Peak Car? End of the car age?

[arkmundi]

I went to our RPC (regional planning commission) meeting the other day to add my voice to the long-range plan (http://www.cmrpc.org/mobility2040). For those who don't know, RPC's are in control of federal transportation dollars for roads, bridges, etc. And multi-modal transit, bicycle and pedestrian safety, etc. Our http://walkbikeworcester.org/ is hosted by the CMRPC and is is largely directed at them promoting car-free, bicycling, walking, street safety, etc.

The meeting was at 6pm, so I was travelling cross-town during rush hour. By car the journey would have been a half-hour what with all the congestion. I did it in about 8 minutes, cutting through that traffic like butter. I use a combination of the street and side-walks. As part of Worcester's ongoing efforts to become bicycle friendly, the city cut the curb at every intersection to leave smooth ramps, also improving side-walks. So the transition from street to sidewalk is smooth.

Arriving at Union Station, home to the CMRPC, with my message of go car-free, its better, I wished I had a way to communicate my experience of that ride. How being small & nimble on the roadways is faster. And more fun, less expensive, free of carbon emissions, etc. In the context of the CMRPC staff presentation, they mentioned the federal mandate for meeting multiple goals when doing transportation planning:

• Safety & security
• Reducing congestion
• Sustainability
• Maintainability
• Equity
• Mode shift
• Local economic vitality
• Greenhouse gas reduction

It was the first time I had ever heard of that goal set. Planners are supposed to be judging every potential project by that goal set and ranking projects on how well they meet these federal objectives - the more goals a project meets, the higher its ranked. It was a like-wow moment for me. An in so to speak to demand just those goals. But especially the top one - safety & security. Yea, I want car-free for the last one too - a serious reduction in carbon pollution - but above that, I want to remain alive. And for that I need my city to become a bicycle friendly one. The goal is acknowledged, but progress is slow.

I challenged our planners. Some mention of a slow transition. So why? Why not a sudden transformative couple of years during which bicycle friendly IS the major infrastructure project. Instead of widening one more road to accommodate more cars, as is the apparent modus_operandi of the RPC's. The plan is still draft. Maybe, just maybe...

Notes
Performance Measurement of Transportation Systems

 

[granolaboy]

Vancouver has been on this tip for quite a while now.

Since 1997 we established priorities with walking being the highest priority, cycling second, transit third, and the automobile is at the bottom of the list

says Jerry Dobrovolny, the director of transportation with the City of Vancouver.

Apparently, we want to be the greenest city in the world by 2020.

http://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/greenest-city-2020-action-plan.aspx

 

[arkmundi]

I understand that Vancouver is on the short list, and in the Americas is most likely at the top. My bucket-list includes taking the train north to Toronto and then west to Vancouver on what I understand is one of the most scenic railways in the word. With eBike, of course, and stopping many places to visit. A city that is getting it right because its long-term planning is spot-on, due to visionary leadership and a populace that puts them there.

 

[granolaboy]

Although, I must say that the majority of the bicycle lanes downtown seemed designed to put the cyclist at maximum risk. I think they'd be safer in some intersections without them at all.

The bike routes throughout the city are awesome though. Just streets marked as such, but they have dead-ends every few blocks that only cyclists can get through, so cars mostly stay off of them.

It's hard to be the greenest city when you have the world's worst polluters right next door...

 

[striider]

I think the world's worst polluters are in China these days at our behest. I mean, that's where our ebike parts come from, along with every other electronic and consumable hard product we decide we need.

I have been traveling the bike lanes here in the Aurora/Denver area lately, and have realized that they are quite useful but under utilized. People in cars still don't have a clue what all that space on the side of the road is for, but they do give me interested looks when I keep up with them in the neighborhoods. This mode of transportation is revolutionary if people knew about it, so I am going to spread the word as much as possible. For example. I make it no secret that I ride an ebike to work lately, and have had quite a few "car clowns" ask me about it and come take a look. Don't get me wrong, I am not preaching, and consider myself a reforming car clown too. My family has WAY too many gas vehicles, but we are working on it.

Lead by example, and some will get it!

 

[LockH]

Hehe... "interested looks when I keep up with them in the neighborhoods." Riding a sit up trike (Li batt driving front hub motor) kid says to Mum "I'm frightened Mummy! Why does that old guy (with one broken arm in a cast) keep passing us?" (Note the guy wasn't pedaling too much.) Passed hundreds of "cagers" this way (sitting in "traffic" smelling each others stinky/poisonous... "odorous" butt farts).

 

[mfinca]

How does your trike work with the bike lanes? Some bike lanes here are so narrow, pot holed, with drainage grates and such I wonder how much trouble it would be with the extra width?

 

[tahustvedt]

I had to live two months without a car up until a week ago. No problem with normal transport, but I had to borrow a friend's car four or five times to get to regular appointments at a far away clinic. I need a car occasionally, but I wish I didn't.

 

[LockH]

How does your trike work with the bike lanes? Some bike lanes here are so narrow, pot holed, with drainage grates and such I wonder how much trouble it would be with the extra width?

Hehe... "Secret" is not going "too" fast maybe. Bike lanes routinely clogged w/parked cars and trucks. Drain covers are however designed with grates angled NOT in line with vehicle (bike/trike) tires. Still can be bumpy though, with pavements torn up by heavy traffic. Trike two back wheels not much wider than my shoulders. Gotta wonder now, just how wide are "bike" lanes elsewhere? (Antique pedal-only Poop-Mobile-style bikes here routinely have trailers/carts attached that are wider than my trike. And want local builder to make me a pulled rickshaw that would be "maximum" width, wattEVer that is. Think "horse racing sulky" built for two.)

 

[Martin A]

Peak car will be in the next ten years or so. Once self driving vehicles come in there won't be such a need to own a vehicle as one will be able to be rented cheaply. The majority of transport use is for a single person so single seat cabin scooters similar to the Lit C-1 in size will become the largest class of vehicle in the urban environment. Urban planning will also influence this.