Why Cities Are Banning Cars Around The World

Traffic is a growing problem in many U.S. cities. Instead of adding more streets to accommodate cars, a growing movement is pushing to ban them in dense areas like New York City. This would give more space for bike lanes, bus routes and pedestrian plazas while also reducing noise and air pollution.
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Why Cities Are Banning Cars Around The World

[@dallysinghson5569]

Nothing screams 'FREEDOM' as being tied to car payments, fuel, fines, maintenance...

[@matthewthomas7824]

Freedom does require a job.

[@askeladden450]

​@@matthewthomas7824freedom doesnt require spending a fortune just to get to your damn job every day. While the rest of the world is using public transport to get to the job, americans are still stuck in the last century.

[@baconhair1159]

@@matthewthomas7824You should not be spending more than 20% of your pay check on a stupid car

[@matthewthomas7824]

@@askeladden450 the rest of the world wants to move here! If your argument is that people chose buses over private cars, I disagree. Noons rides a bus unless they have to.

[@askeladden450]

@@matthewthomas7824 Option 1: Drive your car to work in NYC where the average traffic speed is 10mph. Get stuck in traffic, some a-hole cuts across you. Honks and car fumes all around. Spend 20 minutes finding parking. You get to work late and already mentally stressed. Option 2: Take a bus or tram in Amsterdam. Read a nice book in comfort, or play with your Nintendo. Get off your bus, take a 1 minute walk in fresh morning air to your workplace, or ride a bike. Get to work upbeat and fresh, and spend a happy day. It doesnt take a genius to figure out which is better. You americans nees to get rid of your primal ways.

[@Duhnguyening]

The whole reason we love visiting the cities in Europe and Asia is because they feel alive, vibrant, and 90% of the space isn't taken up by a few people in 2 ton vehicles. If we can make our cities more walkable, we will fall in love with where we live and also have healthier and happier people because of it.

[@ramraghuwanshi2562]

And we in Asia love big house,big road,green lawns,big yards and big car of usa.. But we can only watch can't hv them

[@johngifford7725]

Or, instead of forcing this communist crap on everyone, you could just feck off to those cities.

[@markcuban9936]

@@ramraghuwanshi2562 Americans in cities largely can’t have these things either, unless you want to spend 2-4 hours of your day in traffic.

[@anafranco5733]

@@markcuban9936 in Europe people live close to the city unlike USA plus they have wonderful public transportation and inexpensive.

[@markcuban9936]

@@anafranco5733 I lived in Germany for a year and that was my experience. I would love to go back.

[@jakeconnelly2441]

Always wanted a walkable city, but after I spent some time in Tokyo I need it. Fast, reliable public transit and 90% of the streets are walkable. I could go almost a whole afternoon never being close to a car.

[@shizuwolf]

Know the feeling after seeing some videos by NotJustBikes

[@synthstatic9889]

Americans love to demonize dense areas as noisy and crime ridden while Tokyo, one of the densest places on earth is safe and peaceful. Cars create noise. Precariousness creates crime.

[@dhanyrafael]

@@shizuwolf Yes, great channel.

[@mapgar1479]

And most of the streets are drivable too. Tokyo has an amzing urban superhighway system in which a portion is to be relocated into a tunnel so that people can enjoy the space where the viaduct once was. While these superhighways are toll roads the density of their country makes toll roads needed but the Netherlands while dense is not nearly as such and has plenty of country side which is why people must be simultaneously able to use the transit netoworks. bike lanes, and walk on the sidewalk or street while having the choice to freely use your car on 85% of city streets and all urban roads and street-level highways. In places like the U.S., the U.K., the Netherlands, Belgium, and France the highways don't need to be toll roads. Also in Japan homeowners and businesses must provide their own parking on their property since there is no space for street parking on their narrow streets. Car travel is more fun there too.

[@Phillipzu]

@@mapgar1479 Thanks for pointing out the role this vast network of urban superhighways plays in Tokyo's infrastructure I feel this is a topic urbanists usually forget

[@kerembasaran]

Maybe the noise aspect deserved more of a mention. My city in Belgium has adopted such practices and the biggest most immediate effect was how much nicer it became to sit on a terrace or walk around, the quietness, the peace of mind. The change they made is that the city was divided into pizza slices and you can change your slice only through going out to the crust first and circulating on the crust (i.e. ring). Thus no circling around in the city. They also made a lot of streets one-way or bicycle-priority (no overtaking bicycles). This reduced traffic a lot. Also speed limit is 30km/h in the whole city. The city is Ghent.

[@amusing4me257]

yes the sound but also that sounds amazing (the pizza slices of Belgium)

[@lalameeralalameera7349]

What about those people who suffer from constant joint pain they cannt walk that much

[@mariatheresavonhabsburg]

@@lalameeralalameera7349 Ghent has great public transport services. It not unusual seeing the elderly using it. Let's not forget we live in the 21th century. My second thought goes to mobility scooters. But wheelchairs, electric scooters or other devices also exist.

[@vincentpol]

Not sure if I can link a video here, but there's a channel called "not just bikes" and it has a good video called "cities aren't loud, cars are loud". It raises this point exactly. Once you remove cars from cities, it becomes incredibly tranquil.

[@grandmalovesmebest]

@@mariatheresavonhabsburg innovative ppl are designing new sorts of personal vehicles for elders and disabled ppl. Someone might set up businesses where ppl enter the walk only cities & pick up a bike or w/c. And the new "bikes" and "chairs" being developed are fixed w safety features and can take one comfortably up/down hills, over dirt, grass, and sand, etc. I only hope we can get young ppl away from social media and excited about revamping the world.

[@julian4805]

I would honestly be fine with getting a bike for short to medium distances in the neighborhood but my biggest reason for not is strictly because I’m terrified of getting hit by a car. If there were better designed streets throughout the whole city with ample room to bike, I wouldn’t mind giving my car a break

[@NiekNooijens]

Funny how the problem of biking, is still cars!

[@HappyTobeHere89]

The owner of a salon I use to work at got hit 3 times while riding his bike to work. He still bikes 🤷‍♀️. I don't bike for the exact reason as you. Meeting him solidified my fear.

[@MaxFung]

same here. i live on a busy street in LA and have seen two people get hit on their bikes just looking out from my bedroom window

[@lnb252]

@@NiekNooijens bikers act like road rules dont apply to them

[@Zb_Calisthenic]

Agreed. I drive 6 miles to the train station. It's not super close, but as you said, if there were a safe route, I wouldn't mind giving my car a break either. She works too damn hard 😅

[@FalconsEye58094]

A little difficult when the vast majority of cities in your country have demonized public transportation for decades and ripped out any infrastructure that once existed with the suburbs spread out and life made to revolve around highway transport

[@prometheus140]

@@MathGPT the suburbs are going to collapse when the infrastructure like water pipes and electrical grids run out of money since the suburbs can’t afford to pay for their upkeep

[@Jfxkxdvrvr]

Act like you have a real opinion and not one that was spoon fed to you on social media please

[@stickfinderz]

@@Jfxkxdvrvr you are truly a blessing. ❤️

[@jrbarton3059]

@@prometheus140 bs. Suburbia is efficiently run, has a good amount of tax base and has less crime. A lot of people want to live here. Cities are nothing but crowded space, noisy and polluted. Also, when there’s a pandemic, cities get the worst out of it. You also have giant rats running around. Cities are also full of aggressive people because it’s too crowded. U wanna live there? Fine. Leave us suburbianites alone.

[@poochyenarulez]

@@MathGPT In what possible way are suburbs affordable?

[@Maria-EU]

While living in the US and having visited Canada frequently during that time, one of the biggest culture shocks for me as a European was that I basically couldn't walk anywhere. Cars are prioritized everywhere and it's absolutely insane to me. Public transportation was also very unreliable which just showed that the countries just force you to buy your own car. The way traffic is planned in north America alone was the reason why I decided I couldn't continue living there.

[@mapgar1479]

That is because the majority of people all around the world travel by car. In Europe the transit systems were never dismantled like here in the U.S. so limiting cars especially in european major cities is definentely pointless and inconvenient and even dangerous.

[@Bru946]

Same in australia. When I visit japan or anywhere in the EU the walkability is amazing.

[@davidmantooth1285]

Good luck in Europe.

[@SSGoatanks]

The government expects everyone to buy and own cars. If public transportation breaks down, then cities have to fix it - when you own a car then it becomes your problem.

[@AlphineWolf]

You haven't visited Vancouver then lol.

