What if you banned cars from a city?

[TibetanMonkey, the Beach Cruiser Philosopher]

Banning is a strong word that must be avoided, but let's say that you
let in essential vehicles to a city a center and you could actually
ride a donkey in NYC. Well, that's something extreme --except for the
mounted police-- but you get my point. Then people could walk and bike
around with no stress whatsoever.

An American goes to the city of Groningen and goes "Wow, no cars!"
Actually he repeats it many times because it looks impossible. Hey,
nothing is impossible. You just make it possible. Remember, THE
REVOLUTION IS ABOUT SOLUTIONS.

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http://webspawner.com/users/BANANAREVOLUTION

[TibetanMonkey, the Beach Cruiser Philosopher]

On Aug 26, 1:59 pm, "TibetanMonkey, the Beach Cruiser Philosopher"

If you have lived in the U.S. during the 1940s - 1960s,
you would know the design of our freeway systems is to
facilitate the ease of going long distances while retaining
the small-town environment for people remaining in-place.
In large cities, the freeways have become an entangled
mess after many updates and additions.  But we have
learned from our experience.

Where's the sense of community being retained if not in
those places where a car is unnecessary?

Small towns/communities are still the same.  There overpasses/
underpasses to go by or over the freeways.
You can still walk/bike around town easily.  A freeway
does not and should not divide a small town/community.

I say 99% of communities are broken communities.

The "communities" have become large sprawls facilitated by the same
freeways. The well-off left the inner city, which was left to rot.

And the sprawl is anything but livable. Often no sidewalks, and
certainly no place to ride a bike.

[TibetanMonkey, the Beach Cruiser Philosopher]

On Sun, 26 Aug 2012 13:40:01 -0700, TibetanMonkey, the Beach Cruiser

Post by TibetanMonkey, the Beach Cruiser Philosopher
Banning is a strong word that must be avoided, but let's say that you
let in essential vehicles to a city a center and you could actually ride
a donkey in NYC. Well, that's something extreme --except for the mounted
police-- but you get my point. Then people could walk and bike around
with no stress whatsoever.
An American goes to the city of Groningen and goes "Wow, no cars!"
Actually he repeats it many times because it looks impossible. Hey,
nothing is impossible. You just make it possible. Remember, THE
REVOLUTION IS ABOUT SOLUTIONS.

Unfortunately, many American cities sprung up after the invention of the
automobile, so they are designed for cars.  Even older cities have
extensive suburbs whose residents absolutely require cars.
I lived in the Bay Area for four years, and only drove into San Francisco
a few times, quickly discovering that the price of parking and parking
tickets made it much more inconvenient than using public transportation.
And I can't believe what great physical shape I was in by using it --
having to walk a few blocks to the bus stop, and sometimes deciding that
walking a mile was faster than waiting for the next bus.  Burbites are so
fat and lazy than they drive to visit their next-door neighbors.
I visited Europe and Asia in 2009, and in Europe cars are a luxury -- but
it doesn't matter since public transit is so good.  Vietnam does not seem
to have much public transit, everyone rides scooters.  Same in Cambodia,
except that scooters are a luxury and you see bicycles instead.  Safe to
say, I saw very few fat Vietnamese and Cambodians, and only slightly more
fat Europeans.  I come back to America and see 250kg blobs driving their
fat asses to a buffet two blocks away.

I can't say how polluting those little scooters are --some critics say
they are-- but they are a lot of fun. I think they can coexist with
the bicycle as a "liberating option" --the car is often referred to as
a "cage." I don't even see the point of needing a license for a small
scooter.

Anyway, our cities are designed around the automobile, and even though
you could get around your community on a bicycle, you find a lot a
hostility out there. One issue that turns me off is cars sitting on
the driveway/pedestrian crossing --waiting to go on the road-- and
ignore you. It's assumed that the pedestrian/cyclist is some kind of
idiot with time to spare. Sidewalks are often in disrepair or simply
blocked by cars or trash cans.

You find no people and that's the greatest turnoff.

[Frayed]

Better still, in view of the accident statistics which show so many vehicle
related deaths and injuries outside cities, why not ban cars from leaving
cities; leave us country guys safe, for a change.
I suppose we could maybe consider the bigger picture, but hey, why bother?

Post by TibetanMonkey, the Beach Cruiser Philosopher
Banning is a strong word that must be avoided, but let's say that you
let in essential vehicles to a city a center and you could actually
ride a donkey in NYC. Well, that's something extreme --except for the
mounted police-- but you get my point. Then people could walk and bike
around with no stress whatsoever.
An American goes to the city of Groningen and goes "Wow, no cars!"
Actually he repeats it many times because it looks impossible. Hey,
nothing is impossible. You just make it possible. Remember, THE
REVOLUTION IS ABOUT SOLUTIONS.
http://youtu.be/x7gi2RxM1Qg
--------------------------------------------------------
http://webspawner.com/users/BANANAREVOLUTION

[TibetanMonkey, the Beach Cruiser Philosopher]

Post by Frayed
Better still, in view of the accident statistics which show so many vehicle
related deaths and injuries outside cities, why not ban cars from leaving
cities; leave us country guys safe, for a change.
I suppose we could maybe consider the bigger picture, but hey, why bother?

I can tell you this much: I'm in the boondocks and this is possibly
the MOST DANGEROUS PLACE TO WALK IN THE WORLD. And I can also tell
you, whole families do walk on the road (most likely on Sabbath) with
little concern for danger, and they dress in black. Wait, the speed on
these winding roads with no shoulder changes from 35 to 55mph and cars
have little time to react. But this population who walk only come in
summer, so in winter only the people who hate people stay behind. And
everybody drives and everybody is fat.

Hey, and there's no single trail anywhere to enjoy Nature. It's all
around you, but nobody takes advantage of it. NO HIKING. Only Big Foot
is said to roam free in those woods.

[TibetanMonkey, the Beach Cruiser Philosopher]

Post by TibetanMonkey, the Beach Cruiser Philosopher

Post by Frayed
Better still, in view of the accident statistics which show so many vehicle
related deaths and injuries outside cities, why not ban cars from leaving
cities; leave us country guys safe, for a change.
I suppose we could maybe consider the bigger picture, but hey, why bother?

I can tell you this much: I'm in the boondocks and this is possibly
the MOST DANGEROUS PLACE TO WALK IN THE WORLD. And I can also tell
you, whole families do walk on the road (most likely on Sabbath) with
little concern for danger, and they dress in black. Wait, the speed on
these winding roads with no shoulder changes from 35 to 55mph and cars
have little time to react. But this population who walk only come in
summer, so in winter only the people who hate people stay behind. And
everybody drives and everybody is fat.
Hey, and there's no single trail anywhere to enjoy Nature. It's all
around you, but nobody takes advantage of it. NO HIKING. Only Big Foot
is said to roam free in those woods.

No trespassing is America's definition of freedom.  Freedom to
acquire and fence off huge swathes of land.

You have it right again. You gave me the hint before that you could
open a gate in Europe and continue walking. Here everything is a Gated
Community, and no trespassing is the rule. Often I see a path or dirt
road and I'm afraid to follow it. Marking real trails would help.
That's right, only on public lands.

They figure hikers are hippies or squatters.