This Tiny Island has Insane Traffic

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If the US is too big to have good urbanism, then a small country must be great, right? Well, no. Believe it or not, the size of the country has nothing to do with how car-centric it will be.
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[@NotJustBikes]

Visit wren.co/start/notjustbikes to start offsetting your carbon emissions with Wren and get your first month for free! The best part of these comments are the people who try to guess the island and they're wrong ... but it really goes to show you that _so many islands are like this!_

[@franciscoacevedo3036]

Americans and Canadians: we can't make cities better because we're so big Russia: laughs in Saint Petersburg

[@franciscoacevedo3036]

​@@alvinleonardo1263 se trata de nueva providencia en las Bahamas. Hubo un muchacho que pensó lo mismo sobre su país (Jamaica) yo pensaba que era en Canadá la islita

[@ViscosAtlantic]

I made a life hack video to avoid traffic & encourage walking: kzbin.info3rP16fPa1GI

[@noel975]

Wait, if your first month is free, doesn’t that just mean you start a month later?

[@dimitri0404]

If you have some time, I would recomend taking a look at de kusttram in Belgium, apparently it's the longest tram line in the world. Although if you want to do the full length (knokke-de panne) it would be Faster to go by train. It's still nice to see how it has countless stops, dedicated tracks, and is cheap and drives relativly frequently. Btw in this video you talked about paying in public transport, i don't know how it is in the rest of europe, but nowadays in Belgium you can pay with a ticket, with bankCard, and apparently with the app, and with sms.

[@CampingforCool41]

Absolutely insane to me that places that could be literal paradise on earth turn their cities into car hell.

[@KleineJoop]

The people dont know any better sadly

[@PendulumCancel]

Folks in the Caribbean and Latin America can be pretty big Ameriboos in some ways and city design and transportation choices are some areas where we obsessively copy the US even when it doesn't make sense to do so.

[@CampingforCool41]

@@KleineJoop sure, but the designers that came up with this mess should’ve known better

[@nutboi-l6f]

@@CampingforCool41 I suspect designers generally do know better, and that the problem lies with the local politicians that approve projects and the contractors that want to build them.

[@LiamMcBride]

Car companies love to destroy cities

[@EdgarEsc1972]

The conversion of Nassau's main streets into one-way couplets really stood out to me, prioritizing the traffic moving through downtown versus making downtown the destination.

[@lonestarr1490]

It could have been an appropriate measure if they'd simultaneously reduced the number of lanes on each of the streets and slowed the traffic itself to basically walking speed (which is not unheard of in other city centers). That would've diverted the through traffic to the ring road, making downtown a (walkable) destination. I'd argue it's not to late for that.

[@edwardmiessner6502]

And all it's creating is blight.

[@snigwithasword1284]

Traffic engineers, left to their own devices, will recreate New Jersey, and your shopfront will be no more than a concrete barrier along the highway.

[@pennyforyourthots]

​@@snigwithasword1284 as a former resident of the Philadelphia area, I am legally required to say "Fuck new Jersey, go birds".

[@Zalis116]

One-way pairs are more efficient for cars _and_ safer for pedestrians though, as traffic light timing makes groups of cars travel in "platoons" with long intervals of sparse traffic, there's less need for additional turn lanes at intersections, and non-drivers only need to check one direction when crossing. I'd take them over stroads any day.

[@fernandofreitas6643]

I'm in Boipeba now, a car free island in Brazil. It has 40% of Nassau/Amsterdam size and people get around by walking, bike, quadricycle and tractors-buses (literally a tractor carrying around 20 seated people). Everything being walkable has another advantage, people are concentrated in spots and leave 80% of the island for the preserved nature. Therefore there are a lot of animals and birds around! I asked one local about cars and he said there are only two...ambulances!

[@myra0224]

I'm glad there's still the bus-tractor because not everyone is physically able to walk or bike around to everywhere. Sadly here in Belgium, bus stops get scrapped, plans to get rid of train stations are also being made... How will the people using that get around then? By car, like I have to at home as well (because there's literally no public transport). In the city, they make the buses do a detour but I'm thinking of older people who go to the yearly market and can't walk too far... But why would cities and the country care? Because they obviously don't...

[@changein3d]

Crazy to imagine that an Island of this size could be literally personal-car free

[@KleineJoop]

*Should, and crazy that it isn't.

[@craigpelton6134]

But if it was car-free, how could automakers sell cars there?/s

[@jimihenrik11]

In Germany, there is a car-free island. It is much smaller, though. It is called Wangeroge and the only cars are firetrucks and policecars.

[@s1Lence_au]

@@jimihenrik11Rottnest Island in Western Australia is also car-free (like most car-free islands there are some exceptions like police cars etc.)

[@Bakazinha]

@@jimihenrik11 Same in Denmark. But only the people who works there in the stores, lives on the island. It could be done in a much larger scale. Bahamas would be perfect for it

[@theofficialj-squad9741]

As a local my frustrations finally feel heard. I have many European friends (most in the Netherlands in particular) and got very interested in city planning as a hobby, And could see (atleast on paper) how easy some simple things would be to implement. I was really taken aback by this video (in a good way) and it made so many parts of the island look really nice. (The Nassau Pronunciation bit was also a very nice addition) I look at simliar island nations some of even bigger sizes and see what they come up with and it just disappoints me that things here seem so lazy. (To play devil's advocate) There's a variety of things I could mention but none I feel are quite appropriate for a comment such as this. To everyone at Not Just Bikes, this video blew me away and as an overview on my country's traffic problems it was spot on.

[@betula2137]

That's such a great thing to get a spotlight on your country for something you're interested in

[@stephenwaldron2748]

@@betula2137 I, a Barbadian, just stewing in envy lol 😂. But seriously, I could feel a lot of the issues mentioned here are relevant to much of the Caribbean as well and I was just happy that it was pointed out because it's something you don't hear nearly enough advocacy for in the region.

[@finnaerix9837]

I live in switzerland and until now I haven't realized how beautiful it is that when walking in the city, it doesn't look like the city is crumbling.

[@mikedamat]

*Cries in American* T-T

[@jamsya493]

Swiss here, Geneva could do some more work in my opinion but its nice that bike lanes are pretty much everywhere

[@umjackd]

@@jamsya493 Geneva isn't as nice as the other cities, but it's still leaps ahead of what you get used to even in North America.

[@TheGrundigg]

@@jamsya493 But geneva is literally as car infested as it gets. It's got one of the worst traffic situations out of any places I lived in.

[@krischezockt1916]

German here and this video inspired me to use my bike tomorrow to get to work instead of my car and feel happy about the opportunity 😁 really puts things into perspective

[@Zorn446]

11:55 This is actually something I noticed a while ago. Many people don't realize how cars work like an "atmosphere capsule". The feeling outside a car is always so different than inside a car. It is like the inside of a car is capsuled off from the real world. (Edit: I mean they literally are metal/glas capsules.)

[@kalstonii]

I still ride with the windows down and the system up 😂

[@seankilburn7200]

@@emiliopenayo4738 Great song

[@MKRN98]

@@emiliopenayo4738 this song reminds me of Test Drive 6 racing game. I know a bit off topic but I had to say it lol

[@anindrapratama]

yeah you have to be autistic to actually notice the streets while in a car based on my experience

[@DIYMaistor]

Us bikers call them "cages"

[@marionpaulodagang9980]

Having goosebumps seeing profound similarities between the problems of Bahamas Jitneys and Philippine Jeepneys 😔

[@NotJustBikes]

Absolutely! I've been to the Philippines, and I was also reminded of the Jeepneys. Though for what it's worth, the Jeepneys look _way_ more interesting! :) Thanks for the Super Thanks!

[@reyalonsagay]

@@NotJustBikesHi. I hope you can make a video about my country’s current transportation system in the near future.

[@TheonormalMBV]

@@NotJustBikes Yeah a video on the Philippines would be amazing

[@pomtubes1205]

@@NotJustBikes yeah, ph jeepneys have their own problems, but wht i can say is A. It's not JUST the jeepney but the entire system is stupid. (Look at any road in Manila) B. When did the urban planners (aka government) actually took the time to think about the experience of the average people FIRST AND FOREMOST? C. Jeepneys are exclusive in the ph, and is cleary a symbol. It shoudn't be removed by force (like what they're doing now) but obviously to help modernise the vehicle without losing its "identity".

