The attitudes on childhood independence vary wildly based on density and penetration of car culture. For example: I have a neighbor whose 10 year old rides the

The attitudes on childhood independence vary wildly based on density and penetration of car culture. For example: I have a neighbor whose 10 year old rides the subway, alone, to and from school. This includes some amount of walking on either side -- something close to half a mile in aggregate on google maps. In the suburb where I grew up, parents are now required to meet their middle school children at the bus stop or arrange for alternative transportation. In middle school, in the same community, which hasn't changed much, I rode my bike several miles. So this is a recent change. AFAICT it's because of some pedestrian fatalities and injuries a few years back. Raising children in a car-dependent suburb seems like a good way to set them up for a few years of stunted adulthood while they learn basic "how to operate without an adult literally physically present" skills... I'd like to move to the suburbs so I can have a nicer house and a yard, but I don't think I want to subject my children to that environment.