<story><title>Cycling is more important than electric cars for reaching net-zero cities</title><url>https://theconversation.com/cycling-is-ten-times-more-important-than-electric-cars-for-reaching-net-zero-cities-157163</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>moistbar</author><text>Spoken like someone who&amp;#x27;s never driven in a city.&lt;p&gt;City streets are narrow and extremely uncomfortable to drive on as it is.</text></item><item><author>TulliusCicero</author><text>They&amp;#x27;re minor investments practically, and major investments politically.&lt;p&gt;As you say, for many motorists, giving up space on even some roads to cyclists is treated like some sort of war crime. There&amp;#x27;s very much of attitude of, &amp;quot;we can&amp;#x27;t just have a majority of the road space -- we need nearly all of it!&amp;quot;</text></item><item><author>stfp</author><text>But it doesn&amp;#x27;t require major investments. It&amp;#x27;s really minor investments compared to other infrastructure projects. The issue is taking away even a tiny fraction of car space basically triggers some kind of political road rage.</text></item><item><author>jedberg</author><text>Switching from gas to electric is something I can do all on my own.  Switching from gas car to cycling is something that would require major investments from my city and developers.&lt;p&gt;Both are noble goals, but let&amp;#x27;s not let perfect be the enemy of good.  Switch to electric now, and &lt;i&gt;also&lt;/i&gt; encourage new roads and new developments to be bike friendly, so that switching to a bike is something that will be viable in 20 or 30 years for most cities in America.&lt;p&gt;Edit: To clarify, the investment I&amp;#x27;m referring to is rezoning entire cities and tearing down single family homes and replacing them with mixed use buildings to bring commercial spaces closer to residential spaces.  Most American cities have commercial centers and are then surrounded by residential, with very little mixing of the two.  For example the closest place for me to buy food is .75 mile away, but the closest supermarket is 1.5 miles and I have to cross two major roads and a Freeway to get there.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>colpabar</author><text>&amp;gt;&lt;i&gt;City streets are narrow and extremely uncomfortable to drive on as it is.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;p&gt;I agree. I live in a city and am constantly afraid of all the gigantic cars that fly by me whenever I walk anywhere. I&amp;#x27;m also constantly (albeit much less) afraid of someone stepping out onto the street when they&amp;#x27;re not supposed to and not being able to stop in time. But maybe, just maybe, the cars (that get bigger every year) are the problem? Maybe instead of declaring that roads are for cars and roads are too small so nothing can be improved, we could make it easier to get around cities without a car?&lt;p&gt;I just find it ridiculous that anyone who lives in a city has to live with the fact that a 3 inch curb is all that&amp;#x27;s stopping a massive hunk of metal from running them over. I find it ridiculous that bike (or non-car) lanes are considered evil because of the idea that not being able to park directly in front of your destination means that no one will go there. And I say this as someone who drives a car &lt;i&gt;and&lt;/i&gt; rides a bike in a city, because I&amp;#x27;m well aware that a lot of people who ride bikes do so in a very unsafe way. But I&amp;#x27;d take getting hit by someone on a bike over getting hit by even a moped every single time.&lt;p&gt;People live in cities, not cars. I shouldn&amp;#x27;t have to fear for my life while walking down the street.</text></comment>
<story><title>Cycling is more important than electric cars for reaching net-zero cities</title><url>https://theconversation.com/cycling-is-ten-times-more-important-than-electric-cars-for-reaching-net-zero-cities-157163</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>moistbar</author><text>Spoken like someone who&amp;#x27;s never driven in a city.&lt;p&gt;City streets are narrow and extremely uncomfortable to drive on as it is.</text></item><item><author>TulliusCicero</author><text>They&amp;#x27;re minor investments practically, and major investments politically.&lt;p&gt;As you say, for many motorists, giving up space on even some roads to cyclists is treated like some sort of war crime. There&amp;#x27;s very much of attitude of, &amp;quot;we can&amp;#x27;t just have a majority of the road space -- we need nearly all of it!&amp;quot;</text></item><item><author>stfp</author><text>But it doesn&amp;#x27;t require major investments. It&amp;#x27;s really minor investments compared to other infrastructure projects. The issue is taking away even a tiny fraction of car space basically triggers some kind of political road rage.</text></item><item><author>jedberg</author><text>Switching from gas to electric is something I can do all on my own.  Switching from gas car to cycling is something that would require major investments from my city and developers.&lt;p&gt;Both are noble goals, but let&amp;#x27;s not let perfect be the enemy of good.  Switch to electric now, and &lt;i&gt;also&lt;/i&gt; encourage new roads and new developments to be bike friendly, so that switching to a bike is something that will be viable in 20 or 30 years for most cities in America.&lt;p&gt;Edit: To clarify, the investment I&amp;#x27;m referring to is rezoning entire cities and tearing down single family homes and replacing them with mixed use buildings to bring commercial spaces closer to residential spaces.  Most American cities have commercial centers and are then surrounded by residential, with very little mixing of the two.  For example the closest place for me to buy food is .75 mile away, but the closest supermarket is 1.5 miles and I have to cross two major roads and a Freeway to get there.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>alex_g</author><text>This reads like you&amp;#x27;re someone who&amp;#x27;s never cycled in a city.</text></comment>