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Not everyone lives in a perfect temperate coastal environment that doesn't get winter. And no, European winters are not really that cold and their use of bikes
by superkuh 3y ago
Not everyone lives in a perfect temperate coastal environment that doesn't get winter. And no, European winters are not really that cold and their use of bikes is not a good comparison. Especially since the distances involved are far smaller for them. Cars are vital in many regions.
- bluGill 3y agoIn North America, the farther north you go - and thus the colder the winters - the more people bike year round. It is a small minority for sure, but cold is not a problem on a bike as they prove. (I haven't got the guts to bike when it is -20, but that is something some do)
- avar 3y agoWinters tend to be colder the further inland you go, e.g. daytime temperatures in Germany in the coldest parts of winter are typically lower than in Iceland.
- bluGill 3y agoMinneapolis is an inland climate colder than Germany in winter, yet Minneapolis is (for the US) a place known for the number of people who bike year round.
- superkuh 3y agoI posted using the twin cities metro area as my reference. Maybe in the downtown core of the cities this is true but biking in winter is not an option for the majority of the population in the combined metro area.
- david-gpu 3y agoI have lived in Toronto, Canada, for 15 years and never had a car. My family gets around all year by walking, public transit and cycling. Most people live in urban centers where it is perfectly possible to live without a car. And as car use decreases, public transit availability will increase, together with other forms of transportation that don't have the externalities of private motor vehicles.
- FredPret 3y agoI did the same in Toronto. Then I bought a car. Night and day. Life became 10x easier. Suddenly Costco trips were possible. Weekend trips to cottage country. Visiting friends on the other side of town was a two-hour TTC (Toronto's public transit) ordeal; suddenly it became a 15-minute comfortable, safe, addict-free, warm car ride.
- david-gpu 3y agoI have no doubt that driving a car would be very convenient, but how would that choice affect my neighbors? Because car traffic in the stroads around here make our homes noisy, our air polluted and our streets unsafe for children to play and be independent. It's inconceivable to me that my kids can't bike to school because of all the car traffic around it... caused by parents dropping off their kids to school. Cars increase the safety of the people inside them at the detriment of everybody else. We can thankfully begin to hear the death rattles of car-dependent urban planning and our cities will be much better once it's behind us.
- FredPret 3y agoFalse dichotomy. Also, air pollution from cars & child pedestrian deaths has never been lower.
- david-gpu 3y agoWhat false dichotomy? Cars, even EVs, are the main cause of small particulates in the air of our cities. Cars are the #1 cause of death of children, followed by drowning. Pedestrian deaths are actually on the rise for the past ten years or so in the US and Canada due to the increasing popularity of large SUVs and pickup trucks, which have poor visibility and blunt hoods. It's a disaster for those of us outside the car and the saddest part is that it's a problem that has been solved in most of the developed world.
- FredPret 3y ago