[@queen_of_ice]

I am an american living in the netherlands and I live 5 minutes walking distance from all the stores park and 15 minutes on bike to my doctor, dentist and with bus, metro and train 15 minutes to the main city. I love the netherlands! ❤

[@chad9971]

Not Just Bike, Alan Fisher, and Adam Something have been talking about this for years. Not Just Bikes literally moved away from the Canadian suburbs for Amsterdam just for the walkability and public transportation. Interview those KZbinrs.

[@ex0stasis72]

Ya, it puzzles me by CNBC never seems to collaborate with fellow content creators. It's like they don't want to acknowledge other KZbinrs are on an equal level to them.

[@justcommenting4981]

Comment boooooost.

[@justcommenting4981]

@@elliotcowell3139 I'm pretty sure some of them do have PhDs and are transportation engineers.

[@justcommenting4981]

@@ex0stasis72 why would they help competition just because it keeps people informed when it harms their sponsors like Lexus, Ford, etc? Capitalism > keeping viewers informed. I'm surprised they even made this.

[@chad9971]

@@elliotcowell3139 they were interviewing a TikTokker lol

[@Kelxya]

Growing up in the Canadian suburbs as a socially-anxious child, I remember my parents lamenting why I spent all day inside reading books and playing video games instead of going outside. I remember thinking, "and do what?". If your friends don't live within a walkable distance, and you're surrounded on all sides by the same suburbia, what incentive do you have to go outside and exercise / enjoy nature? It's even worse now; I was shocked when I heard it's actually illegal in many places for children under a certain age to be outside without an adult. 12-year-olds needing a babysitter just to go to the neighbourhood park. (Not Just Bikes has a great video on why this happened) Introducing walkable neighbourhoods affects more than just reducing traffic jams. It affects everything about how we interact with our neighbourhoods. I would love to see European-style walkable neighbourhoods in North America.

[@yvesgingras1475]

Im with you on that! I live in canada and I see more car each day than human, its just sad.

[@greenmachine5600]

That would be amazing to see more walkable neighborhoods

[@delftfietser]

To me NotJustBikes came across as simply anti North America. Yes he had his reasons. Even so, many neighborhoods were built in the 1970 and 1980s, and weren't walkable the way that term is understood today. What makes a neighborhoods workable for kids is other kids and their families. Today there are fewer of both, places that "kid-deserts," and so we think that the streets were only for cars. Both kids and drivers respected one another, not always perfectly, because the kids were taught to do so and the adults were the same ones in the street not so long ago.

[@Joomlahacks]

stop lying... all you did was played video games.

[@Kelxya]

​@@delftfietser I'm curious why you feel that NotJustBikes is anti-North America? He does have very strong opinions, but it felt to me like the frustration of someone who's lived in North America and wants their country to do better. I love Canada, but that just makes it so much more frustrating when I see policy-makers stuck in their old ways (that are proven not to work) rather than take the steps needed to move forward along with European countries. If they can do it, we can too, but we're not, and it's disheartening. There are multiple factors making neighbourhoods kid-deserts, and I definitely agree with your point! But it's not the only reason why things are so bad today, and we need to tackle all those factors together if we want kids to be able to play on the streets safely again.

[@feelin_fine]

Was in Berlin and Barcelona recently, and I can't emphasize enough how peaceful and pleasant pedestrian-friendly cities are. It was so refreshing. Most Americans could only dream of cities designed for people.

[@synthstatic9889]

"could only dream" You overestimate the imagination of the typical American.

[@fernandoroberts3591]

ive been to London twice and the last time I only walked and we did about 24 miles over the 2 day period

[@davidmantooth1285]

Have a good time in Berlin.

[@Kashi941]

Barcelona is not peaceful or pleasant at all, I remember it as being very loud because there's so many cars. Come to Vienna or to Sevilla to see what I mean.

[@AidanS99]

I agree that walkable cities are important, but we definitely need to create a train network and better bus infrastructure for that to happen. First, America needs to nationalize its rail like every other developed country on earth. Then they’re needs to be more high speed and low speed rail projects built around the country. I’m currently watching a video series about a group of friends in Europe who are essentially playing tag across the continent. Each of the three are trying to reach a certain city in different countries before the other two catch up to them, and when they catch them the runners swap. The fact that they can do this game using nothing but trains, buses, taxis, and walking shows how far ahead Europe is when it comes to rail infrastructure.

[@rafarequeni822]

The video series look interesting, but you need quite a budget to play tag across a continent.

[@yourunclejohn984]

@@rafarequeni822Could always just make way for everything. Personal cars for long distance travel, while making public transportation and walkable cities the norm

[@davidmantooth1285]

In a car you don't have to put up with so much violence

[@rafarequeni822]

@@davidmantooth1285That's a very american problem. No violence problems walking the streets in Europe. Almost the same levels of crime than in the USA, but no violence.

[@Demopans5990]

@davidmantooth1285 Still do with a car. Why do you think your insurance is rising? It's all the crappy drivers

[@xtraxtra3085]

What this video doesn’t mention about closing Times Square is that network-wide traffic flow in Manhattan IMPROVED once Broadway was closed. It illustrates a phenomenon known as Braess’ Paradox, which says that sometimes having more links in a network has a negative impact on overall flow through the network. Pretty cool!

[@jamisojo]

That definitely makes sense.

[@cogspace]

Right! The reason this happens is because each individual person is trying to make their individual trip as short as possible, but when everyone does this, they end up running into conflict and creating traffic jams, slowing things down overall. If all those people had instead taken non-conflicting but longer routes, you end up with an overall better-functioning road network. Even better, these longer but less conflicted trips are less stressful on drivers, which cuts down on stuff like road rage, literally saving lives. Making the road network *less* "friendly" to cars has the paradoxical result of making things more pleasant (and safer) not only for pedestrians and cyclists, but also for drivers!

[@nwsportstilidie]

@@cogspace It's the fundamentals of democracy: Everyone sacrificing something for the greater good.

[@phaggott]

@@nwsportstilidie that's not the fundamental principle of democracy bro

[@nwsportstilidie]

@@phaggott Ok maybe fundamentals isn't the right word. More like a requirement of democracy.

[@adanr2389]

We desperately need more walkable cities in the US… we also need to improve our public transportation system. Hopefully we’ll catch up with the rest of the developed world.

[@peterwelby]

Walk around and get mugged and deal with crazy homeless on public transit. Walk around and see homeless camps and vacant shops I guess crime and disorder magically disappear along with the cars? Glad everyone is super healthy and can ride a bike in heat and snow and has no kids or elderly to care for.

[@chrissiec2123]

@@peterwelby Your fearmongering is of no use here. I'm a New Yorker, born and raised, and still living here. While I understand your concern about NYC's homeless population and crimes, you're being hyperbolic. People watch the news-- which by design catastrophizes to create fear in people so that they can maintain higher watch rates from viewers-- and then start thinking that as soon as they step outside their house that they're going to get shot, mugged, assaulted, etc. You're in your own head too much and it shows.

[@siggietyrone3965]

@@peterwelby Do you go outside at all or do you stay inside your home every single day because you think someone will drive by and shoot you while you quickly get the mail in your front porch.

[@Evil_Beauty]

@@peterwelby and what suggestions do you have/prefer to combat this transportation problem? Not everyone can afford a car to drive. To which, some are already living far with no navigational awareness of the area they are living in. And even if those people did afford a car, I'm not too sure they'll have the confidence to drive them in these crazy uncertain times, let alone be safe out on the road than they are out on the streets running into homeless people, or thugs... There's a reason why auto-accidents are a top leading cause of death than any other issue. And it's all because you run into impatient, low-tolerant road rage maniacs who don't know how to drive...

[@robinsinaga4912]

Honestly i'm very confuse about your comment here, i though US has a great public transportation. Because our neighborhood country singapore is very concern about their public transportation. We can walk freely and healthy. Meanwhile here In my country especially in my city people will adore you if you have a fancy and luxurious car. Pedestrian will be seen as a poor and useless. And sometime pavement become as an parking car.

[@MargaritaMagdalena]

I live in the Netherlands and have no car or even a driver's license (although I'd like to have a license). I use my bicycle or public transit for transportation. I go to work by bike, about 20 minutes. Sometimes my bike is broken and I have to walk, about 40 minutes. I'm amazed at how the same route is transformed by walking instead of riding the bicycle. It feels epic and adventurous, almost like a medieval journey. If even a bike is really fast and makes you distracted, heartless, and apathetic to the world around you, I don't even want to know how using a car every day would affect my psychology. I'll never own a car even if I get a driver's license and enough money to afford a car. Staying human is more important to me.

[@jaffa463]

Staying enclosed in one environment for a long period of time is not healthy for growth. Exploring new people and cultures is important for an open mind set. Can you travel by bike to Netherlands to london ?

[@jaffa463]

Yes walking exercises is important but if that means I can travel fast and long distances within my own space I don’t want it.