[@emdivine]

had a little fun to get my perspective: went to Wolfram Alpha and typed in "250 philippino money in nok" to get numbers I understand and it left notes correcting my spelling to "filipino", interpreted that to Philippine Pesos and then calculated it's ~50 Norwegian Kroner >just me being impressed with technology

[@Neliel97]

Also, the topography seems perfect for public transport and biking, good weather and perfectly flat terrain

[@QuesoCookies]

That's what gets me. Someone from Amsterdam says there are "some hills." That must mean they have a 1% grade, tops. I'm in Washington, US. Our hills are virtually vertical and people still bike around. You couldn't ask for a more ideal biking environment.

[@astupidlylongnamethatstoolong]

As someone who started recently driving in Malaysia (I still walk and take public transit if its faster or better for my sanity), it is absolutely true you don't notice shit going around you in your car. I have walked to work and back to home before. The road I take is 30 minutes long by feet. By car is 5 minutes. Same route, yet I noticed new and old businesses going in and out only by walking. It is definitely harder to notice if you're driving as well, you're more concerned about the cars around you than the business next to you going out.

[@FF-ch9nr]

hows traffic/public transport in Malaysia compared to other places you’ve been?

[@JavaProgrammingify]

Maltese here. If you have the time, maybe you can do a similar video about Malta. It's also a tiny island with immense (and I mean immense) traffic congestion, shitty public transport, road widening to no avail, the usual shit show.

[@Joesolo13]

It's wild how badly car-centric mentality has infected even the places LEAST suited to their use. This really applies to dense cities in general, where NJB and other have covered the insanity of free car storage and infrastructure in general, but on islands where fuel is so expensive, and space is at such a premium, you still see this madness. You could bike across Malta in under 2 hours pretty easily, it's pretty crazy it's not prioritized more.

[@NotJustBikes]

I'll get to Malta some day, but first I need to visit a few places that _aren't_ full of cars. :)

[@JavaProgrammingify]

@@Joesolo13 You're right. The situation is beyond depressing on the island. I'm not exaggerating. People here have to leave their house at least by 6AM to be sure to arrive to work on time at 8AM by car. The average commute distance is around 6km. By bus it's even worse, if it arrives.

[@JavaProgrammingify]

@@NotJustBikes Thanks for the comment. Hope you enjoy your visit. The island is beautiful but cars unfortunately ruin a big part of the experience. The government has absolutely no plans on how to tackle the issue and it just keeps getting worse with every year that passes.

[@bogdangiusca7431]

When I read the title I immediately thought about Malta.

[@WouterNederstigt]

People really underestimate how much prosperity a switch away from car dependency can bring. Especially a place like the bahama's which (i assume) has to import all its gasoline and cars. Imagine a shift away from cars there, it would mean drastically reduced imports of gasoline, cars and car parts, all the while reaping large health benefits due to the decrease in pollution and an increase in exercise rates

[@beep5406]

Will lower how much space is needed to be given over to cars, reduce the cost of road Matinance, lower noise pollution and less stress in commuting.

[@PhotonBeast]

Totally; even outside those large scale benefits, on the personal level, people aren't spending 15K dollars every couple of years for a (used) car or more for a new... and HAVING to spend that kind of money... and having that car sit in a parking space for 80% of the time.

[@nigelnecroz7028]

Import on cars especially are high as well

[@nigelnecroz7028]

@@hardyorange Getting a fresh car here is basically a dream. Most of them have to be second hand or refurbish to get them imported even reasonably with tax

[@PendulumCancel]

You don't even know the half of it, man. I visited my home country in the Caribbean almost three years ago and the imported old cars release so much noxious exhaust it felt like I was choking a good third of the time I was there. The quiet suburbs and outskirts were nice, but once you got into any city center it was legit terrible. A lot of children are going to end up with Asthma for sure in the future. They would benefit so much from better public transportation and biking infrastructure, but good luck getting that stuff implemented there. Even in a +3C climate change scenario I'm willing to bet we'll see a lot of Caribbean countries using imported 2020 American SUV gas guzzler hand me downs.

[@emptyspace2240]

This makes me realize how lucky I am to live in a town that actually allows me to use a bike to get to places. Edit: Thanks for the likes, everyone!

[@ivanristic5512]

I can only imagine how great it would be to ride bicycles here in dallas😅, and what is this heaven you live in called?

[@vijfsnippervijf]

🚲🚲🚲😌

[@fjp3305]

The bike is the best mean of transportation for short distances.

[@mateuszbozek9544]

Thank goodness there is a good bike transportation in the the city I live in Sarasota Florida

[@fjp3305]

@AzureWolf I hate that

[@zavdon242]

Bahamian Local here. Thank you sir for pointing this stuff out. Our City planning was basically non existent Nassau modernized as the U.S did the idea of modernization was "pave roads" and we ended up with this mess. We have had proposals to organize the Jitneys and better urban designing but these issues aren't a priority for our leaders. Creating more tourism jobs via foreign investment is their favorite pass time.

[@anonymm3152]

This strongly reminds me of Cyprus. We rented some bikes to try to see a bit more of the island than the hotel, and it felt like a miracle that we returned alive. The biking infrastructure was practically non-existent.

[@kugul1683]

This reminds me a lot of where my grandfather lives in Australia: Beautiful weather, coastal mild climate but infrastructure dedicated to cars

[@trekswithnick]

As an Australian citizen, I can confirm this

[@childrenovmen]

@@trekswithnick As an Australian resident (from Europe) I can also confirm this and its incredibly sad. I live in the closest city to Sydney, officially a "bike city" according to UCI, that has one commuting bike route (great, if you live, or your destination, is literally on that one path) and a large recreational bike path along the coast. We have a highway that literally separates the city in 2 and has very few crossing points, and multiple stroads. To me its insane how much Australian traffic engineers take inspiration from Americas. We also have the problem of big trucks and fast and furious wannabes to deal with. Car Culture is big in Australia, especially with boomers.

[@TransitAndTeslas]

@@yeetusdeletus9 GM really screwed everyone but Europe :(.

[@KleineJoop]

@@turkeytrac1 I must suffer permanently from heat stroke then. It has all to do with cardiovascular capacity/fitness, i like to cycle and rowing indoors in winter, my work is also active (production) but my heart(rate) doesnt care lol/no sweat. I understand this isnt the norm/might be hard to grasp, especially for an American. Anyway, enjoy you retirement. Try cycling, foremost because its fun ;)

[@trekswithnick]

@@childrenovmen I lived in three cities in Australia and ironically the least car dependent of the three cities that I used to live in is Brisbane

[@fernanluis176]

This reminds me of how car centric urbanism has ruined Puerto Rico. Each city has been suburbanized and most downtown areas are decaying. Public transit is non existant unless you’re in the metro area. Its really sad considering the island was really different in the 50’s on an urbanism scale. I think a lot of beauty has been lost

[@firstEmperorAugustus]

It's all the old boomers moving there

[@fernanluis176]

@@firstEmperorAugustus it’s a lot of factors. I’ve lived here my hole life. Our colonial status and corrupt government are no help either

[@gabrielguihurt3623]

So many urban centers in the metro area have been abandoned due to lack of proper infrastructure support too. I can understand using motorized vehicles when you're traversing the mountains due to the steep and curvy hills, but the metropolitan area has no excuse for being so car centric. Puerto Rico having a rail system in the early 1900's and then being infected with the american car fever is another item on the long list of tragedies the American South has gone through due to the heavy US influence.

[@dannyornelas9914]

The same thing happened to Hawaii. It’s also weird seeing indigenous NIMBY’s who see multifamily developments as “against their culture”. Thus why Hawaii has some of the strictest zoning laws in the country.

[@jadinerhine]

@@fernanluis176 Bingo.

[@user-xsn5ozskwg]

The things you notice about your city when walking are stark and immediate. A car really just turns a city into a series of disconnected destinations.

[@Ingestedbanjo]

Yep, car dependency is definitely a huge reason why I find it really hard to find Guernsey (a channel island in the UK) nostalgic, despite visiting relatives there every year in my childhood. Another big reason is the offshore banking industry that has demolished a lot of the quaint buildings along the shorefront and turned them into huge glass and concrete cubes. But yeah, from what I've heard, there are more cars on Guernsey than there are permanent residents.

