4 ms·

I wish people (children included) would go to school or work by bike or on foot more often again. And yes, I am aware that not everyone can do that. Here in Eur

I wish people (children included) would go to school or work by bike or on foot more often again. And yes, I am aware that not everyone can do that. Here in Europe, however, we often see fit and healthy people taking the car for journeys that can be made on foot within 20 minutes.

quantified 4y ago
In the US, I recall hearing a large number of years ago that the over/under distance for choosing to walk vs drive was on the order of 800 yards, or about a 10-minute walk for able-bodied schoolchildren and adults.
stevekemp 4y ago
I guess it depends where you are. I'm in Finland and it is common to see seven/eight year old children walking to school, or taking the bus/tram. Over half the people I know commute to offices, on the days they attend, via busses and trams. Those that live further-afield might take their cars, but the use of public transport is extremely common in the bigger cities like Helsinki.
- euroderf 4y ago
  Confirmed. A bus or a tram (or even a regional bus, out in the sticks) will suddenly fill up with what seems like half a school.
floor2 4y ago
One challenge is that so many Americans live in climates that humans don't really belong in, and thus rely on air conditioned cars & buildings. 29 million people live in Texas, 22 million in Florida, 7 million in Arizona, 5 million in each of Louisiana and Alabama, 3 million in Nevada, etc. Walking anywhere when its high-humidity and over 90F (33C) isn't workable for most people because they don't want to arrive covered in sweat. And that's not a temperature that is a brief high for the day at 3pm, it's that hot at 9am on the way to school/work and still that hot at 6pm when headed home.
graypegg 4y ago
I know it’s anecdotal, but I walked about 15min to elementary school, and then about 5min to high school from 2004-2016. Both schools had a catchment area that was pretty small, so maybe a ⅓ of people walked. This was in Oshawa, a city in southern Ontario Canada.

quantified 4y ago

In the US, I recall hearing a large number of years ago that the over/under distance for choosing to walk vs drive was on the order of 800 yards, or about a 10-minute walk for able-bodied schoolchildren and adults.

stevekemp 4y ago

I guess it depends where you are. I'm in Finland and it is common to see seven/eight year old children walking to school, or taking the bus/tram. Over half the people I know commute to offices, on the days they attend, via busses and trams. Those that live further-afield might take their cars, but the use of public transport is extremely common in the bigger cities like Helsinki.

euroderf 4y ago
Confirmed. A bus or a tram (or even a regional bus, out in the sticks) will suddenly fill up with what seems like half a school.

floor2 4y ago

One challenge is that so many Americans live in climates that humans don't really belong in, and thus rely on air conditioned cars & buildings. 29 million people live in Texas, 22 million in Florida, 7 million in Arizona, 5 million in each of Louisiana and Alabama, 3 million in Nevada, etc. Walking anywhere when its high-humidity and over 90F (33C) isn't workable for most people because they don't want to arrive covered in sweat. And that's not a temperature that is a brief high for the day at 3pm, it's that hot at 9am on the way to school/work and still that hot at 6pm when headed home.

graypegg 4y ago

I know it’s anecdotal, but I walked about 15min to elementary school, and then about 5min to high school from 2004-2016. Both schools had a catchment area that was pretty small, so maybe a ⅓ of people walked. This was in Oshawa, a city in southern Ontario Canada.