I finished reading this book about a week ago. It took me several weeks to read it as I needed to verify a lot of the information they presented, which really turned out to be a good exercise. The authors describe themselves as urban mobility advocates, and they live such a life. What was provided was helpful in my understanding of how our country is so automobile centered in both how we live life and how we build our cities. This couple moved from Canada to the lowlands of South Holland, a country that has been in transition from automobile dependency to mass transit, bicycle and walking infrastructure since the 1970s. What they and Holland propose would require changes many in the US would resist. I’m not sure how I discovered their book, this is their second book, nor why I bought it. Maybe a major shift in the universe. Maybe it’s because I watch 75-100 cars pass while I wait at the bus-stop, each with one person in them, and this is during a 5 minute wait. I’ll write more about this later as I have a few thoughts that need formed and writing is a way for me to work them out. Hope you had a good weekend!
4 Comments
Tom Dills
We’re truly a car based culture, and as you state I don’t see that changing. On our morning walks we have to cross the entrance to a McDonald’s and a Starbucks, which can be tricky and perilous in the morning with commuters stopping for their junk food and caffeine fix. There is a fitness center that we can literally see from our house, but our few neighbors who are members drive there. Admittedly they are older and the fitness center is uphill, but still. And just beyond that is the Walmart, and the only person who walks there is a 90-ish old woman who puts me to shame since she walks faster than I do! Everyone else drives. And even though I walk around the Walmart parking lot I’ve never been inside!
There are some towns in this country that do a comparatively good job with bicycle travel, and I think Fort Collins is one of them. But they pale in comparison to places like Amsterdam and Copenhagen.
Monte Stevens
I’m in a more optimistic place and see that change is possible and in many ways already changing. That optimistic attitude could be because Fort Collins is more bicycle friendly than larger cities and more open to changes and it’s had an impact on me. I’m also in a place in my life where emulating the 90-ish woman and walk or ride my bicycle is more appealing. I drive less and less these days.
One thing we have done with our housing developments is make them reliable on automobiles as the only mode of transportation. I’m not so sure but what walking to and from the fitness center may be healthier physically, mentally and spiritually. I would like to experience Amsterdam and Copenhagen. I wonder what will happen if we continue to increase or even maintain our dependence on automobiles.
Mark
Being from Detroit, I can attest to it for sure. We have no significant mass transit in the area except for some small rail and buses. Pretty much our entire urban/suburban infrastructure is designed assuming people will be driving. Things are pretty spaced out – so it is hard to have a doctor appointment, go grocery shopping, go to the post office without needing personalized transportation to all these places. The city I live in is trying to add more options for non-motorized traffic, but it will be a long time before a significant number decide they no longer need a car.
Monte Stevens
I would expect that of Detroit because it was established long before Fort Collins so the infrastructure has been in place for some time.The city of Fort Collins has a train track that runs north and south, dividing the city in half. Trains run about 8-10 times throughout the day with delays of 3-8 minutes. We have five main arteries that cross the tracks: Harmony, Horsetooth, Drake, Prospect, and Mulberry. These bottlenecks cause delays for all traffic, including the bus system. They have constructed some underpasses for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, which is wonderful. I take my hat off to the city for working on making this city far more pedestrian, bicycle, and handicapped friendly. They have plans to build an Amsterdam style roundabout on the north end of town. Yea!