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> It's also true that once a city finally stops ignoring the inadequate bandwidth of an extremely busy road and expands it, new businesses and attractions may w

> It's also true that once a city finally stops ignoring the inadequate bandwidth of an extremely busy road and expands it, new businesses and attractions may want to be built along that more pleasant road leading to more people wanting to take the road. Once you get out of your car, a street with more lanes of traffic is far far less pleasant to be in than a street with less. To use an example from Philadelphia near me, which of these streets would you rather spend time in? Vine Street, with 3 lanes of traffic in each direction and a freeway below in the center median? https://maps.app.goo.gl/3KqvmfbxLcN8wQtp9 https://maps.app.goo.gl/3KqvmfbxLcN8wQtp9 Or the much narrower 17th street, with only two lanes total? https://maps.app.goo.gl/ozmEtLGfh2hojyVo7 https://maps.app.goo.gl/ozmEtLGfh2hojyVo7 As someone who lived nearby for about 7 years, I know which I'd choose.

autoexec 3y ago
You'll notice that most of things on the two lane road are intended for people (shops, banks, churches) unlike the first road where the things are mostly for cars (gas stations, parking lots). There's nothing wrong with big roads designed primarily for cars that bring people into or away from quieter areas designed primarily for people where they can walk around and shop.
- ryukafalz 3y ago
  > There's nothing wrong with big roads designed primarily for cars that bring people into or away from quieter areas designed primarily for people where they can walk around and shop. There is in cities, because there those two things cannot be so neatly separated. Some historical context here: Vine Street cuts through Chinatown. Prior to its expansion, there were homes and businesses in the space that's now roadway. They were demolished to make way for the car. The scars of that are still visible today; if you walk through the neighborhood it's clear that Chinatown north of Vine is struggling compared to its counterpart on the south side, and the two sides feel cut off from one another. And it makes crossing more dangerous. My commute for years involved crossing Vine, and though I sometimes would bike I had to plan my route very carefully because there were few places where doing so would be at all safe. People live and work on either side of that street. There are senior homes within a few blocks of it.

autoexec 3y ago

You'll notice that most of things on the two lane road are intended for people (shops, banks, churches) unlike the first road where the things are mostly for cars (gas stations, parking lots). There's nothing wrong with big roads designed primarily for cars that bring people into or away from quieter areas designed primarily for people where they can walk around and shop.

ryukafalz 3y ago
> There's nothing wrong with big roads designed primarily for cars that bring people into or away from quieter areas designed primarily for people where they can walk around and shop. There is in cities, because there those two things cannot be so neatly separated. Some historical context here: Vine Street cuts through Chinatown. Prior to its expansion, there were homes and businesses in the space that's now roadway. They were demolished to make way for the car. The scars of that are still visible today; if you walk through the neighborhood it's clear that Chinatown north of Vine is struggling compared to its counterpart on the south side, and the two sides feel cut off from one another. And it makes crossing more dangerous. My commute for years involved crossing Vine, and though I sometimes would bike I had to plan my route very carefully because there were few places where doing so would be at all safe. People live and work on either side of that street. There are senior homes within a few blocks of it.