[@MargaritaMagdalena]

@@jaffa463 I don't like traveling. Reading is much more exciting for me.

[@Lemonzify]

Who asked

[@wimahlers]

@@jaffa463 [] ... Can you travel by bike to Netherlands to London ? Yes. [] ... Exploring new people and cultures is important Bus, train, airplane, subway, tram, boat ... or what I did in the desert: Dromedary. Many alternatives.

[@ken9720]

This is long overdue. I spent 4+ years in Lima, Peru. No matter where I lived there were either little mom & pop stores for the basics. A full on grocery store was no more than 10 blocks away and there were taxi to help carry groceries back if needed. Movie theatres and other shopping were all within the same radius as the grocery stores. It truly felt alive and fun. American cities are built around having a car and it has truly caused us to be more disconnected from each other. Plus, urban sprawl has spiraled out of control due to this also. The best part was that the district of Miraflores in Lima where I lived the longest closed down a major road every Sunday Morning to allow biking, rollerblading, etc. Plus there were other sports such as volleyball and soccer. There were even places to rent equipment for said activities The city park in the center had a craftman's market and other family oriented activities. It made for a beautifully relaxing Sunday morning for the entire community.

[@gens2119]

Everyday larger and larger news outlets cover the beauty of car-free, pedestrian centered planning and every time it happens I smile.

[@naomi0connor]

I know i really hope one day we can make all places walkable and utilize a high speed rail system and eliminate the need for cars almost entirely.

[@DonaldDickerson]

I know right! I would see small outlets and individual youtubers speak of the benefits and examples of car-free, pedestrian centered planning but not so much with larger news outlets. It's fantastic to see this covered more and I really can't help but smile.

[@e5m956]

ewww yucky... who wants to sit on something a million other strange rectums has been farting on and most people don't clean themselves properly.... I drive in my two brand new personal vehicles thank you.

[@eitkoml]

And the boomers rage at such ideas. The boomers who have caused so many problems.

[@Evil_Beauty]

@@e5m956 you make it sound like people are given much of a choice... Not everyone can afford cars, ya know... Or the fact that a bunch of lousy idiot drivers behind the wheel don't know how to drive to save their life scarring other potential future drivers with already low self-confidence behind the wheel fearing with mad anxiety for their life every time they have to deal with road rage maniacs kamekazing 'em like some GTA street race...

[@TheDuckClock]

When I was a teenager, I grew up in a new housing development suburb. And it was extremely miserable. There was absolutely nothing in the area that was reachable by foot of bike, because A) There were no sidewalks or Bike Lanes B) There was no public transport C) The nearest shops were at least a 5 minute drive by car. A lot people like to claim that "anti-car is anti-freedom" but the truth is: Car Dependancy is anti-freedom. Not everyone can drive, be it because they're too young, disabled or cannot afford to buy and maintain a car. Now I live in Montreal, which is a far more walkable city than where I used to live. And it's great. It's extreamely livable without a car. Great Public Transit, great bike lane network. Public amenities are all in walking distance due to smart urban designing with ideal middle density. The only problem is that it's still hard for disabled people to get around, and it's not due to lack of cars, but too many stairs and not enough ramps and elevators. Still it is a massive improvement over living in a suburb where you're basically a slave to your car.

[@PlaystationMasterPS3]

I felt the same way as a teen, that's what got me into urban planning

[@dbclass4075]

Ironically, alternatives to driving is BETTER for those that do drive. No need to compete of road space with other drivers who rather do something else.

[@lukehalmrast7366]

i mean ay you escaped the hell that is suburbia

[@julkkis666]

I lived on the country side for my whole teens. Not being able to go to town or anywhere without a car really sucks. The boomer way of wanting to live in suburbs is a really bad choise. It costs so much to have to keep money to fix and fill up your vehicle, and being at the whims of fule prices, polluting by doing unnecesary trips everywhere, the sedentary lifestyle, the distance to everything and everyone... All i know is i'll buy a house close to the city center where i can bike everywhere witin 15 minutes, while my parrents live a 30 minute car drive from their places of work.

[@eattherich9215]

'Now I live in Montreal, which is a far more walkable city than where I used to live. And it's great. It's extreamely livable without a car.' My sister lives in Pickering, Ontario and she is not a driver, but she is in walking distance of several bus routes and there are local shops plus a shopping centre. However, she is deep in the burbs and the main drag is six lanes of fast moving traffic. That is my idea of hell.

[@JermaniBurroughs]

I’m just here for that Car-brain comments 😂

[@khalidalali186]

I miss human-centric walkable cities, that are not car dependent. It’s one of the reasons why I always travel to Europe for the weekend, or on extended vacations.

[@rituwebpro]

How do you travel to Europe on the weekend. Where do you live?

[@guru47pi]

I went to Brooklyn during COVID (Sept 2020), and they had closed a 4 Lane road so restaurants could have outdoor seating, and the rest was an open park for the neighborhood. It was wonderful. People took their kids, they biked in circles while their parents had coffee, beer, or food. I had been there before, and it was an inhospitable area then. The sidewalk was very unfriendly, bc fast and load cars and trucks were barreling down. I didn't stop then, bc there was no reason to stop. It was just another minimal sidewalk adjacent to a stroad. I don't remember a single store

[@mariusfacktor3597]

Beautifully written. This is how I feel living in Los Angeles. The only place commercial buildings are allowed are on highway-width stroads. It's loud, the air is dirty, and crossing the stroad feels like you're going to die. Why would anyone want to go there. I feel bad for all the small businesses there who struggle to make it because nobody walks there unless they need to.

[@Kay0Bot]

Stroads!!!

[@KB-ke3fi]

@@mariusfacktor3597 ....and now you're having rolling blackouts and you can't charge your cars. lol

[@edwardmiessner6502]

@@mariusfacktor3597 yet big corporate businesses are thriving on these stroads. Literally thriving. Go figure.

[@vinroc]

Everyone needs to learn what the meaning of STROAD is and then we can have some progress

[@electrikoptik]

Living in the Netherlands I've never had to own a car ever! You can pretty much walk, bike or take public transportation to everywhere. I couldn't imagine living in the US where you are pretty much forced to buy a car because the infrastructure for walking, biking and public transportation is pretty much non existent.

[@ihswap]

Bro I live a 6 minutes drive from work but my commute usually takes 20 mins because of traffic. It's also nearly impossible to walk to because of...you guessed it. Traffic!

[@scottsteiner8931]

Netherlands is 16k square miles…. The state of New York is 54k square miles…. You are comparing a tiny country to just 1 state…. Everywhere can not be walkable……

[@noazucar519]

I bet you save a lot of money by not needing a car. I only drive 2-3 days a week, but that means I still have to fork up, at minimum, $3000 USD per year just to legally own and run my car. (And it's fully paid off. It was worth $35,000 when I bought it.)

[@EvanRustMakes]

@@ihswap Try biking

[@NiekNooijens]

@@scottsteiner8931 go to Japan! Except for only the most remote villages, almost everywhere is reachable by public transport. And Japan is a big country! Or take china! That's almost as big as the US and even they have walkable cities and a vast High speed train network! Sorry but if those countries can do it, the US can as well! (And while you're at it please adopt the metric system 🫡 you'll thank me later!)

[@L4teSh1ft]

As an antique car collector, semi & bus driver, and and mostly life long suburbanite... I hate being forced to drive due to no other options. We are finally moving to a transit and walking friendly city. Sad I thought the suburbs could work out after a lifetime of evidence suggesting otherwise.

[@KJSvitko]

Imagine how much quieter cities would be if petrol and diesel vehicles were replaced with walking, cycling, scooters and all electric vehicles. Reduced noise, reduced stress, reduced pollution, reduced emissions, added health benefits from walking, reduced health care costs.

[@balleraap007]

Stay away from Me

[@mikewade777]

@@balleraap007 the whole point of car free, is that you stay away from us.

[@balleraap007]

@@mikewade777 yup walk in the rain and snow and hot summer

[@mikewade777]

@@balleraap007 that would be down to you

[@balleraap007]

@@mikewade777 no I have a car

[@susanlippy1009]

I would think pedestrian only shopping districts would increase traffic in stores not decrease. You are walking by window displays and able to see what's on offer as well as ditching in a shop to cool down. If shopping and restaurants are close it would be easy to meander throughout enjoying the day.

[@jan-lukas]

You don't have to think that, many studies have shown that people driving somewhere to go shopping buy less than people who go there by other means

[@SweBeach2023]

Is increased shopping, especially mindless shopping, really a good thing? What's your honest opinion?

[@miridium121]

@@SweBeach2023 it's not necessarily an increase in the total amount of shopping, but that people shop near their living spaces more, instead of travelling by car to somewhere else.