[@Melon623]

Driving is a bit of a status symbol in many of these small countries/islands. You can at least give off the impression that you've "made it" if you have a car. Even in places like the UK, USA everyone's kind of subject to the "do you own a car" stigma, like the famous one about needing to have a car otherwise a potential suitor could be potentially put off if travelled by bus or bike.

[@davidty2006]

Britain has been turning more like the US. All be it with the ability to walk.

[@abone2pick]

A bit??😂

[@lisat9707]

We need to flip it to i have a Awsome bike that costs more then most peoples cars. Make the bike a status symbol that you pay for the logo of😂

[@mgjk]

in Canada, a car for many people is a status symbol and their first personal freedom. 16 years old, you can't bring your girlfriend home, but if you have a car... it's not just about transportation, it's a private room on wheels.

[@lilbtyt7928]

Hmm yeah I can see that with friends so I can see it there. A car is. A lot of people second biggest purchases.

[@noodlenomnom6746]

It would be really interesting if you investigated Guam. It's become a car dependent wasteland despite the fact that it only takes an hour to drive around the whole island. It's very similar to the Bahamas where the resorts are all well developed areas but the local areas are a bit run down. Im really interested in doing a redesign of Guam as my thesis for School. I think it has a very interesting history and would be a fun study.

[@ure2grit931]

Bahamian here! So glad you featured us! What frustrates me is when I mention bikes to people they balk at the idea saying it's "too hot" to use bikes on this small island!

[@kitmittens2486]

i think its a great idea in concept but i feel like I'll sweat my deodorant off before i reach my destination 😂 i guess theoretically i could just carry some with me

[@lisat9707]

Too hot too cold... They forget WIND from biking. Sooo nice! Oh and Ebikes take care of the Too hot but😅

[@kitmittens2486]

@@lisat9707 i didnt think of that. its something to look into then, thanks :]

[@milliedragon4418]

Which is funny biking is cooler than walking. Cooler if you don't have a car with air conditioning. Having a car is only cool when you air conditioning. Cars are literally ovens, you can cook an egg if it's hot enough on the surface, die of heat without a window crack or air conditioning. I grew up in the deep South USA, it's humid to and very hot in the summer. And it's hell w/o air conditioning. I always try get up early in the morning (summer time only), and late at night are the best time do anything bc that's coolest time of day

[@antb533]

e bikes are pretty good sweat reducers.

[@joostschrier9507]

I live in Curaçao, a Dutch Caribbean island in the Southern Caribbean - next to Aruba, and I recognize many of the Bahamian challenges you mention. We have a smaller version of Jitneys here as well, which we call Buses, but we also have the larger buses with scheduled routes, which we call Konvois, and regrettably the Downs-Thomson Paradox and the hub-and-spoke model for the bus routes are alive and well in Curaçao. Some of the questions you have, you would probably have here as well. Like your question about why the weather doesn't prompt people to take the bike to work. In Curaçao (similar situation and even less rain than in The Bahamas) there are a couple of reasons for this: a) bikes don't have AC and you'll be drenched with sweat before you arrive at work with a bike, b) women here are terrified of their hair getting messed up (generalization, I know, but not less true) and sweat plus hard winds will make short work of your carefully manicured and straightened coupe, c) "if you're riding a bike then you must be poor because you obviously can't afford a car" and there's nothing worse than people thinking you're poor, d) and of course, just as you show for the Bahamas, it's death-defyingly dangerous to ride a bike in a car-centric country. The thing about not wanting to be perceived as poor, influences the willingness to take public transport as well. I remember when I came to Curacao I didn't have a drivers' license. Since I didn't need one in Utrecht and it's prohibitively expensive in The Netherlands I never got one. So I had to get one here (which is super cheap and easy in comparison) but my then-employer didn't allow me to take public transport to get to work because it would reflect badly on the company. "If one of the company's managers is taking public transport, then he must not earn enough to afford a car, so the company must be doing badly" was the reasoning the employer wanted to avoid. So one of my colleagues had to take a 30-minute detour every morning and afternoon to traffic me to- and from work until I got my license... If you ever decide to come vacation in Curacao (it's a popular destination for Dutch tourists, multiple flights per day from Schiphol ;-) ) and you'd like to do a video here as well, please hmu. I can get you in touch with everyone connected to local public transport. Your videos are pretty well known here.

[@Liloi9667]

nos tin e mesun problema na aruba y mi no por mas LMFAO

[@kattkatt744]

The social stigma is a real thing, but personally I have got to say that the sweat thing is the same same as the rain or winter excuse. Southern Japan is super humid and warm, basically subtropical and still bicycles are fairly popular. You do not need to bicycle super fast and as with all other exercise as you get better at it you sweat less because your body doesn't feel excerted by the activity.

[@joostschrier9507]

@@Liloi9667 Al menos Aruba ta plat manera Hulanda... ;-)

[@joostschrier9507]

@@kattkatt744 true, it is an excuse and if they'd build the infrastructure to properly support riding a bike places then people will find a way to deal with it. I remember from back in The Netherlands I would also just take the bus instead of my bike if it rained. Likewise I would love to use a bike here to get (small) groceries or to go to the beach, and use the car or a bus to get to work so I wouldn't have to sweat up a suit.

[@ianhomerpura8937]

@@kattkatt744 especially Naha, and to some degree, Kagoshima.

[@dustinm2717]

the one down side to these videos, is just how much more aware of the depressing reality of living in suburbia (in my case, rural prairie canada) and how much worse it makes having knowledge that where you're at is only doubling down on car dependency

[@dopaminecloud]

All things of any worth in life will make you suffer once you care. But passion is the willingness to suffer for what you care about.

[@pranaym3859]

After moving to North America, I realized why mass shootings are common in the US It's depressing here I live in a city with half million population but it feels like a ghost town, no human in sight except for the buildings and cars

[@henryreturns1397]

Canada we rely so much on cars. Due to our "long distance roads" cars are needed due to how bad the public system is. And even on bike , on winter is not even an option due to the harsh snow and cold weather.

[@alexlight1157]

I live in prairie Canada too and my little city is building lots of multi-use pathways and we're finally getting real protected bike lanes this year If you have the time privilege you should really get involved in municipal politics

[@ichijofestival2576]

@@alexlight1157 That's really a big piece of it. Actually say these things who can actually do something about it. Local governments don't take input from KZbin comment sections.

[@Kayla-uu4zc]

I think the stigma around public transportation is so weird. I wish I lived a town that offered it. When I have to go into work, I either ride my bike( currently out of commission because of crappy roads) or electric scooters. I recently had a colleague of mine who found out that I don't have a car and offered me unlimited rides. I appreciate her. Thank you, Alex! Anyway, I have used every form offered and I have never met someone who hasn't assumed I had a car then took pity on me when they realized didn't!

[@jodyssey9921]

I don't take rides very often, if I wanted to ride around in cars I'd get one I always say. I took 2 rides this winter because they took the bus off the road and there was too much traffic for me to safely ride my scooter home in the snow. Even if someone offered to pick me up everyday I would say no. Not judging you, just stating my own position. When I was a kid as a family we drove across Canada several times cooped up in a car or truck. Those trips were the biggest influence on my decision to not drive as an adult, I just hate being in the goddamn things. 😂

[@tom_hoots]

No worries, just sit or stand there next to all of the other people waiting for the bus as they smoke as much as they possibly can before it arrives, then sit amongst them, paying attention to the guy behind you who's talking to his friend about "how he killed a guy." And so on. "You meet the nicest people on the bus!" Well, no. You get home at the end of the day smelling like you spent all day in a bar, and thankful that you lived to make it home one more day.

[@Stellar001100]

Depends on where you are really. Having experienced Japanese public transportation, it's set a high bar for me. Coming back to the US, where I live the homeless loiter around the trolley and bus stops, sometimes even in the trolley themselves. There has been several instances where the homeless have become violent.

[@ng.tr.s.p.1254]

@@tom_hoots Well of course when you live in the Mad Max universe, you'll think car hell is just like heaven. 🤡

[@Cody-Palmer]

This is so topical for me! I've been in south florida for 3 weeks now helping take care of my father in law while he's in home hospice treatment, and while I have spent quite a bit of time in Miami, this is the first time I've lived down here. It's fascinating to me how leaving the house at all means that I have to drive on 6 lane divided roads to strip malls with giant parking lots. With how small this area is in landmass and how packed in people are, the density and planning are truly awful. The weather is legitimately perfect, but it's completely ruined by how much of a headache getting anywhere can be. Oh and get this - When I first got down here with my wife, my father in law was still in the hospital and we stayed in a condo complex that also had some units available as long term hotel rooms. My wife decided to walk out to the main road to buy some supplies at a drug store. She walked the entire perimeter of the property and there was not a single access point or gate for a person on foot to enter or leave the premises. You literally have to have a car in order to trip the sensor and the automatic gate to open. She had to wait for a car to come through and slip out of the gate after them. What??

