4 ms·

> Nobody is going to stop driving. Car tires are the largest source of microplastics. many already have, bicycles and public transport ftw

by tcfhgj 2y ago

knowitnone 2y ago
still rubber so still microplastics?
- tcfhgj 2y ago
  Less!
lenerdenator 2y ago
There's realistically fewer than twenty metro areas in the US where the majority of commuters could rely solely on biking and public transit for everything. Twenty might be generous, even.
- sien 2y ago
  Since the pandemic passenger car miles, airline miles are back at pre-pandemic levels. Transit use is at 80% of pre-pandemic levels. https://ti.org/antiplanner/?p=22722 https://ti.org/antiplanner/?p=22722 Farebox recovery ratios have consequently become even worse. The new US government is also presumably not going to fund much transit expansion. It'd be interesting to see if more people work from home on a given day than use mass transit to get to work. It's also pretty similar in Australia at least and probably in more places around the world.
- idle_zealot 2y ago
  There is a positive spin on this: the majority of Americans already live in or near dense urban centers. If we had solid public transportation only within these centers and to adjacent suburbs we would eliminate most car trips. That's bot much physical area to cover.
  - lenerdenator 2y ago
    Depends on what you consider "in or near". I live "in" a major American city. Well, a reasonably major Midwestern city. It's roughly a third the size of Rhode Island. It has half a million people in it.
- raddan 2y ago
  That may be true, but you don’t have to rely on biking for “everything.” Some biking is better than no biking. I live in a small college town a couple of miles from the college. I walk, run, or bike to work nearly every day. But I am not a purist about it. We have a snowstorm forecast for tomorrow so I am going to drive (my EV). Would it be better for the environment if I walked? Probably? Does one trip really make that much of a difference though? Probably not. I think there are likely many many places where people can walk or bike to some of the things if not all of the things. People really should do that more (not the least reason because biking is wonderful). Biking to the grocery store is mostly impractical for me as it is many miles away. But that’s ok! I am doing other things.
pants2 2y ago
Unfortunately a bicyclist on the road will be exposed to far more tire microplastics than drivers in their enclosed cabins with filtered and recirculated air.

> Nobody is going to stop driving. Car tires are the largest source of microplastics. many already have, bicycles and public transport ftw

by tcfhgj 2y ago

> Nobody is going to stop driving. Car tires are the largest source of microplastics. many already have, bicycles and public transport ftw

knowitnone 2y ago

still rubber so still microplastics?

tcfhgj 2y ago
Less!

lenerdenator 2y ago

There's realistically fewer than twenty metro areas in the US where the majority of commuters could rely solely on biking and public transit for everything. Twenty might be generous, even.

sien 2y ago
Since the pandemic passenger car miles, airline miles are back at pre-pandemic levels. Transit use is at 80% of pre-pandemic levels. https://ti.org/antiplanner/?p=22722 https://ti.org/antiplanner/?p=22722 Farebox recovery ratios have consequently become even worse. The new US government is also presumably not going to fund much transit expansion. It'd be interesting to see if more people work from home on a given day than use mass transit to get to work. It's also pretty similar in Australia at least and probably in more places around the world.
idle_zealot 2y ago
There is a positive spin on this: the majority of Americans already live in or near dense urban centers. If we had solid public transportation only within these centers and to adjacent suburbs we would eliminate most car trips. That's bot much physical area to cover.
- lenerdenator 2y ago
  Depends on what you consider "in or near". I live "in" a major American city. Well, a reasonably major Midwestern city. It's roughly a third the size of Rhode Island. It has half a million people in it.
raddan 2y ago
That may be true, but you don’t have to rely on biking for “everything.” Some biking is better than no biking. I live in a small college town a couple of miles from the college. I walk, run, or bike to work nearly every day. But I am not a purist about it. We have a snowstorm forecast for tomorrow so I am going to drive (my EV). Would it be better for the environment if I walked? Probably? Does one trip really make that much of a difference though? Probably not. I think there are likely many many places where people can walk or bike to some of the things if not all of the things. People really should do that more (not the least reason because biking is wonderful). Biking to the grocery store is mostly impractical for me as it is many miles away. But that’s ok! I am doing other things.

pants2 2y ago

Unfortunately a bicyclist on the road will be exposed to far more tire microplastics than drivers in their enclosed cabins with filtered and recirculated air.