[@kendoman3150]

If it's a pain to drive to someplace I won't go. If it's less stressful to walk or bus to someplace I will go. Just that simple for me.

[@susanlippy1009]

@@SweBeach2023 depends on rather you are the shopkeeper or the customer. The shopkeeper would say earning enough to live a good life is excellent, having money to feed family and live quality life awesome. As for the customer if they were able to buy needed supplies or goods and life was improved because of it then they too would be happy. The customer that is unwise and spends foolishly, true they are at disadvantage. But let's be honest one can overspend with good ol' Jeff fat easier than one can walk and shop. It takes far more intention to hoof it than to click and done. No difference from us walking to the mall in the 70's and enjoying the food, games, entertainment and shopping. Don't recall it being a huge issue for us back then, but back then folks budgeted and used cash more. Credit is far more to blame for poor spending than shops are.

[@DrewRueDoo]

Cars simply cost way too much. Car insurance, car payments, gas, tolls, car maintenance. It’s unreal how expensive it is. Edit: I didn’t realize how much this comment would trigger so many people. Lmao.

[@cerisem7727]

Depends where you live, what car you have and so on. You drive a vehicle that is unreliable and have horrible gas mileage, of course it's going to be expensive.

[@yaggaman1914]

@@StiffToshi right someone gets it lol just cause they cant sdont mean everyone suffers... they need to regulate ubers

[@gnnascarfan2410]

On top of that they are depreciating in value the moment you drive off the lot.

[@Cal90208]

@@StiffToshi Wow what a great point? Let’s just keep forcing everyone to pay more for a car! It’s not as if everyone can use money that would go to a car for something else… like vacations or leisurely things.

[@jbudlo2]

@@StiffToshi Driving also makes you fat.

[@nimrod06]

You don't have to ban cars, but you should internalize the externalities of cars, which scales with population density. It should be much more expensive to drive in a city than, say, a village. Cars make the area around it dangerous, noisy, air-polluted, and more prone to road cracks. And none of that is captured by the $200 property tax per year.

[@Mia-ei4mh]

I think about this all the time, how much headache we will save if we have safe walkways in the city, In India we do not have safe walkways due to which walking is not encouraged here, thus I truly believe we need walkable walkways beside major roads.

[@jaredgreenhouse6603]

More of this, please. Too many cities in the US are absolute garbage because it's impossible to get around without a car. And even when you have one, the systems in place are atrociously inefficient at moving traffic. In fact, they can only be efficient to such an extent. Get people out of cars, that's literally the only way to reduce such congestion

[@jean-philipperameau4220]

bUt wE nEeD tO bUiLd mOaR lAnEs!!!!!!

[@davidperry4013]

Build more bus stops and train routes and make it so that people actually want to use it. Then downsize the roads as a result from fewer cars

[@ivanr4300]

If u wanna walk around homeless, go ahead

[@intellectualrebel5340]

​@@ivanr4300In europe, walking is not a homeless people thing. It's an everyone with functioning legs thing.

[@mikekennedy9817]

Cars are good

[@chrisoneill1192]

I was talking about this to my coworker the other day, and I came to the conclusion that while I like being able to drive, I don't like having to drive. I'm sure lots of us feel the same way

[@gobblox38]

I'm convinced that most people hate driving despite them saying it's no big deal. That's why they tend to speed, getting to their destination as quickly as possible. That's why they stay in their house. That's why they go directly to a place and directly home. If people actually liked driving it would be something they want to do rather than something they have to do.

[@stevej.7926]

Well said.

[@miamitten1123]

@@gobblox38 they’re driving to work/home ‘genius’. No one is speeding to grandma house.

[@gobblox38]

@@miamitten1123 you sweet summer child, people are always speeding regardless of their destination. The reason why is they don't want to be in their cars.

[@n0yn0y]

I'm a broke student, and I agree. Unfortunately, I work and attend grad school in the center of town. Downtown apartments are too expensive, and they only affordable rent is way outside of the city. There is no public transportation outside city limits, so I have no choice but to drive. The car note, insurance, gas, and maintenance is also absurdly expensive, but I have no choice but to buy it to make a living. This is the case with millions of other Americans and Canadians. Carless cities will only work with good public transportation

[@spastikman]

I love this explosion of popularity for walkable cities. I never thought this could happen in my lifetime. This is what utopia looks like, imo

[@AnthonyTolhurst-dw1nc]

Private car ownership and car culture has run its course. It creates more problems today than it resolves. New paradigm required.

[@Hhutuber]

I'm not from the greatest pedestrian/bike friendly city in Europe, but I was seriously shocked by some cities in the US Midwest. It took me 10 minutes to cross just one busy intersection in the downtown. And I was nearly run over by a car doing a right turn . No wonder so few people walk and that these downtown areas are so dead. Another shock to me was the fact that more than half of all restaurants were closed on a Sunday night.

[@jamisojo]

Sounds COVID related. Many restaurants and other businesses are open less hours now still. Depends where you are in the United States.

[@niavellir7408]

US is very religious, and believes working on sunday is wrong

[@ghz24]

@@niavellir7408 Not really. We do like weekends off if we can get them.

[@jamertheramer240]

@@niavellir7408 I think it's a thing that a lot of countries do, to be fair. I'm currently staying in agnostic/atheist Norway and Sunday is tomorrow/today and nothing will be open. Sometimes it's just an old tradition that people decided to keep.

[@grassytramtracks]

​@@niavellir7408 not really true, in many European countries a lot more businesses shut on Sunday than in the US

[@jalfredl]

If you guys are for mixed used zoning and efficient public transportation and are against car dependency, watch these KZbin channels like: Not Just Bikes, Citynerd, City Beautiful, Alan Fisher, Oh the Urbanity, and many more

[@RealSergiob466]

Oh yeah I watch support all of the above KZbinrs who support it

[@RealSergiob466]

Don’t forget Adam Something

[@magesalmanac6424]

City Beautiful is pro gentrification

[@alexbosworth1582]

Eco Gecko too

[@daveassanowicz186]

STRONG TOWNS!

[@Cammi-Cat-XIII]

I live near Kansas City and right now in 2023 they’re still expanding the street car. Nearby, they have closed off a traffic lane and converted it to a 2-way bike lane separate from the car traffic. Things are starting to look better for KC.

[@cassidy_c]

i’ve been seeing a lot of stuff with kc recently, i really hope the changes continue and i also hope u can start to remove some of those awful freeways surrounding the downtown, some of the most useless road in the nation

[@DerDudelino]

It also requires a mindset shift. In Germany, we typically walk to the supermarket a couple times a week. My US friends never walk anywhere, they'll take their car when the supermarket is literally two streets away or like 10 walking minutes :O) It really comes down to habit.

[@JokerG16]

but if they’re going to the supermarket, maybe they prefer to drive so they don’t have to walk home with a lot of heavy bags? just a thought.

[@sjneow]

@@JokerG16the point is making more, smaller trips that one big one. You can pick up groceries when you are on your way home from errants or a jog, that is possible in a 15 minutes city

[@JokerG16]

@@sjneow so keep going to the store multiple times a week rather than just getting everything at once?

[@rotary65]

The quality of life advantages offered by pedestrian and biking commercial and recreational areas is refreshing. These are calmer, safer, relaxing places that people want to enjoy. Great episode.

[@wintaaaaa]

Don't forget that rich neighborhoods with lots of pavement, actually receive more public spending than they give back in taxes, than poor neighborhoods with less paving. And Ponzi schemes are created when Federal Grants come into play, forcing cities to create even more suburban sprawl so they can get the grants to pay off their negative revenue.

[@KB-ke3fi]

Yeah try biking a trail in the jungles in 112 degree heat...it's a real refresh after you get the leeches off your legs or don't get eaten by an alligator.

[@renetopete708]

Oh yeah you should try that here in San Diego right now, its a 100 degrees out here with 70% humidity, plus lovely homeless criminals with need of fentanyl would love to take your bike as a good involuntary donation at the first chance they have, bravo any other “refreshing” idea?

[@JeffSSartor]

@@KB-ke3fi Canadian here. -40 for 2-3 weeks a year. 14km bike ride to work. Not gonna happen.

[@isartoraplatz]

Where I’m at it’s 120° try peddling in that and forget walking.. Hahahahaha...👁

[@jlr_]

When I moved from a suburb to a city, I only used my car on the weekends or for long trips like visiting home. When I started traveling and even living abroad, I fell in love with walkable cities and wished the US would adopt. I hope the next generation pushes for this and so we can eliminate the car culture that we have.