[@lemonofish869]

I'm surprised you didn't visit the Dutch territories in the Caribbean, although being autonomous regions their urban planning is similar to the rest of America and nothing like the European part of the Netherlands.

[@kattkatt744]

He did go to a town called Nassau though, so next best I guess?

[@JasperJanssen]

The place is called Nassau, it doesn’t get more Dutch than that.

[@maxdenbreejen9844]

@@Liloi9667 He's Canadian.

[@JAG214]

​@@maxdenbreejen9844 Correct

[@Liloi9667]

@@maxdenbreejen9844 HES CANADIAN?? BRO GOODBYE IM SO DUMB LMFAOOOOO he in the ok then !!!

[@grennoin3108]

This reminds me of the town I was born in, as a kid I noticed that the shops alongside the main road went out of business and changed at least every year or so, but those in the inner city, pedestrian area, those stayed in business way longer. When a literal kid riding a bus every other week can notice how car traffic doesn't help businesses like pedestrian traffic does, how can adults be puzzled over this for so many decades?

[@Notmyname1593]

I suspect the decision making officials are driving cars so they won`t notice such things.

[@garryferrington811]

It's all about the money. Owning and driving a car keeps people spending a huge portion of their money.

[@blanco7726]

Ok but main roads are full of busses and who takes the bus has to walk home from the bus stop. If the shops are closing down, unfortunately that area is just terrible for business, or the businesses cant figure out a way. You wont see Mcdonalds closing down f.ex they will get their clients be it thru cars or busses.

[@thesenamesaretaken]

@@blanco7726 yeah the area is terrible for business. Because there's no foot traffic

[@blanco7726]

@@thesenamesaretaken forgot another reason, theres no houses. Main road with just businesses has no foot traffic except clients. Main road with houses and businesses has more foot traffic. I can give you hundreds of examples that I’ve seen across Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Spain, England where a road functions as main commercial street, traffic artery and still residential all along the street.

[@daniberrieful]

I saw Island and immediately thought "Jamaica". Traffic is soooooo bad. We have the things Urbanist wants, mixused development, lax zoning laws, we have buses and frequent bus-like taxi cars. But still we have so many cars and traffic is AWFUL. One thing that alot of people miss in the Urbanism talks is personal safety. Being able to walk everywhere also means you feel safe walking. It's one of the reasons people have cars. Criminals hinder walkable neighborhoods. You have people that can walk 10 mins to the grocery store and they'll still drive once it gets dark they are scared to walk home. Also you mentioned a dedicated lane Tried that in Jamaica, cars and regularly drive in the bus lane when it was free and they were stuck in traffic. You need your people on board when you set up plans. Cars are also a social status. Riding a bike or taking the bus is seen as something for the poor. The first thing most people do when getting a job is buy a car (10% auto loan). Even while still living with family etc people 1st buy a car.

[@franciscoacevedo3036]

Americans and Canadians: we can't make cities better because we're so big Russia: laughs in Saint Petersburg

[@Greentrees60]

People driving in the bus lane sounds like a great opportunity for government revenue...

[@Yorick257]

It seems that taking a free dedicated bus lane is something people will do everywhere. In Tallinn (Estonia, Europe), dedicated bus lanes are filled with cars during rush hour. The only "nice" thing I noticed is that bus drivers are now more aggressive. Taking shortcuts and cutting in. But, sadly, they have to do it just to be even remotely on time. I guess the best solution is to introduce truly dedicated lanes, with separators. Then cars will either have to follow the bus path precisely (which most drivers who take the lane don't actually want) or not take it at all.

[@Yorick257]

@@franciscoacevedo3036 more like "laughs in Moscow" with a population bigger than NY or London

[@ianhomerpura8937]

Given that Jamaica has one of the oldest railway networks in the world, opened in 1845, it would be such a waste not to modernise and utilise it.

[@DFX4509B]

Bahamas in ads: paradise. Bahamas in reality: this vid.

[@jordangibsonmusic]

i've lived in new providence my entire life, and i started watching your videos BECAUSE i was wondering how cities fare with biking infrastructure. this is just a wild glitch in the matrix moment for me. i really love how you articulate everything you want to say, and I think you've voiced a LOT of people's opinions. i agree that it would be so so so easy to just fix things. you genuinely inspired me to study urban planning. kudos to you man, you're awesome!!!!

[@miketeeveedub5779]

I stopped commute biking 10 years ago in my western Canadian city because it simply became too dangerous to do so. Traffic congestion has doubled since then. I look at my bikes hanging in the garage with a profound sadness every time I pass them to get to my car. Wise men say: "we can never go back." So true...

[@bearcubdaycare]

​@@TheTroyc1982 I bicycle commuted through the stop and go traffic of the drop off/pick up zone of South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, at the time a major international airport. About as congested as you can get, but never quite felt safe.

[@sirjmo]

@@TheTroyc1982 unless congested traffic average speed is slower than an elderly on a bike, probably not. It needs to be normal to be safe and it wont be normal till cars are no longer the fastest.

[@liamness]

​@@TheTroyc1982Depends if it's stop-start traffic or just solid congestion.

[@dntthe88]

​@@TheTroyc1982 People lose focus a lot in congested traffic due to frustration and boredom

[@Cobalt985]

@@TheTroyc1982 No, those NYC fixie riders are simply insane. Anything can happen, a sudden lane change or a door opening (this does happen!) would fuck you.

[@Reyna3103]

That public transport montage at the beginning was just such a flex.

[@MrCyclist]

I am a cyclist both commuting and recreational in Toronto., Canada A Jamaican lady I know once asked my to visit her island. I reported that Jamaica has no safe cycling infrastructure and was way too hot and the drivers have no patience for bikes. She agreed and understood. She knows I visit Italy often and that I will only go to Europe to bike. PS . Cycling in developing countries is seen as for poor people so most avoid it. This was said to me from some one from Sri Lanka now living in Toronto.

[@lisat9707]

Ya I understand that. It is starting to be like that here (except for fitness buffs) too except with Ebikes I'm beginning to see a bit of a shift. Not much of one yet but it's starting

[@tijn001]

Italy is a beautiful country to cycle in, but from my experience, unless on dedicated trails its not a pleasant place to bike. Drivers are impatient and do not care about your position as a vulnerable road user. Very little dedicated cycling infrastructure on top of that

[@debbiehenri345]

I live in Scotland and the car is definitely king here. I do a lot of walking and if I meet another person out walking or cycling, 95 times out of a 100 they're English or European.

[@KleineJoop]

@@tijn001 Yeah, i've heard Spain is much better. Different culture/people.

[@snigwithasword1284]

Yeah, the Bahamas might be the perfect temperature for walking but if I'm cycling hard my favorite weather is ~40-50° Frankenstein (~7°C). I imagine you have to bike slow to stay comfortable in that weather, it's a tricky balance though with how much the wind cools you. Stopping suddenly to wait for traffic, if you've just been sprinting to keep up with traffic is especially miserable.

[@estebanfraticelli2978]

This same thing happens in Puerto Rico. In the 40s, our zoning laws were made identical to the US's laws, so we have the same stroads and strip malls and unwalkable cities. There's also massive massive urban sprawl, there's always a housing development around the corner. Only good thing is we have lots of mountains so the open spaces have a nice backdrop.

[@LouisSubearth]

Also, the downtowns are very walkable because of the Spanish urban planning that built them, so a good public transportation system can revitalize them, since parking has been the biggest hurdle for people to come shop downtown instead of malls and shopping centers in the suburbs.

[@estebanfraticelli2978]

@@LouisSubearth Yes, and so far, at least Bayamón has an active redensification project in their downtown, problem is they don't have many businesses or homes there so I almost never see foot traffic.

[@mogfy]

Exactly how NJB explains it. Every town has a stroad but every town as a town center. We need to change the zoning and the car culture mentally but it necessary because we’re an island not a continent and we’re running out of space with all the urban sprawling. If nothing gets done, there will be no nature to enjoy just malls, stroads and suburban communities.

