Originally Posted by
doughboy
You can't dismiss the senseless commute distances that some people make everyday. Many of my coworkers (past & present) travel at least 40 miles each way to get to/from work. It's not my place to criticize their decisions about living close to/far from work. It's just a reality for many people. I also have friends in Texas who drive literally 100 miles each way to get to/from work. Then there's also Los Angeles, where I used to live...going from Santa Monica to Burbank is no joke. Not everyone enjoys a 5-10 mile walkable/bike-able distance to work.
While the above is true, the fact is that MOST people do not live such senseless distances away from their work... according to transportation studies most folks live within 12 miles or less from their place of work and most errands are 2 miles or less from home... so why is it that MOST people who could probably bike, drive instead? Could it be that the structures they drive upon tend to discourage cycling rather than encourage it? Just look at the simple problem of being refused service at a "drive thru" window.