[@abimaellopezmaylord27lopez7]

Small towns in USA are walkable but they are almost abandoned

[@marlak4203]

Why not just leave the country alone and just enjoy living in the place where what you want and like happens?

[@grandmalovesmebest]

@@abimaellopezmaylord27lopez7 if you know any w/o bad weather or hills, let us know, we've plenty of older ppl who would revitalize small towns. Expect rents/houses would be inexpensive there?

[@grandmalovesmebest]

@@marlak4203 🤗I've been encouraging ppl in the US to do that. I had researched places where SS goes a long way, the weather is fine, ppl are kind to foreigners, and lots of folks speak English. Oddly enough, most either didn't believe me, or were too afraid to leave (the best country in the world).😲

[@Cam16751]

@@grandmalovesmebest Or people are unwilling to move out because it’s too expensive, too much of a hassle, and they have to abandon friends and family. So it’s a better option for them to advocate for change in their community. Also, just because the US is the “greatest country on earth” doesn’t make it immune to criticism. We need to allow people to advocate for change in their community. Being hostile towards criticism haults progress.

[@dumpyplumpkin4461]

This would be great for cities, I personally like living in the suburbs because of the space but this would make visiting cities a much more enjoyable experience

[@rebeccavl97]

This needs to be a worldwide phenomenon! I strongly believe that people who live in cities with less traffic are healthier and overall happier! Not to mention driving everywhere causes a lot of stress as well as a vast number of accidents!

[@AissataDCisse]

No because everybody can't walk even small or ride a bike distances. What about disabled people ? We have to give people the choice to do what is Best for them.

[@rebeccavl97]

@@AissataDCisse the solution is mass transit! I also NEVER mentioned we should eliminate cars, I’m saying we should REDUCE the level of traffic in mass cities by designing them to be more pedestrian-friendly and transit-friendly! Please read my comment properly next time before making dumb, uneducated replies!

[@rosieposie9564]

@@AissataDCisse I am so glad you mentioned this because the people encouraging the move towards walking and cycling are usually young healthy people who seem to have no awareness that there are elderly and disabled around or indeed that they will be elderly one day and could become disabled at any point before then.

[@AissataDCisse]

@@rosieposie9564 absolutely you are so right. I can walk but a lot cannot. I like that you talked about eldery people too they can't do like young people anymore. Public transportation and pedestrian areas are great but not for everyone. Assuring that everybody can move freely is more inclusive i think.

[@rosieposie9564]

@@AissataDCisse Absolutely.

[@KdubbleYT]

The less cars the better, especially in older parts of the cities. Enjoy the neighborhoods for how they were meant to be

[@LeeeroyJenkins]

Notice this only happens in gentrified areas. Kick all the minorities out and build hippy cafes on their old homes. The American way.

[@austinhernandez2716]

The solution is building like we did in the old days. Get rid of those strict zoning laws.

[@jehovahwitness4584]

The same goes with news channels. Too much news is bad for the health. Maybe NBC should close up shop!!!!!

[@dbclass4075]

@ThelastTiger Stone Age doesn't have cities, nor suburbs.

[@baronvonjo1929]

Enjoy how they were suppose to be? Alright get thr candles. Turn off the AC. Etc.

[@papihuey]

I love walking to places, too bad my parents chose Texas to live where it’s nearly impossible to walk unless you’re in downtown and big cities. Too far and the heat/sun is brutal

[@PHlophe]

they were tired of long winters.

[@papihuey]

@@PHlophe i mean Texas has Pros that I love too like everything is big, but walking is a Con here for me

[@Dularr]

I enjoyed downtown Dallas, TX. DART. Enjoy walking the tunnel system under Dallas.

[@Tusk_Tact]

Is "walkability" a byproduct of crowding?

[@profitshares7033]

Dallas, Justin, and San Antonio may be walk friendly but move to East Exas or West Texas and try walking to anywhere you could walk an hour to get to McDonalds. Texas is Huge.

[@vedulamurti]

Very similar to arguments about banning smoking in bars/restaurants. Was a net positive around the world

[@cherylcampbell9369]

Here in the U.S., if you do not have a car, and you walk, it is assumed you are 'poor'.

[@dragomon2]

I think in a more ironic twist, traffic and the quality that one drives with a car would be so much more pleasant if we have higher-quality transportation/walkability. More people saying screw it, using public transportation to goto places faster and less drivers out in the streets. Especially those who really don't want to drive but have to, are forced to use a car anywhere they go will start to not drive, and there will be less idiots, traffic, and so much more. Yes it will be restrictive, but restriction doesn't always mean a worse quality of life, especially when there is much less cars driving around.

[@LeeeroyJenkins]

Most people don't live a mile away from their job. So multiply that 4 minutes time however many miles away your job is. ALSO this was the worst of the worse scenario where you are only driving 5-10 mph that whole ride. Most places don't have traffic that bad.

[@dragomon2]

@@LeeeroyJenkins Im not saying that everyone will suddenly stop driving, but more opportunities will arrive for people. I have a lot of friends who drive to work/school despite it being near the station. I have one who even lives well far past an hour just to goto school. The area where I live, the public transportation system isn't bad but it also isn't good, it needs more investment and focus. This is a city im talking about, not the middle of nowhere. While there are parts where traffic isn't too bad in cities, there's still a lot of places where it is horrendous. Instead of 40m on the subway/walking i'd have to spend around 1hr, maybe even more just to goto work and this isn't including the finances that will eat up my wallet (compared to a few bucks for the subway ride). Just to clarify, it won't solve everything, and the idea of completely banning cars is stupid, but we're so car-centric that it's so annoyingly bad and just makes life in a city terrible compared to if we had a diverse form of transportation (cars/trains/subways/bikes//buses)

[@karlabritfeld7104]

@@LeeeroyJenkins Los Angeles during rush hour does.

[@Poverty_Welder]

How many hours does it take you to get to your job via public transportation?

[@lauramipe2955]

For that you need a reliable public transportation system. I come from a big city in a different country and I used to walk everywhere and use public transportation. I now live in suburban California, where you need a car for everything. The majority of the US is a car centered culture. We need to change that before we start banning cars…

[@renatabezerra1502]

I’m really hoping that we see walkable cities everywhere sooner than later.. while visiting Europe, it was incredible not having to get in a car for days, everything was walking distance, I loved everything about it, easy, safe, honestly it was very fun too, we just talked the entire time and had no annoying hunks, or getting frustrated to find parking, all while getting a good exercise in. Not to mention saving $

[@TheGreatWasian_]

I agree, I just wish that the American people would stand up and bring it to the full attention of everyone so something could be done about it

[@jcdentonunatco]

@@TheGreatWasian_ americans like walkable cities, they just don't want to live inside them. They prefer to live in a big house and commute. Can't have a big house inside a walkable city

[@TheGreatWasian_]

@@jcdentonunatco townhouses and penthouses provide that middle ground though. Townhouses especially should be built more in walkable cities. Also the recent data and statistics of work from home people not going back into the cities anymore go against what you say. Cities inherently need populations directly within them in order to thrive

[@jcdentonunatco]

@@TheGreatWasian_ but what you just said shows how it’s even easier to continue to live in suburbs since we can work from home and don’t need to commute into the city. Sure that doesn’t work for everyone, and townhomes and apartments are a must if you want to live in the city. But people don’t want that. If given the choice, people generally prefer the big house

[@TheGreatWasian_]

@@jcdentonunatco idk man tbh I think you are jumping to a quick conclusion. Judging by the high rent of apartments in the USA that are still getting filled out quickly, there is clearly a demand for urban living. Personally I don’t care much for the big house but I do care about equity in my living space. I’d rather live in a smaller townhouse or apartment in a fun and lively area than a suburb 30 minutes away from anything walkable. Your first sentence also just makes absolutely no sense at all since what I said was to prove your first comment wrong.

[@jhwheuer]

The issue is not the cars, the issue is the design of cities that can only be lived in with a car

[@ShaneNull]

bicycles are 0 watts, ebikes 100 watts, electric motorcycles 1000 watts, ev cars are 15-20k watts

[@Caribeno787]

I actually like this even though I’m a car enthusiast. This makes sense and those who want to drive like me can actually make it a trip away from the city.

[@officialvisaural]

In a big stroke of irony, car enthusiasts SHOULD actually be the ones advocating for good and accessible public transportation. Of all people, car enthusiasts should know that cars aren't for everyone; having alternative transport modes ensures that cars are used by people who really need to use them, resulting in better, safer roads and better drivers.

[@marlak4203]

@@albertcamus5970 Sounds like they put in some rail over there the same way they did in Detroit. Its like its been PURPOSELY put together to fail. They know it will so they build it anyway to appease those 'no suburbs, take away cars' people and shut them up. This must be all over the country.