[@ennemuk]

I lived on Aruba for a while and this video captured the situation there exactly. The American tourists seem to have brought their infrastructure with them 🙃 it was impossible to bike anywhere, barely any public transport and walking was incredibly unsafe. Our friends were always shocked and insisted on driving us home when they found out we walked somewhere...

[@GojiMet86]

Guatemala (not Guadalajara) is facing the same problems as Nassau. Almost everyone sees the car as the advanced, civilized, and American way. The people riding buses would rather not be in them. The public transportation is not very reliable, and outside of the Transmetro, it is very hard to find maps, schedules, and even news about changes. The main roads in the city basically double as highways, and sidewalks are severly neglected, so walking outside is very annoying and noisy.

[@citrusblast4372]

does this apply mostly to the capital or the whole country

[@spaghettiisyummy.3623]

Ah, Everyone is Obsessed with Cars cause they remind them of American Media?

[@GojiMet86]

@@citrusblast4372 The big cities and towns. The small towns and villages don't have as much simply due to being small. But it's only a matter of time.

[@GojiMet86]

@@spaghettiisyummy.3623 Media is not really responsible, people don't need to see specific channels or programs. People see how bad things are in Guatemala and look to the big USA. Not that it's a bad thing, there are many things the US is better at, and cars are associated with moving up.

[@spaghettiisyummy.3623]

@@GojiMet86 That makes a lot more sense! Thank you!

[@JakeRoot]

Come to Okinawa if you want to see what a Japanese island is like: freeways all over the place (many under construction) and just a single monorail and some bus lines. Absolutely biblical traffic.

[@ianhomerpura8937]

No wonder why politicians have been proposing a new railway line that will go across the entire island. But at least I can take the monorail from the airport straight to Shuri Castle.

[@KokimoKandle]

When I went to okinawa in 2017 I was surprised at how American the road system felt. Driving there vs Nagano area was a very different experience (though Nagano did have some stroady areas too).

[@JakeRoot]

@@ianhomerpura8937 if you plan to mostly go around Naha, the monorail is great. And it usually connects to buses and plenty of taxis. It’s just, outside Naha, it really breaks down. Though there are still buses around, thankfully. Virtually no exclusive lanes though.

[@JakeRoot]

@@KokimoKandle It doesn’t seem dramatically different than roads I’ve seen in Tokyo, Osaka, or Nagoya, but the roads are busier and you don’t see that public transport backbone like on the mainland. Since Japan took back over in the 1970s though, I haven’t seen a dramatic change in policy. Roads are still the most important part of the system and the vast majority of road projects are touted as being safety and congestion improvements. They are building an elevated freeway over the 2000-opened Ginowan Bypass, it’s incredible how much money they are pouring into roads. Eight lane stroads are not uncommon. Route 58 even widens to ten lanes in parts of Urasoe these days.

[@username3282]

@@KokimoKandle Okinawa was quite literally part of the US after WWII until 1972, so it's no wonder that the road system closely resembles that of the US, and seems like the car-culture has stuck for the most part.

[@gweegoop7781]

Respect for shoehorning a Bahamian vacation into your urbanist content.

[@ure2grit931]

I wouldn't even call it shoehorning because our road design is a fail

[@wowshiii4519]

Watching this channel convinced me to start riding my bike to school. I live about a mile from my school and I thought it would be useful to help keep me in shape not to mention I enjoy cycling. My town is car centric but I ride mainly along residential streets so I manage. When I started riding my bike my friends kept asking me why I would ride my bike instead of taking my car because yes I do own a car. Almost everyone I knew asked me this question. Maybe I'm the weird one for wanting to cycle in a relatively car centric area but it's less than a mile of mainly residential streets. I think it's more down to the car first culture here in the US.

[@lisat9707]

I get that question allot. I just say. Biking is FUN! plus no parking fees😅.

[@danielp709]

Thank you for actually giving your situation some thought. So many here in the US just assume a car is the only way to get around. It's not.

[@enjoyslearningandtravel7957]

@@lisat9707 yeah, biking is fun, but also an easy way to keep healthy and fit

[@jodyssey9921]

I bet your friends complain about the price of gas but never make the connection.😂

[@EmmaVZ]

Less than a mile? It's crazy to me, a Dutchy, that anyone would take the car to cover such a tiny distance. Good for you that you cycle it now! It'll improve your mental health as well, and costs less!

[@DeloreenOlida]

I loved everything about this video! I'm Caribbean myself and this definitely highlights how difficult it can be to live car-free in the Caribbean (and many other "tourist" destinations in the Americas).

[@berendmuller1794]

this channel has just made me much more aware of all kinds of places i dont want to go to for vacation anymore, since i want to be able to explore on foot or by bike way more than having to rent a car.

[@unixnerd23]

Some governments get it. In Scotland there's a lot of advertising for cycle tourism and an increasing budget for active travel. But it's SO hard to get folk out of cars. Norway is a great place to visit if you love bikes, the infrastructure is amazing and way more folk cycle than in Scotland even in winter.

[@RobinClower]

I disembarked from my plane visiting Hawaii last year and 95% of my flight stopped at the baggage carousel and then went to wait for the car rental shuttle. The island literally has 1 road which connects every single town, and most of the towns are a few intersections big. The entire time we were on the island I was ranting that you could have just had one train line that would serve 90% of all needs on the island, and instead they have thousands of tourists driving around for no good reason.

[@berendmuller1794]

@@RobinClower this kind of stuff is exactly what i mean. these are some of the more extreme ends of the situation of course, but it seriously sucks. even when i visited some friends of mine in the US i felt like i was staring death in the face anytime i tried to bike somewhere with them. wouldn't want to even think about getting on a bike in a place like you mentioned or nassau.

[@TheXtrafresh]

wow, this is a trip to memory lane for me. I used to live in Sint Maarten, the french/dutch (!) Caribbean island. It's virtually identical to this, same car-centric design, same busses and systems, same weather, same cars. The main differences are that there's more hills, and even less space to go around. Like in Nassau, virtually nobody rides a bike if not for sports, to the point that I was locally famous for actually doing so. Even with the steep hills and zero bike infra, I would regularly beat traffic because of all the jams, and anytime there was an accident in a key place, my phone would go crazy with people asking me what's going on as they saw me pass the traffic.

[@sabretooth1997]

I think the only people there who get anywhere quickly are the maniacs who dart in and around traffic on those little crotch rocket mopeds that are all over the place. I've spent probably a month there in total and I was surprised I never saw one of them get creamed by a car.

[@TheXtrafresh]

@@sabretooth1997 ah yes, the scooters. The teenagers doing their Mario Kart cosplay with them give scooters such a bad rep, its tragic. If you ask me, the solution to traffic on SXM is electric scooters and bicycles. I get that 99% of people will need the boost on the hills, but almost nobody needs a full vehicle more often than one out of 10 trips. Still, there they are, lined up in their SUVs, wearing out clutches and brakepads in a downhill trafficjam.

[@gemelwalters2942]

The same happens in Jamaica nearby. Millions are spent building highways and public transit is an afterthought. I hate driving but I'm forced to for work and in either case I get stuck in traffic. When you suggest a rail system here many say it's too expensive... meanwhile the cost of gas, road repairs, widening and new highways just keeps going up and no one thinks about the cost. It's ridiculous

[@claudiajuarez5429]

00:34 Packed the cat.

[@achandler8015]

9:50 okay but that Citroen is my dream car. I LOVE those things And I like how you bring up noticing the city in a different way when walking. No one really mentions it. It does make me appreciate the old town architecture so much more. Never notice it when driving

[@stephenwaldron2748]

I'm from the southern Caribbean (Barbados), and I can relate to this video heavily. The traffic gets so bad on peak hours especially during school time, it can take up to 2 hours to travel 4 - 5k (a 9min drive acc. Google maps) into Bridgetown. Similar to the Bahamas, we have a public transit system run by multiple operators, however ours has three tiers of public service vehicles: - "buses" operated by the government-owned company, - "minibuses", which are basically the same as the _jitnees(?)_ but a bit larger, and these are mostly private, - "ZRs" (route taxis) or "vans", also mostly privately owned. The fare is $3.50 (U$1.75), but you can get change on most PSVs. These all get stuck in the traffic, though the privately-owned vehicles will often go off-route to avoid it, but that is technically illegal. Speaking of illegal, the super competitive nature, especially on over-serviced routes causes a lot of speeding, racing, and just general reckless driving, which of course isn't safe whatsoever and very illegal. People here also stop PSVs wherever, though again, illegal. Of course the MoT's solution is stricter uniform/dress codes and a constant police presence... I honestly try to just walk if I can and I've also decided to get my own vehicle as soon as possible. It's good that there has been a lot more pedestrian infrastructure added in the past decade or so, but cycling infrastructure is still non-existent, as much as I would've preferred to get a bike.

