this post was submitted on 24 Aug 2023
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Thanks, I'll check it out.
I generally think the Netherlands makes sensible decisions (e.g. routing traffic around Amsterdam instead of through it, investing in rail and cycling infrastructure, not having a tipping culture for restaurants, etc), so it's expected that they would have a decent solution here too.
I wish the US would take a page from their book and focus on moving people instead of cars, because pretty much everything else follows from that.
I'm right there with you. I feel like I'm talking with aliens when I say stuff like this to other americans.
Yeah, it just makes perfect sense in an urban environment. If they want the "traditional" American car-centric lifestyle, then they can live further from city centers and commute in.
I'm lucky enough to live in a place that is a little bit walkable (7 eleven, pizza shop, beer store 2 min walking with a grocer 15 walk), there is so much more that could be done. I wish I didn't have to get a car, and I am so close to basically ditching mine for an e-bike. The only thing stopping me is that my city's bike safety is not the best.
Mine is pretty close as well, but I need a better way to get to work to ditch one of my cars (will always keep the other for family trips). My preferred option is extending the light rail system along tracks that already go near my house and are largely unused (only used periodically so stash unused cars/engines). Without that, my commute is ~2 hours by transit, and it would be about half if the line existed. Driving is a little over 30 min by car, for reference.
I could switch jobs and then cycle to work, and there are a lot of opportunities along a really nice bike path, I would just need to actually switch jobs.
And I live in the middle of suburbia, I'm sure other people need much less. Yet my area doesn't prioritize transit, and instead we keep widening highways, which isn't a long-term solution.