[@marlak4203]

@@albertcamus5970 "US is a very divided country - everyone wants what is good for them" Ding, ding!!! Yessss!!! Absolutely. That is a big ol' part of why things like this aren't going. And any going that gets going is a mess. Lol. "if they made it pleasant and safe to do those activities" Say it again. Say it again. And now say it again. Thank youuuuuuuuuu. Very very key. See that are some folks who are on the nay side of this urban planning talk because we know how things are in this nation and how problematic the culture is. It isn't that we are completely no and don't want any change, no we do. We want better transit however knowing how it is here...uh uh. And really, what is set is set and you have to just move on with that. "but government simply can't handle the job in this country." Give me your hand to dance! hahahahaha. Thank you. You get it. You basically hit all the points of why the ideas they are pressing for doesn't work here. I mean the business mindset here in America, they would do biking the same way they do our phones. You'd have to "update" to a new bike every year or every few years. They'd computerize everything to make it very hard for a regular average person to fix their own bikes so that you have to end up going to bike shops every few months. Shoot, imagine the "oil" changes they'll do with the bikes? How much that will cost. Nah, hon the business mentality of how they are here would RUIN their transit dreams. The folks would hate it so bad here. Just like you mentioned with NYC being gross and unsafe, 100% right. Imagine the whole country looking like NYC. I had watched a few months back a European city (in some country close to the netherlands, i think) that talked about how people were still able to cycle during the winter. It's because the snow crew removes snow EVER 3 HOURS. You think they'd do that in America? Pffffft. If snow crew doesn't have it cleaned well enough or timely then the people can complain and the crew doesn't get a bonus or so. Their money is affected. It also talked about how, i think it was the same video, they have underground heaters to help keep the sidewalk warm so the snow doesn't stick. I mean...come on. In "America?" They would supply all cities like that? bwaaaa hahahahha.

[@grassytramtracks]

​@@albertcamus5970 and then it's a vicious cycle (no pun intended), where people point at the fact that no one is using this substandard infrastructure to justify the lack of better infrastructure

[@Bustermachine]

I want cars to be a 'luxury' in the way that going out to eat a is a 'luxury' for most people. i.e. it's available, it's an option if you enjoy it or want the convenience, but you don't need it to survive. Plus it has the added benefit of making driving more enjoyable for drivers. Well designed public transit would be accompanied by redesigning our streets and roads so that car drivers get a less congest and more enjoyable experience as well. It might mean some small changes to how we drive. For instance, more one-way streets, and a reduced number of on-ramps/off-ramps to the free ways, but balance that with less congestion and safer driving and I think the tradeoff is a reasonable one.

[@austinhernandez2716]

Forcing everything to be very spread out, requiring huge parking lots, and separating businesses from housing is what causes the traffic. It becomes impractical and dangerous to walk or cycle. Most cities also lack adequate public transportation. It's nonexistent in the college town I currently live in. The Netherlands is a perfect example of how we can change

[@johnsmith-cw3wo]

when you have never ending sprawl of single family units, public transport is impossible to implement, because you either have to walk 1-2-3 miles to reach the bus station, or you have a lot of bus stations that serve a small number of people. both unrealistic...

[@yaash4123]

@@johnsmith-cw3wo We need more density!

[@dutchman7623]

@@johnsmith-cw3wo No. I have never seen a suburb with a diameter of 6 miles. And you would have to live in the perfect center to be 3 miles away from a decent road. Show me a single one of those places? Secondly a bus station and a bus stop are two different things. The only purpose of the bus is to bring you to the next public transport hub, where trams, other buses, metro and trains are available for further travel. Thirdly if public transport is of good quality, clean, trustworthy time scheme and doesn't get stuck in car traffic, the number of users will increase fast. Fourthly, yes, some very exceptional situations need changes to make accessibility possible.

[@dutchman7623]

@@yaash4123 No. Just another structure. Another approach. Density doesn't matter, variety does.

[@dennisku3709]

@@yaash4123 There's already density in major cities. I think it's a immoral to force people to live closer. Honestly living in nyc I prefer living in urban sprawl or in a rural area.

[@lanepalmer]

I wouldn’t have a car if I didn’t need one.

[@enatp6448]

Yes! Yes! Yes! The noise and smell of gas engines is super stressful.

[@NotoriousRKB]

it works in Europe because they have excellent public transportation. In the US public transportation can almost be non-existent in the suburbs

[@JordanPeace]

Because suburbs were built to exclusively serve automobiles instead of being built for people and allowing public transit to be a viable option as cities in the US grew and expanded

[@SweBeach2023]

"Excellent" can really be questioned. A few weeks back I took a 3 hour trip (one-way) with my car. The same trip using public transportation was 12 hours. The problem with public transportation is the complete lack of consistency. Going by train between two major cities 500 km apart is often faster than using a car, but a 20 km/20 minutes trip with a car can just as easily turn into a 5 hour trip using public transportation. For me to consider public transportation a maximum delay between each departure is in the 15 minute range. For this to happen we really need to reconsider the whole system with large buses or trains since they are way too costly to run unless having quite a few passengers.

[@sten260]

no it doesn't work in EU, not being able to drive a car sucks

[@piotrrywczak7971]

@@sten260 You do need to elaborate on that

[@eln0n01]

@@piotrrywczak7971 no he was pretry clear, it doesnt work and they wish they could drive cars

[@mikew2610]

So America are starting to acknowledge cities in Europe have been doing it right this whole time.

[@MaximusMongoose]

yes

[@Racko.]

They were always on the side of having car free cities that connect people with transit and more, its just that huge oil and car companies didnt allow it to happen until people actually got sick of their shady business practices to keep them driving

[@camo4351]

Not all of them. Uk is very car centric in a lot of cities and towns.

[@MaxFung]

not exactly true. for instance, cities in the Netherlands made a switch over to cars in the 60's but then decided to go back to people-centric design in the 70's after a bunch of kids died from car crashes. they paved over their canals with a highways. they just recognized the issue sooner. it's too much of a generalization to say europe has been "doing it right this whole time", but they are doing a lot of things right right now and are moving in the right direction in many cities over there.

[@mbuckley3828]

Acknowledging is one thing, feasibility is a whole other.

[@Aussiemarco]

Excellent video, raising many points that I’ve personally seen happen. I live in Wells in England, a small medieval town with a large Market Square surrounded by historic buildings and backed by the cathedral built in the 1200’s. Before Covid, the Market Square was the main short stay car park. But during the pandemic, parking was temporarily halted to allow social distancing. Restaurants and cafes were “Essential Businesses”, so could remain open if customers sat outside, with tables and chairs set 2 metres apart. This was a revelation to everyone! It made Wells even more beautiful. When the UK came out of lockdown, the town council didn’t know whether to reinstate the car park or keep the Square pedestrian only. The people gave a unanimous cry to keep it pedestrian, and that is how it now is, for the first time in over 100 years. Planter boxes full of flowers were installed where cars parked just 2 years ago, and tourists flock into town on weekends. Incidentally, because of the cathedral, Wells is a ‘city’ - the smallest city in England :)))

[@rituwebpro]

Wow. Had that been my city they would have just rammed it with a freeway. I wish i lived in England.

[@greevar]

I was born in the 80's, but I definitely want a walkable/bikeable city to live in. It's not just Gen Z.

[@georgehsu1085]

When you're driving a car, you're not stuck in traffic. You are traffic.

[@higherup9862]

That's dumb af

[@betula2137]

@@higherup9862 It's true though

[@higherup9862]

@@betula2137 I know, look.. "When you go sail on a boat, you're not sinking. You are floating." - George Hsu I'm like WTF? It's just dumb...

[@betula2137]

@@higherup9862 Ah, so, you're describing the _situation_ that the statement describes, thanks for clarification. I think the main point is that, if you make traffic out of people who want and need to drive, you get less traffic, everyone benefits, so, just getting people to realise that traffic is personal.

[@edwardmiessner6502]

@@higherup9862 except if everyone who hate getting stuck in traffic stayed home there'd be no traffic. Everyone who drives is a piece of traffic.

[@snowl22]

"Let's not drive cars here." The auto industry entered the room.

[@VulcanLogic]

Your experiment on Uber vs pedestrian speed didn't take into account rideshare hail time. The pedestrian already won.

[@zaranski2009]

That's very good news for cities these days. Everyone should use less cars and use more "green" things like: scooter, bicycle, walking, train and bus

[@ThaVeganDemon]

The reason less 18 year olds don't have their license is because it's too expensive to drive. Not only are cars extremely unaffordable, insurance, fees when you put the title in your name, courses before you get your license, waiting multiple months just to get an appointment to take the damn test that you may or may not pass or simply just don't have whatever crazy random ass document they picked that day, then it's 5 more months and the cycle starts again

[@zorkman111]

You can get a good running car right now for like 5k. That's hardly unaffordable for what it is.