[@jgroenveld1268]

8:00 that is exactly the same vibe I got from catching buses around Disneyland. It was more for the workers in the tourism industry. Disneyland did have their own bus routes that took tourists to and from their hotels/motels but it was separate from the public transit system.

[@Geotpf]

Well, at least the OCTA is a government agency that runs fixed schedules of standard full sized buses.

[@rashkavar]

I will note: busses do relieve traffic congestion *sometimes.* In Vancouver, BC, the bus system is quite widely used (largely as an extension of its handful of skytrain routes), which I credit to its mostly 3-5 minute bus intervals for major routes and the superb traffic modeling data they use to actually stay mostly on schedule. When I was studying at UBC there several years ago, most busses during busy hours were near to completely full (occasionally so much so that they skipped stops when nobody was getting off because there was physically no more room for more people) If you took all those people, and added about 0.8 cars to the road per person (since some people would be traveling in groups), that would be a HUGE impact on the roads - quite possibly enough to make travel through the city effectively impossible. This is a result of 3 things (all of which are tied together): 1: Vancouver's population density. It's not Hong Kong or Singapore levels of bonkers, but by Canadian standards, Vancouver is extremely dense. It also has to handle a huge influx of commuters from neighbouring cities, which have somewhat lesser but still decent bus service, mostly designed around getting commuters into Vancouver. So there's a LOT of people trying to use the roads. Like I said, if they were all in cars, travel would be nigh impossible. 2: How demanding it is to drive in Vancouver. Like any North American city, rush hour traffic is extremely stressful. Lots of people take the relatively chill and surprisingly reliable method of cramming themselves into mobile sardine tins (busses) because at least then you don't have to add an hour plus of hypervigilance to the start and end of your workday. 3: The amount of funding their transit service gets. Seriously, figuring out 3 minute bus intervals on major routes and being right more often than not means you have extremely good traffic models, and getting and maintaining that kind of data takes a significant investment. Back in my day and where I was, the dedicated mass transit lines were mostly just Skytrain (the RAV line was under construction for most of my time at UBC), which was all too far out to impact my area directly, but that did mean a bunch of people from the neighbouring cities coming out my way were taking most of the trip by rail and thus needing a bus to finish the journey. "Free" (built into fees) tickets for university students, expanding mass transit lines over time...Translink is a *big* organization.

[@HarrowKrodarius]

this is basically how to do public transit the right way.

[@rashkavar]

@@HarrowKrodarius Well, having a system of viable bike paths is certainly a thing they could do to improve it further, but yeah, Vancouver's system is good. A bit expensive, and somewhat subsidized by its satellite cities that don't get as much attention from the transit company, but by North American standards it's a pretty spectacular system. (Low key I'd love to see a video from someone like Not Just Bikes who knows more about international systems and is good at identifying design flaws - would be interesting to see what they're not doing well aside from the obvious bike issue.)

[@johntron2443]

Really like seeing you cover an area that isn’t directly in North America or Europe. Man I would really love to see you do an episode comparing and contrasting an Asian country like Thailand to America, the traffic there and the way people in cars treat those without cars is something I want to see you cover. It’s very shockingly different than the us, dare I say, way worse somehow.

[@JarrodBaniqued]

The Philippines has the same problem too, since it’s a collection of islands of various sizes. Outside its densest area, Metro Manila (which inappropriately has way too few light rail lines for its population density), there is virtually no train service (although this is getting rectified very slowly in a small part of Luzon). Instead, virtually all the roads are either winding country roads or stroads (and rather frustratingly a few toll expressways instead of double-track railroads), and everyone relies on cars, motorcycles, intercity buses and versions of jitneys and taxis called jeepneys and tricycles, run by a hodgepodge of operators. All the cities with six-figure populations are lacking in metro service. City centers tend to be atrociously car-centric and congested, as the sidewalks are too narrow and there are no protected bike or bus lanes. The side streets in smaller towns are okay on walkability and bikeability, but they’re still quite dirty and infested with motorcycles. Overall, if there were any region of the world that could be deemed “induced demand hell”, the Philippines would be it.

[@kalabuk1678]

Now here’s a collaboration I did not see coming!

[@Chin-Hwa]

We’re seeing more leftist/city planning crossovers.

[@JzrCrz]

This is EXACTLY what I see here in Aruba. I'm pretty sure this is most of (if not, all) the Caribbean, not just Nassau. Aruba unfortunately has more in common with the US when it comes to infrastructure and car-dependency than the Netherlands whose kingdom we are a part of. Which is pretty sad when you think about it. Public transport is barely existent and useful, roads are in really bad shape and cars, cars, and more CARS!! And as you've mentioned, the only good pedestrianized places are where the tourists are. You won't find good bike & walkable spaces elsewhere. I can't even get out of my house safely without a car. I currently live next to a really bad road so we have to drive a bit carefully but even in these terrible road conditions, you can find people speeding like crazy through it! And yes, I also see the more American and "stroad-like" big box stores popping up in new developments and I hate it. I have other reasons but this is definitely one of the main reasons why I'm not planning on staying for much longer. I'm moving to the Netherlands in a few months. I just can't keep living like this anymore.

[@TroubleshootGamingMeds]

Really enjoying this one! I highly suggest taking a look at Puerto Rico. It's been ruined by car dependency.

[@marcoalejandrocruz]

Concur with that! Nothing worse than a once walkable Island being destroyed with the help American Federal Highway subsidies. It’s crazy that, to this day, they keep dynamiting and flattening mountains to build single family housing, all while the walkable urban cores crumble into disrepair.

[@franciscoacevedo3036]

Tienen los cascos urbanos destrozados :/

[@TroubleshootGamingMeds]

@@franciscoacevedo3036 me fui de Puerto Rico Como niño y Cuando regrese me di Cuenta que no podia hacer absolutamente nada sin carro.

[@pranaym3859]

Lol, it's not unexpected from US

[@franciscoacevedo3036]

@@TroubleshootGamingMeds si has visto el vídeo sobre el ponzi scheme de Njb vas a encontrar que talvez esa es la razón porque casi todos los municipios tienen problemas financieros

[@Kawaosu]

You should visit Mackinac Island in Michigan, it's pretty much a safe haven for bikes and such in the US. The downside of it is there's too much congestion between cyclists and wondering tourists blocking the way. But overall it's an interesting place to visit, but keep in mind be on the look out for emergency vehicles passing by.

[@lisat9707]

Ok now THIS I want to see!!!!!

[@AC-qx7eg]

It’s beautiful. The Arch, Grand Hotel are insane

[@iheartlazers2]

I noticed the same thing visiting Hawaii the first time; small island, really amazing weather but very car oriented for getting around between towns and tourist destinations.

[@IslandlifeIoW]

Here on the tiny Isle of Wight off the southern English coast, we are replete with wonderful cycle lanes and infrastructure. You’re welcome to explore here anytime Jason!

[@davidty2006]

Theres also a small railway network that used to have old tube trains from the 1930's. Now using retrofitted tube trains.

[@royaltea1917]

True, but that would mean visiting the Isle of Wight, and nobody deserves that fate

[@LydiaCaster]

@@royaltea1917 funny comment, but why do you dislike it?

[@Al_Bx]

The most upsetting thing is that it would be ridiculously easy to implement small changes that would drastically change the outcome. Like turning a few street to bus only, or bus lane where the width of the street allow it. Bike rentals "for tourists" and dedicated lanes... Small changes, first steps. The island is small, it is rich. It only lacks the rarest of all comodities: the will to change.

