Originally Posted by
Roody
My helmet's off to all of you who ride in these suburban design nightmares. And I don't blame anybody who would conclude that a car's needed to get around in a place like this. I think it's really disgusting that our country has gotten itself into a jam like this. At this point, 99 % of the citizens believe that this is "the way it has to be." Well, it does NOT have to be like this. Good road design is possible, and it doesn't even have to cost more than the awful design that's so typical today.
One thing we do need to remember is that we all have some choice in selecting where we live. Over the weekend, I bought a used bike for my son. I had to travel a long distance to a suburb to get the bike and noticed that the owner lived at least 5 miles from the nearest food source. This 5 mile trip was on roads much as described above. I'm not sure how the guy would eat if he lost his driver's license or his car broke down.
For my part, when I purchase a house, I think about things like contingency plans. (ie, where are the exits in case of a fire? Is the house in a flood plain?) One of the considerations my wife and I made with out current house is the distance and walkability to the nearest grocery store. The reason we make this consideration is that, from time to time, emergencies do happen and a 5 mile walk for food is a long haul.