[@_gungrave_6802]

@@zorkman111 When we are talking about cars it means good reliable ones and not those junkers with 200k+ miles and an engine that makes more noise than a heavy metal band.

[@ThaVeganDemon]

@@zorkman111 it is EXTREMELY unaffordable. No 18 year old has 5k

[@minhnguyenphanhoang4193]

@@zorkman111 How much will it cost to maintain the car ? And gas ? People always forget about this.

[@zorkman111]

@@minhnguyenphanhoang4193 Full synthetic oil change is $30-$40 if you do it yourself. Brakes at most if you have to overall the entire system is $400-500 on an economical car, but more likely is $80 to change pads. Do your own work. Working on cars is easy. Maintenance costs about the same on an old car vs a new car, assuming you've taken care of the old car. In fact its probably cheaper.

[@nicklaforge]

Order of priority: 1. Pedestrians 2. Bikes 3. Public transit 4. Cars/ trucks

[@willblack8575]

lol cars have people inside them...

[@frankzappa9148]

Your priority maybe.

[@blainegabbertgabonemhofgoa6602]

@@willblack8575 as of now most cars usually just one person. And they take up too much space. In the future, self driving cars/robot taxis will be roaming around without people inside.

[@zzz6valvoline]

@@willblack8575 actually most cars sit empty 97% of their lifespan. So sure, cars have people inside, 3% of time time. That's less than the least used bus routes in the majority of cities.

[@sten260]

Mine is: 1) Cars/trucks 2) Public transport 3) Pederstrians 4) Bikes (who rides those?)

[@jake-ip9vg]

I really want to live in a future where cars aren't the first choice for getting somewhere, but to get there we have to fix american lobbying laws to stop car companies from basically forcing us to use cars

[@davidschulman7988]

Bring it on! Reducing and eliminating motorized traffic makes cities safer and less congested.

[@jimbo1637]

Removing cars only works when viable alternatives like high quality public transportation and cycling infrastructure exist.

[@maroon9273]

And Handicap pedestrian/bike accessibility

[@MaximusMongoose]

it's one of those things that if they do remove publicly owned vehicles they would have to invest money into the transportation infrastructure.

[@MrMlbfan6]

@@MaximusMongoose which they don’t

[@checory]

high quality (safe and clean) urban areas too, without much homelessness and drug use. Last thing you want is to get off the bus right into the odour of marijuana/cigarette/crack smoke or urine

[@nia6849]

A variety is the solution.

[@darinherrick9224]

Misleading story about Los Angeles transit system. It was not shut down in favor of cars that were becoming more popular. It was systematically dismantled by the auto industry which was convicted of CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY.

[@Madmun357]

It's always so silly when "critics" of a plan thing tourism or consumerism will suffer. Tourists don't go to NYC to see cars.

[@pdruiz2005]

There are also the added health benefits of forcing people out of their cars to walk around more. NYC inhabitants have a life expectancy rate of 81 years, or about 3 years higher than the national average. Why is that? Because A LOT of people are forced to walk in NYC. It's too expensive for roughly 60% of city inhabitants to own a car. I'm one of them. Car dependency--where you drive around all the time to do things--also means decreased years of life. Most Americans don't seem or want to make that connection.

[@NotoriousRawDogger]

We need to invest in our public infrastructure. Cars are making cities unlivable

[@MyMostBeautifuCinema]

Yeah but then the tire manufacturers and other companies that profit so much from our reliance on cars don’t make hoards of money. This was all specifically planned to our own worst detriment.

[@willblack8575]

i think people make cities unlivable

[@nia6849]

We need sky cars in the near future.

[@Racko.]

@@willblack8575 Cars do

[@ianalan4367]

We did just pass a 65 billion infrastructure bill. We are spending 500 billion on student loan debts but cars don’t vote so I guess 65 billion is fair.

[@Sacto1654]

Given I've experienced cities with way too many cars area and smelling all that awful air pollution in Hong Kong, if it's practical to eliminate cars from certain city cores I am all for it. I'd love to see China adopt this so we could walk or even bicycle around Beijing or Shanghai with reasonably breathable air.

[@machtmann2881]

The sad thing is that there used to more biking in cities like Beijing. But owning a car was seen as a bigger signal of wealth so mobility shifted to it over the decades

[@musclecargarage2875]

It’s because of overpopulated areas and homeless. Why highways are always clean and fresh ?

[@qjtvaddict]

@@machtmann2881 sad it’s so bad they have to straight up ban cars by license plate on certain days.

[@checory]

@@machtmann2881 almost everyone biked back in the 1960s/70s in Beijing, when people with wealth (automobile) was seen as the enemy (or counter-revolutionaries) and students beat teachers to death. But don't worry, with the zero covid policy and banks and ATMs running out of money, there will be a lot less traffic on the road. they won't need a policy to ban cars when no one is allowed nor affordable to go out

[@Racko.]

@@machtmann2881 And it increased the emissions in the city by 10 fold

[@user-zn7nx7zn4t]

I will never not own a car because I like the freedom. But I would like to live in an area like one of these. I would keep my car for when I absolutely need it, but I would use these other means of travel most of the time.

[@Jaigarful]

I'm from a "village" outside the city of Cincinnati called Green Hills. It was designed in the 1930's as one of the greenbelt communities. It was designed with the shopping and city buildings in the middle surrounded by housing. There are still roads, but you could get groceries, goto the community swimming pool, walk to school, etc. from anywhere in the village. Was quite nice for that.

[@josiahgiese7369]

Please don’t let this become a partisan screaming contest. I’m a conservative, and I ride my bike to work. There is nothing inherently anti conservative about bikes. It’s just another way to get around. This is a net benefit for everyone who wants doesn’t want to work on a farm, but also doesn’t want to live in a concrete box in the sky

[@benqurayza7872]

Cars encouraged cities and suburbs to spread out to unwalkable dimensions. Hopefully, fewer cars and more reliable public transit will reverse that trend. Also, from a political perspective, cities in the US must improve safety and public amenities.

[@artirony410]

yeah idk how we can't declare it a public health crisis when cars are the 3rd biggest killer of Americans behind all forms of cancer combined and heart disease, I believe they're also the biggest killer of people under 40

[@Mistro07]

Hence the push for EVs. They don’t work so we will all be walking soon

[@greenmachine5600]

Agreed

[@joavisr5011]

You cant even build anything else then suburbs by law sadly.

[@benqurayza7872]

@@joavisr5011 We can change the law. Some groups, such as CNU, have proposed new codes. The main obstacles seem to be political.

[@KJSvitko]

Bicycles make life better. Every child and adult should own a bicycle and ride it regularly. There is a world wide obesity epidemic leading to higher rates of heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer. Everyone would be a little healthier if they rode a bicycle to work, school or for fun. Speak up and make your city a bicycle city.

[@X3MAntics]

Car manufacturers ruined this country. You don't realize how far behind we are until you visit Switzerland, or Japan.

[@hugoaberg1168]

Imagine driving manual in nyc, it would be living hell

[@TheRoute.]

Imagine driving a manual in Los Angeles! Have driven in both and driving manual in LA is more hell

[@identifiesas65.wheresmyche95]

@@TheRoute. I don't doubt it but that's surprising LA has more stop and go than NYC but I've only lived in NYC and never even been to LA. Government always fails though so no surprise as Cali has more government than anywhere else.

[@Racko.]

Driving in NY feels like a crime

[@hugoaberg1168]

@@identifiesas65.wheresmyche95 California has government, kinda equal to Europe. California is the state in America that has the most similar regulations to Europe than any other US state.

[@blainegabbertgabonemhofgoa6602]

@@hugoaberg1168 la is not a state it’s a city and how is it similar to Europe

[@mukkaar]

You don't want to ban cars, you want to add really good biking, walking and public transit to take load off from roads. This gives you ability to make roads smaller, or maybe add dedicated bus lanes etc. But overall, less individual cars you have, less co2 is burned and materials overall wasted on big heavy that transport one or two people. For example, imagine every road in NY having dedicated bike two way bike lane on one side of the road that is actually separated from traffic with some raised paving. I bet so many people would take bike instead of car.

[@letsgoOs1002]

Make less lanes for cars and more for biking and buses/trains. Also pedestrians should be priority and not and after thought on design. It should go pedestrian>bike>bus and or train>last is cars and trucks.

[@MaxFung]

i know i would!

[@clubmagicfamous]

Actually I do want to ban cars thank you please don’t tell me what I want

[@yonatanschlussel]

@@clubmagicfamous lol

[@andrewr439]

Watch the video

[@g41133]

YES, let's get rid of pollution! More car-free cities!

