cities are spread out for wide roads meant for cars, highways, and parking lots. That makes the distances less walkable. Bikes don't have safe dedicated lanes in many places. Many cities eschew trains because they would rather put another lane on a road because of traffic jams. However, because of induced demand, and the infrastructure forcing everyone into cars, the traffic jams happen anyway.
So it's a cycle that makes cities ever more built around cars. We need more trains, light rail, subways. As those become more entrenched, the city reshapes itself around them. Train stops become areas of development, which brings more things closer to people without needing cars.
- trinovantes 5y agoIt's pretty sad pedestrian deaths were lower pre-pandemic because cars were stuck in traffic and couldn't go fast enough to be letal
- pinephoneguy 5y agoAlso urban areas tend to get destroyed very quickly because of the culture the media and politicians connected to it push to the people living there (a Marxist oppression ideology with no categorical imperative so why not steel? There’s nothing you can do to improve things.) As soon as decent transit and walkability shows up everyone leaves.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- aeharding 5y ago> We need more trains, light rail, subways. I'd argue we simply need more walkability, and to place shops and destinations closer to people. Public transit is great, but is not an effective way to fix our auto-centric land use. In Strong Towns this is discussed. Transit should come to enhance and solve the transportation needs of already great, walkable places. Transit should not be created to try to induce great places.
- mcdonje 5y agoBuses are not an effective way to fix car-centric land use, but trains are. Places built around infrastructure made for cars are not walkable. Places built around train stops are. Train stations are generally planned for places where people are already going. The development that happens around them is a natural result of them being there. Unlike bus stops, train stops are not easily moved and generally have more people passing through on foot. That makes it a good bet developing around there. If your business relies on foot traffic, a bus stop is a risky place to set up next to. The service could move or shut down the bus stop without much effort. Not so with a train station. Buses also use roads, which take up much more land per traveler than trains do. If you want a walkable city, you still need to get people in and out of it. Simply blocking off roads will give you a wide moat of parking lots around the city. Trains are necessary for walkable cities.