Originally Posted by
ro-monster
I think it would be good to remember that our iconic mental picture of what a suburb is no longer accurately represents the reality of what suburbs are (at least it doesn't fit any of the suburbs I've seen recently). We tend to picture a suburb as acres of near-identical single-family tract houses with no jobs, stores, or other services available locally. I grew up in one just like that, and despised it.
After many years of living in cities, I once again live in a suburb, and it is nothing like the one in which I grew up. I moved here for one reason -- my job is here (and so are hundreds of other jobs). I now have a 3-mile commute on streets that are great for bicycling. Many of the dwellings are multi-family buildings. Within a mile of my house are various grocery stores and specialty stores, restaurants, gyms, banks, a library, train stations, bike shops, etc. You really don't need a car; occasionally it would be a nice convenience, but basically, a car is a luxury here.
+1 same here.
I grew up in a classic suburb, went to a typical suburban high school and attended a typical college located in; you guessed it, a suburb. I have lived in Seattle and LA and having lived in both I prefer places just like you have described. I am not at war with dedicated urbanites even if they want to be at war with me. If however someone calls your living choice into question and even calls you and your neighbors slobs then when asking for their help in a vote for mass transit in an urban area we don’t use the ballot box is a method of revenge. Orange County California was always one giant suburb but you will be hard pressed to find people that don’t see it as bike friendly.
I listened to this very same debate when they elected Ford Mayor of Toronto. The claim some made during the election was that it was a war between the rich, right wing suburbanites and the poor left wing urbanites. Once they drew the battle lines it became cars verses mass transit. The majority had cars, and now look who the mayor is. When you ascribe enemy status to a group of people you shouldn’t be surprised when they vote against your interests.
I might point out that while there may have been 10 cyclist killed by cars in Washington so far this year they will have to get on the stick to catch up to the 30 murders reported in Seattle so far this year with 9 months already in the books. Can cars be blamed for these deaths as well?