[@chrissymorgan1457]

I took Amtrak from NC to NYC and was baffled why people were driving cars on a flat island with excellent transit as I walked past them sitting in traffic. What a waste of time.

[@El-Dorado930]

Car dependence benefits the auto industry as well as oil companies. It doesn't do society any good. The suburban paradigm was an atrocity that was inflicted on us by design. This demonstrates that what's good for business isn't necessarily what's good for society.

[@machtmann2881]

Many people seem to believe suburban car dependency is natural. It is not natural, it was a choice we made decades ago that we choose to stick to and keep funding and designing for. We could choose something different if we had the courage to do so.

[@no.reply_]

The suburbs are actually bad for business, it costs the government more and ppl who drive are less likely to pop into a shop, businesses on pedestrian paths earn more

[@machtmann2881]

@@no.reply_ Something I've thought about recently is how poorly mom & pop stores fare in a car dependent environment. Think about it, if I'm going 45 mph, I'm going way to fast to stop by a random store unless I purposefully meant to go there. It takes more effort to stop the car, park, and get out compared to just stop walking or biking. But you know what I do recognize? Those familiar Golden Arches...

[@El-Dorado930]

@@no.reply_ bad for small businesses, but good for the fat cats.

[@machtmann2881]

@@albertcamus5970 Big stores do have economy of scales which helps lower their prices so you're right on that. But those stores don't really keep the money in communities so it's a double edged sword. If you buy from Costco or Walmart, that money goes to their center of operations which probably isn't in your neighborhood. Costco also has a threshold for saving money: it doesn't work out as well unless you have a family of a certain size and go there often. If you're a single person or go there only a couple times a year, Costco isn't worth it.

[@austism1]

Most expensive real estate IN THE WORLD by square footage and they restrict it to cars..... Makes absolutely no sense. They need to get cars off the main strip.... Especially in Las Vegas.

[@LeeeroyJenkins]

Vegas has good walkability for the strip. It is safer than any other large city because the sidewalks are elevated OR protected by pillars. (Not all of LV, just the strip. They need to expand it).

[@qjtvaddict]

Build monorail lines then until you expand transit or rail you won’t have the support to ban cars. And you need space to even build BRT or trams it would be easier to build ELs you won’t take space from cars but you also create alternatives to cars once enough alternatives are available you can then take space from cars more easily as people won’t need them anyway as they are using the Elevated 🚊 system now you can build BRT feeder lines to cross the metro. But you may be better off with suspended monorail 🚟 for smaller lines or cities.

[@einar8019]

@@LeeeroyJenkins nah, they should remove most of the cars from the strip and properly design streets so they dont need to be elevated and have pillars to protect podestrians

[@CDN_Store]

The concern about emergency services access and disabled people is interesting. These same people don't seem concerned about emergency vehicle access or disabled folk when every and anyone who can drive is or was allowed to make private vehicle journeys no matter how walkable and polluting it is/was. It's like a get out of jail card being waved under the cloak of them just wanting to do as they have always done regardless. During Covid in the UK low neighbourhood zones were created with movable flower beds. Some members of the public went as far as to do this themselves. I'd seen a discussion about why Soho, London couldn't be pedestrianised or parts. It was crazy to think people didn't realise pedestrian zones still allow access to emergency services and deliveries at restricted times. Had to even highlight cargo bikes and cargo bike based vehicles which look like micro commercial vehicles that are already being used around London.

[@spoonikle]

There is no war on cars. Cars started the war, cars killed the busses, the trams, the trains, our homes, our towns, our cities, our schools (waiting an hour in a line to pick up your kid from school) our parks, our playgrounds. I live in a rural area, I need to DRIVE 30 mins to the city to have a safe place for running or cycling. The narrow roads covered in trees and bends is a nightmare to walk or run in, especially with drivers doing 45 around blind turns like their playing Forza.

[@mrdiego4368]

While it may be harder to redo old streets, I hope new communities are build with walkability in mind.

[@qjtvaddict]

Elevated metro is the most flexible

[@miridium121]

The irony is that many old streets were very walkable, before we bulldozed them in order to be more car friendly.

[@CounterfittXIII]

Amsterdam looked like new York in the 1970s. It won't be easy but it's doable.

[@dbclass4075]

@@CounterfittXIII Took Netherlands 3 decades to reach to that point.

[@TheRealE.B.]

Depends how old. Pre-WII, most of the streets were fine.

[@highlyevil9358]

We definitely need more walk/bike safety. The more people biking the more we will prioritize it and it will be less stigmatized

[@thefozzybear]

The 1950s decade of driving from your suburban home to the city to work and back is over. North American cities need to be redesigned.

[@ruichen9044]

The reason behind the car bans in the Europe and Asia is only because their streets and buildings were NOT built for auto transportations. They are old cities (>200 years old) that do not have multiple lane streats and parking spaces. This is not the case in the US. We should not go backward simply because other countries HAVE TO do it. That's just stupid!

[@Lazymotion]

Boston, Newport, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston are 300 years old +. What's your point.

[@iwantapool7945]

Honestly one thing I miss about the work from home rise was the traffic. Seeing everyone get forced back into their office spaces and seeing how backed up traffic is now really opens your eyes to how ridiculous American work culture and commute is. I’m glad people are refusing to go back and are saying no to American commute.

[@jeltoninc.8542]

It’s because no one stands up to these companies and says NO WE ARE DOING IT THIS WAY NOW. Everyone here acts tough but has no real balls. They just let companies push them around like livestock. They’re also all fat so that says a lot.

[@Thebreakdownshow1]

Before I even watch it my assumption is cars in cities especially downtown are quite slow and add to the problem of noise pollution and traffic

[@LeeeroyJenkins]

Correct. The ideal way is having parking lots and structures around the outskirts of a city (5-10 miles away from city center) and have public transit handle intercity travel. It isn't cost effective yet for fast public transit in the suburbs (still isn't in most places in Europe and Asia). So drive the city outskirts and light rail or subway into the city.

[@Thebreakdownshow1]

@@LeeeroyJenkins Europe has been able to avoid the whole cars and automobiles taking over your city. Here in Toronto, they have been working on adding more public transit while banning cars on some of the roads. Where are you from?

[@badgyrl310]

I support this walkable city movement. We need to normalize not having a car. I'm tired of people looking at me funny because I don't drive. 🤷‍♀️😂

[@GavinPost-gc8ge]

Not just bikes does great content about this topic.

[@EarthShadowFilms]

Another deceptive factor to the infrastructure restructuring costs is most of these locations are already desperately in need of infrastructure replacement, retrofit, and renovation even without taking into account bicyclists.

[@zjsgaming1038]

Not just bikes is also a great channel to watch if you want to know more about the subject

[@Drd7682]

Strong Towns, City Beautiful and Climate Town are also good. (Among others)

[@kiernanoh]

Just make all of manhatten car free. Its really pointless and damaging having cars in that urban of a setting.

[@2xfi844]

here in denmark we have "gå gader" its mostly walking streets but cars can drive slowly but only from one side

[@Sivah_Akash]

When talking about cost, we should also consider the car infrastructure which is currently also being subsidised by non-car users.

[@grassytramtracks]

And there's a double standard that no one demands a motorway turn a profit, but do expect that of a railway

[@matthewphares4588]

Dallas is horribly walkable. There should be a law that every high rise must have food/retail on the first floor. So many buildings are just housing and nothing else.

[@DJRenee]

I agree

[@daviddaviedavidson]

I live in Germany, I actually do have a train station (bus and tram station too, but less fast) really close (like a 3 minute walk) to my apartment. I do have a highly subsidized monthly ticket (I only pay 12€ myself) to take a train which takes 10 minutes). I choose to pay another 12€ a month to be able to bring my bike on the train. I take that bike for the second leg of my commute- maybe another 10 minutes. So altogether I’m there within almost 20 minutes. During rush hour (usually after work) the car trip would often take me around 40 minutes give or take while being more expensive too. So I’m a winner in that system. BUT, I honestly think for America, where there’s so many suburbs it’s just not feasible unless people decide that they want train tracks everywhere. Maybe they could reduce highways and use the newly won space to put commuter train tracks just beside it to lower the impact, this way they reduce cutting through untouched land.

[@LuEmanuel]

I'm not able to cycle anymore due to a knee injury, but I used to cycle all over Montreal in the snow-free months and I loved it. It was exhilarating, incredibly dangerous and a whole lot of fun. I considered it a great way to get around. During the snowy months (November through April in Montreal), I bought a bus and metro pass and could get anywhere in the city in about 30 minutes.