Living Car Free - Interesting Article in Reader's Digest

In the December 2008 Reader's Digest there is an article entitled "Fixing Gridlock: Here's How To Do It".

There are a few excerpts of that article online:

The Street Car Solution:
http://www.readersdigest.ca/mag/cms/xcms/xcms/the-streetcar-solution_1435_a.html

The Cycling Revolution:
http://www.readersdigest.ca/specialfeatures/heroes_2009/cms/xcms/the-cycling-revolution_1442_a.html

I especially like one particular quote: "You have to put the infrastructure in before the demand arises." ... seems obvious, but ....

There's a lot more to the whole article than just those two excerpts ... I wish I could find the whole thing online.

Machka, when Reader's Digest prints articles like this, you know there is hope for the universe. I remember the type of article they used to print years ago [last time I visited the doctor...]. Whew!

Second article is kind of interesting though. We keep reading about a new bicycle boom since 2006. However, I read a trade article that kind of disputes this wisdom. http://nbda.com/page.cfm?PageID=34

It seems that sales haven't gone up all that much... at least until 2007. I suspect the 2008 numbers will be much better than 2007 but nothing like the bicycle boom of the early 1970s where apparently sales went up 40 fold in one year. Bike companies couldn't keep up with the demand.

However, I will agree that there are a lot more folks out on the road using bicycles as transportation.

Machka, when Reader's Digest prints articles like this, you know there is hope for the universe. I remember the type of article they used to print years ago [last time I visited the doctor...]. Whew!

Second article is kind of interesting though. We keep reading about a new bicycle boom since 2006. However, I read a trade article that kind of disputes this wisdom. http://nbda.com/page.cfm?PageID=34

It seems that sales haven't gone up all that much... at least until 2007. I suspect the 2008 numbers will be much better than 2007 but nothing like the bicycle boom of the early 1970s where apparently sales went up 40 fold in one year. Bike companies couldn't keep up with the demand.

However, I will agree that there are a lot more folks out on the road using bicycles as transportation.

Two reasons for no big bike boom, 1) Walmart, 2) people have the bikes in their garages and cellars, they are hauling them out and dusting them off. When they visit the LBS they get sticker shock and freak out at the prices.

Aaron:)

In the December 2008 Reader's Digest there is an article entitled "Fixing Gridlock: Here's How To Do It".

There are a few excerpts of that article online:

The Street Car Solution:
http://www.readersdigest.ca/mag/cms/xcms/xcms/the-streetcar-solution_1435_a.html


It was a good article but I don't know why the Reader's Digest just doesn't come out and say it. The reason the "Street Car Solution" will work in fixing gridlock is because those living in the neighborhood will become car free resulting in less cars being used.

However, I don't believe were're going to see any more development in lightrail for the next 10 years because of the economy. In case you didn't know, cities around the country are raising fare and cutting service and none have money for rail expansion. Light rail service increased by record numbers according to LightRail Now.

If the OP wants to take advantage of Light Rail, she will have to move to Toronto!

>>>>
Light rail services rendered double-digit percentage ridership increases in a number of transit systems:

• Baltimore: MTA – 19.6%
• Minneapolis: Hiawatha LRT – 18.3%
• Sacramento: Regional Transit LRT – 18.3%
• New Jersey Transit – 15.9%
• Los Angeles MTA – 15.3%
• Dallas DART – 15.2%
• Denver RTD – 15.0%
• Buffalo MetroRail – 13.4%
• Memphis Trolley (streetcar) – 13.3%
>>>>>>>

However, I don't believe were're going to see any more development in lightrail for the next 10 years because of the economy. In case you didn't know, cities around the country are raising fare and cutting service and none have money for rail expansion. Light rail service increased by record numbers according to LightRail Now.

If the OP wants to take advantage of Light Rail, she will have to move to Toronto!

Around your country.

And if I want to take advantage of Light Rail, I can just head up to the city north of me, where my University is, or the city just south of me ...... Edmonton and Calgary. During my winter semester last year, when I was living in Edmonton, I rode Light Rail every day.

Edmonton Light Rail projects are still going ahead: http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/ets/lrt-projects.aspx ... slowly, much too slowly, but they are still progressing.

Two reasons for no big bike boom, 1) Walmart, 2) people have the bikes in their garages and cellars, they are hauling them out and dusting them off. When they visit the LBS they get sticker shock and freak out at the prices.

Aaron:)

In a way the bike boom of the 70s is probably dampening sales now, because a lot of those bikes are sitting in basements just waiting to be dusted off... Some of them were pretty good bikes, too, and I've noticed that a 30 year old bike isn't anywhere near as lame as a 30 year old car.