[@Fresh720]

Yea someone else mentioned it that they tried it in Jamaica and people just drove in them. You definitely need a carrot and stick approach with infrastructure changes

[@jl63023]

The former would have to be done as many streets in the Caribbean are two lanes (either one way or either way). There isn't much space to have an additional bus or bike lane

[@geoff5623]

Would be interesting if tourists significantly adopting bikes in the better maintained areas would shift the perception of bikes as "poor" transportation (and hopefully not just change it to being seen only as recreational transport instead)

[@LightbulbTedbear2]

I can definitely imagine bikes being rented to tourists as a "fun recreational way to see the island". They could push bike infrastructure through the government by framing it as giving a better experience to tourists. Then once a critical mass of bike infrastructure/bike availability is reached, the cultural shift would happen by itself in only a few years.

[@nicholaslennon]

I recently experienced public transit while in Boston. After coming back home, I'm left wishing for useful public transit systems in my own city. It was so nice just jumping on the train to go where I wanted.

[@ironicloud]

In Europe there is a similar place like Bahamas and it's Malta republic (a group of 3 islands south of Sicily Island). In the main island (Malta island) there is the same problem with the traffic. Bus lines were operated until 2011 by private companies with a great unefficient time and routes. Fortunately something changed and now it'a bit better (the problem of traffic still remain). In the past there was a narrow-gauge railway but it was disabled (and demolished) in the '60 (I don't remember exactly, but it was done years ago)

[@grumbogee1772]

My car was recently stolen down here in new orleans and it's honestly kind of been amazing walking around the city more.

[@madfx8058]

As an American who used to regularly visit my family in the working-class neighborhood of Kalihi on the island of Oahu in Hawai'i I really can relate to this video! Very well made, and that local perspective is priceless!!!

[@TheRuralUrbanist]

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only disorganized packer out there! You really never know when you may need a spare traffic light for cyclists... 😅 Great video!

[@Robert_McGarry_Poems]

Or your cat...

[@lakrids-pibe]

Copenhagen is great

[@Ethaara]

I moved to the Netherlands from eastern europe, here I take the train to work every day, I would not even consider driving, it would cost too much and take too much time as well, however, I always see traffic from the train going to Amsterdam. Back home, my friends who are living in the capital (my hometown) are buying "expensive" cars with half of my salary to get around, even tho the city has a kinda ok-ish public transport. I think the main reason is status. If you live in a not so well-off place, "only the poor" takes the public transport, not your boss, or your collegues/seniors. It is a stigma and looked down if you are not owning a car, even though..... the average salary is around 700-800 hundred euros / month, so good luck. Many places in western europe quite different. They can afford to drive but many times they choose not to. Here, when it is a choice, it is not a status anymore. When it is not a choice but achivement that you can have a car, it becomes a status - so I can somewhat see why is this happening.

[@jordanlee4855]

A crossover episode I wasn’t expecting. Proud to watch both these channels.

[@JoshuaFagan]

The same situation is true throughout the Caribbean. Though the populations are often a little too low to have a comprehensive transit system, there's absolutely no reason not to encourage bicycle travel, and yet there are very few bikes on those islands.

[@mrmartinezvida6987]

Thank you for focusing on somewhere outside of Europe and North America. Unfortunately North American car culture has an impact on other countries. When I went to Santo Domingo in the DR, they did have those small buses but it was much faster to take the metro, but the metro is not that long.

[@NotJustBikes]

The Bahamas is in North America, eh?

[@Coccinelf]

@@NotJustBikes I didn't know that! I suspect things has changed since I was in school.

[@Lando-kx6so]

​@@NotJustBikes it is but usually us in the Caribbean separate Caribbean from North(ern) America (Canada, USA, Mexico)

[@dorothymorris6536]

@@Lando-kx6so yeah in brazil at least we usually divide the American continent into 3: north, central and south. no one's looking at those islands and really thinking north america

[@drivers99]

@@dorothymorris6536 it’s interesting that the Portuguese article for North America uses a different map than the English one. pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/América_do_Norte vs en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_America

[@eric_clover]

Went here for my first time leaving the US in January. Came on a cruise which was very fun, we were told the reason nobody uses the scooters is because they are often scams, designed to break down after a certain distance and you will have to pay exorbitant fees to return to the port area or to pay for "fixes" for them. That's another problem with these heavily privatised and independent transit, no accountability. At the very least, the cars there are much smaller than the US since they allow smaller European cars.

[@anniestarlight]

Someday when I have more control over where I'd live, I'd like to position myself so that I'm within longboarding distance of grocery stores and work if possible. I think it's great as a form of transportation, as I can bring it into work and stash it under the basket in grocery stores without it getting in the way. If necessary, I can even wear a clear backpack to stash my groceries in when running an errand, so that I don't get funny looks from walmart employees who might think I'm there to steal Plus, you get the added benefit of looking and feeling cool when riding one lol

[@Geotpf]

Small cars are perfectly legal in the United States. They just mostly sell poorly, especially the smallest ones. Part of this is our tax laws. In some countries, cars are taxed by engine size and/or the physical size of the vehicle. In the US, registration taxes are mostly just determined by the value of the vehicle (specific details do vary from state to state).

[@lisat9707]

LIES. Bird Scooters are a well known widespread company. I should know they were allllll around my city the last few years all summer. You need an app. There's App store ratings. Judge for yourself and read the reviews. This might just be a way the cruise companies prevent tourists from venturing too far too easily and into not as manicured areas.

[@lisat9707]

​@@Geotpf what boggles my mind is I can write off a tonne of car expenses but bike anything is just nope.

[@tinnagigja3723]

@@Geotpf It's also become a bit of an arms race, it seems. With more SUVs on the road, driving a small car is probably terrifying, and I can understand the temptation to just go 'heck, I'll just get a Rezvani Vengeance to take the kids to school'.

[@alexandraw6264]

A NJB video about a city outside of Europe & N. America, collabing with a local KZbinr! Love to see it 😁 I know I’m not alone in wishing to see NJB content from countries around the world, especially in the global south. Hopefully that becomes a feasible thing to do regularly! The collaboration with Foreign Man is a great touch, I love the idea of NJB teaming up with local content creators for videos about different countries.

[@peoplesrepublicofliberland5606]

My friend, Puerto Rico also has absolutely disgusting traffic and if that wasn't enough there's basically 0 transit, 0 bikelanes, roads here are very wide and alot of Potholes.

[@viccasaur]

We have abandoned our small businesses and downtown due to the car infrastructure, it’s so depressing :(

[@thefuriousfatty2297]

Urbanists when they see a man cycling on a stroad: you bow down to no one.

[@joostschrier9507]

Everyone else: dead man cycling over there... :-P

[@thefuriousfatty2297]

@TacticalMoonstone it's a dark joke. It's funny because it's true. When people see cyclists on stroad, they go "that dumb cyclist, he'll be run over any minute now" or something of that sort. The joke is a commentary on the behavior of suburban soccer moms.

[@joostschrier9507]

@tacticalmoonstone9468 what @thefuriousfatty2297 said. It was a joke.

[@Paul_Sleeping]

@TacticalMoonstone It's in every car driver's mind when they see one. Very few people in the US respect cyclists when they share a road. Dark thoughts are the norm, not the exception.

[@roccosemler228]

I visited Nantucket last year, which has about the same size as new providence, and i was shocked by the amount of car there. The town itself has a rich history and would be lovely if it weren't completely overrun by cars, the traffic feels like Manhattan despite being a small village. The island is flat and perfectly bikeable, it makes no sense to allow all those cars into town during the summer, when the weather is great. And there is actually a decent bus system that covers most of the island.

[@roberthuron9160]

BTW,Nantucket had streetcars,and a semi-interurban,so there was a transit history! See Boston Street Railway Society,as they have histories of local transit! Correction on above-my error- should be Association! Dumb,please forgive me,thank you 🙏!

[@roberthuron9160]

Add one other factor,the Federal Government has been subsidizing roads,and highways,since the 1920's! The last upgrade of the Highway Trust Fund was 11 TRILLION DOLLARS,and transit/railroads/public transport literally sees,a minute fraction of that! There is no equality under the law,with this system! The price paid in deaths injury,and disruption is now incalculable! Bad policy produces bad ends! CUI BONO- WHO BENEFITS,FOLLOW THE MONEY 💰! Thank you! 😇!

[@edwardmiessner6502]

@@Stossburg Mackinaw Island in Michigan bans cars completely and it's doing fine!

[@DAOzz83]

Yeah, but they still use horses on Mackinac for their “transit,” which is… less than ideal.

