cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/5034764

from the latest NotJustBikes video: https://youtu.be/wqGxqxePihE

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[+] -16 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I don't entirely agree. I live in NJ, a place absolutely built for cars. Without that infrastructure for cars (and trucks, and buses, and...), we wouldn't have access to the things we do. Anything that doesn't account for last-mile transit and shipping (or relies on bikes or walking) is a bad idea. Single mode, Origin-to-Destination transport for people and goods should be the goal.

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  • [–] 11 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    It's OK for anyone who does not agree. If you haven't been to a less car-dependent place, please consider spending a week their as a tourist and feel it. It's still OK for anyone who had their experience and still prefer a car-dependent city.

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  • [+] -13 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    I have had that experience. I found it to be worse in every respect. Less access to goods and services made it generally unpleasant. The lack of quick access to businesses meant that anywhere outside a brisk walk was somewhere I didn't spend money. And anywhere else that the walk was unpleasant, I either didn't spend money or spent as little as humanly possible.

    Simply put, anti-car infrastructure means that I actively avoid businesses that try to prey on pedestrians' lack of options. And that's how I'll always see it.

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  • [–] 12 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Uh, did you try to use public transit at all?

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  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Ride the bus? With the other poors? I would much rather sit in the comfort of my massive SUV as I'm stuck in gridlock traffic. Damn traffic, don't people know I'm important and have somewhere to be!?!

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  • [–] 8 points 1 year ago* (1 child)

    where did you go that was less car dependent? Because that anecdote doesn't reflect my experience in places like montreal and paris

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Every European city I've been to has been a breeze to get around by public transit. Hell, the intercity trains blew my north american mind away. Even Montreal was quite good compared to what I'm used to.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago

    I live in montréal and my take is that it's very nice and quite walkable, but the fact it's the most walkable city in north america by a decent margin is kinda sad.

    I grew up in Moncton (picture your average american city) and that shit is so soul sucking.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    Less access to goods and services made it generally unpleasant.

    Less access? what? What places are you comparing?

    I live in a city and have never felt like I have less access than when I was in the car centered suburbs.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    @Endymion_Mallorn @culprit @racketlauncher831 Despite the fear of dogpiling, the two cities I've visited that contrast the most sharply are Houston and Tokyo. When we visited Houston for my BIL's wedding we stayed in a hotel 500m from the venue where the wedding was being held. Walking those 500m was horrific and clearly everyone expected us to drive 2 miles to park 300m from the venue. Even going between two stores in the same complex was expected to be by car.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    @Endymion_Mallorn @culprit @racketlauncher831 Where everything I could think of doing in Tokyo was <300m from a train station. Just tap a card to get into the station and go where you want to be. Such a fantastic city to visit, I wish I had made an opportunity to live there at some point.

    Even the much smaller city of Kyoto, which has just a small metro + buses, was a pleasure to travel around. Plentiful buses and so many things are within walking distance.

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago

    @Endymion_Mallorn @culprit "single mode" is preferable to multi-modal? If there's a choice of private car, lightrail, bus, and something else to take you from origin to destination, you would prefer not to have that choice? You want less liberty not more liberty?

    Alright do you boo, I'm going to remain in the camp of more choices not less.

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