[@enjoyslearningandtravel7957]

@@DAOzz83 actually, that’s wrong, most people walk or bicycle there

[@whisperSSG8]

Wow, Nassau looks very different to Malé in the Maldives. They both share the same tropical-paradise inequality problem, but Malé's density makes it feel much more lively when I visited there.

[@robertlamantin5088]

(At 9:18) The jitneys aren't allowed to go to Paradise Island on purpose. It's to avoid local poor people - the ones who are mainly supposed to use jitneys - to melt with rich ones. It's a sadly known and assumed urban discrimination, you can find similar examples in Florida.

[@newfoundlandmapping4493]

I love how you focused on this small city on an island. Being from St.John’s Newfoundland I can relate to this. Despite the metro area having a population of only around 250,000 the traffic, especially in the inner city and outer ring highways is horrible. I live in topsail, which is the second largest suburb town of St.John’s and public transport is literally non-existent, the nearest bus stop is an hour bike ride in the suburb over and it only comes once a day, no return trips either. Seeing Bay Street in this video reminds me exactly of old downtown in st.John’s, old abandoned and falling apart from main downtown core which is a pedestrian mall for 4 months of the year. Watching your videos actually makes me sad. I see how lively and great the cities in the netherlands are and my hometown is not even a comparison.

[@jodyssey9921]

I live in St John's. Our transit is absolute garbage, you got that right. There's a bus stop in front of my house but it only comes once an hour, stops at 6 pm and doesn't run on weekends.😂 I ride a bike or scooter or walk everywhere. Dangerous though, been hit by a car twice in 7 years. Rode 18 years in Toronto and never got hit. Would have been hit a lot more than twice if I didn't have decades of experience riding in traffic, too many people here just don't see bicycles and there is only one decent bike lane in the entire city that I know of, along Columbus Dr. To be fair St John's is very windy and hilly and the weather is shit so you have to be a little bit mad to bicycle everywhere, I don't expect everyone to stop driving. I just want them to stop trying to kill me and the city to do a better job with snow clearing for non drivers.

[@archeraz5136]

I was really suprised and happy to see this video crossover with Foreign. Its a really unexpected combination but the resulting dialogue is fantastic. Thanks y'all!

[@_alexambroz]

This is great. Come on over to Dublin, Ireland and see the dedicated bus lanes that we have. City also has a very strong bus system overall, along with a tram (called LUAS) and train (called DART). Strong bike culture too, regardless of the frequent rain.

[@torresalex]

9:45 Please don't diss the DS. At least it's not an SUV

[@Sequoia204]

9:45 Aw, you can make an exception for a Citoren DS! Legend of an automobile!

[@guilhermetavares4705]

Public transportation here in Rio de Janeiro has some serious problems, but Nassau seems to be much worse. There is something similar to the jitneys which are the vans, but they serve more the suburbs and certain communities. Our bus system, although not as modern as São Paulo's, has fare integration and you don't have to pay another fare when you make a transfer. And we use less and less cash, since the system accepts transportation cards and even credit cards.

[@daynester]

Great video! I hope more people become aware of this ongoing issue, and as a result, we can hopefully work to improve city infrastructure worldwide.

[@theodorechiou2886]

quite surprised that they dont use scooters like Taiwan, or other south east Asian countries. also as a Taiwanese person who grew up in southern Taiwan, not everyone agrees with what is good weather :) i personally like England in the winter... which a lot of people seem to hate, but bike and path infrastructure is always a plus!

[@LouisSubearth]

It's probably the same stigma as cycling, as in it's seen as a lesser form of transportation.

[@samlaki4051]

bro Foreign is huge! knew the man lift weight, but seeing him move is something else

[@lyninthelowlands]

I noticed this same trend in Key West, an even smaller island. Outside of the pedestrianized waterfront area it's overwhelmingly car dependent. You can rent bikes but with no dedicated bike lanes it just feels dangerous.

[@burstintotreats6654]

This is the crossover episode we needed but didn't realize we needed. Amazing, can't wait to check out foreigns video

[@Stipopedia]

Have you ever thought about making a video on Okinawa? While most Japan has a really good train network, Okinawa has exactly one monorail and no other trains. Yes they have bus lines but generally the whole island is very car focused.

[@LinkStorm13]

I was on the Bahamas a few years ago (my cousin married a bahamian guy), when I was getting into city planning, but before I was radicalized by you videos. As it was the first time for me in north america, I immediately recognised a lot of things that had bothered me while playing cities:skylies and were unfamiliar to me from europe. My parents and I kind of insisted on walking when it was possible, despite having a shared rental car together with another cousin. Some areas are quite pleasant to walk, but others are actually dangerous. when we walked through Kemp Road on sundown to take a shortcut, multiple cars stopped to tell us, it's not safe there, so we went the long way around. :D There were a lot of occasions, when locals would offer us a ride, when they saw us walking along the street, maybe hoping to get a tip (which they surely got :))

[@BlueBeefalo]

Saw this video on nebula. It was very intriguing personally. My mother’s bahamian, from Nassau, and I’ve been there dozens of times, even took the jitney many times. The part where you mentioned the deterioration of businesses near the road. That’s something my mother noticed and mentioned to us a few years back.

[@ty_teynium]

Last year I visited Ghana to meet with family; loved the trip, the food the music scene is real good; the only upset of the visit is definitely the traffic. Way too congested, smell of petrol oil and gas can be really overwhelming; but people are so generous enough to know better that to step on anyone's toes, but getting around is nearly impossible without a car. Loved the place and visiting it; just hope infrastructure gets a better for the sake of the people there; my heart goes out to them.

[@kylehart6893]

7:31 It’s a real missed opportunity that California is so car-centric, given how nice the weather is for walking & cycling

[@skyfeelan]

8:35 ah, this is just like angkot in Indonesia, even that our bus is even smaller, basically a minivan but in the size of a sedan

[@vokasimid5330]

And much cheaper

[@stefanholmstrom1968]

You mention social stigma and bicycles 15:18. I remember some Ingrians who worked in the same company in Helsinki/Finland as me in the early 90s (an era when quite many Ingrians had moved to Finland). One of these Ingrians was an upper-middle-aged man, a very nice guy. Many of us Finns took the bicycle to work, but he could not even image doing doing the same thing. - I can rationally understand how great bicycles are, but I can't picture myself using one, it would still be shameful, he said. He had grown up in Soviet union, were the bicycle was considered the vehicle for the really poor ones (the "losers" who didn't manage in the communist system). The elite had cars, other workers took the bus/trolley/tram. But bicycles.... no. It was even better to walk to work, he said. The concept of social stigma & bicycles was so deeply rooted in him.

[@unixnerd23]

I think the UK is a bit like that.

[@enjoyslearningandtravel7957]

I made the video more interesting that you teamed up with a local who actually tried something different and his life such as doing without a car. It’s too bad that island couldn’t have bike lanes since it would not only make it more fun for a tourist getting around, but it would also make it more practical for locals to get around and keep more healthy and fit at the same time plus especially because the island is much smaller than I imagined and I did not know it had so much traffic. !!

[@KAtergorie]

Danke!

[@NotJustBikes]

Thank you for the SuperThanks!

[@carolynlarke1340]

I am a Caribbean. I've lived and worked in the islands since the mid 1970s. The Bahamas is bad for traffic because it is all pushed and financed by North American companies. It's even worse in places like St.Vincent, St. Lucia and other nations of the Caribbean. I've waited in a traffic jam for an hour to cross an island barely 5 miles across. It's sad, criminal and disgraceful that the exploitation of working people continues apace as the water levels rise and temperatures chase us from formerly inhabited places. By the way, I believe the Bahamas lost an island in hurricane Joachin back 8 or 9 years ago. The entire nation is in danger of slipping into the Atlantic.

[@EvocativeKitsune]

Thanks to this channel, being able to live car-free was a major concern when deciding where to live and work. I'm moving to Liège next week, and even though I'll work outside the city, the bus and cycling should be good.

[@sheldonpon9141]

I went to Curaçao for my honeymoon and was amazed at how much traffic there was considering it's such a small island. I suppose it's like this most places in the Caribbean.

[@jun_suzuki42]

This tiny island has so many JDM cars makes me mind blowing, anyway this place reminds me of Penang in Malaysia. The traffic congestion is horrible inside an island.

[@_goopho]

omg the collab I never expected but I'm absolutely thrilled for!