zlacker

>>amathe+(OP)
The issue of quiting cars is nowadays far from just a matter of values as the article seems to be implying.

Cars are by now a hard to reverse environmental and urban planning disaster across the world. We are stuck with them. As a mode of transport it has grown uncontrollably at the expense of all others (except the airplane) and practically everything has been shaped to accomodate it.

Reversing that development, limiting car traffic to where its really needed is like trying to perform a complete heart and arteries transplant on a living person. Even if there was a will (which there is not) it is not clear if there is a way.

In the best scenario it will be an excruciatingly long transformation (~50 yr) as car oriented cities (or city sections) get slowly deprecated and the car-free or car-lite segments become more desirable, more livable.

>>nologi+Mz1
The shift to trains/bikes is harder, but the shift to buses is not as bad from what I've seen, because it re-uses car infrastructure well, and can be improved with minimal construction (often, just signage making a lane bus-only or similar).

>>kerkes+eS1
adding bike lanes can just take paint on largish streets. thinner roads also make people drive slower, so it's a win win

>>bippih+1T1
Paint is not good enough. Bike lanes separated from the road by just paint and no significant barrier like bollards or something will not be used much because bikers won't feel safe, and cars will use it as a parking lane.

>>mcdonj+MT1
It's a spectrum. As a biker, of course I prefer real, separated lanes. But there are plenty of roads that I will bike on despite having only painted-on lanes. Others might be less lenient (would only bike on separated lanes) or more lenient (the die-hard lycra warriors). Even just having a painted-on lane is an improvement because it accommodates some people who previously wouldn't have biked, and that's still an improvement, and it's an approach that can be done very cheaply. That doesn't mean we should be satisfied with only painted-on lanes, but I won't let the perfect be the enemy of progress.

>>kibwen+d52
I have a strong desire to bike but I won't do it on those lanes. They're not as bad as the painted bike symbols that say "theoretically you can ride a bike on this road" but they're still not going to make me comfortable enough to do it. I'm barely comfortable enough with these other drivers to get into an actual vehicle on the roads due to the maniacs I see out there so bikes are a slim chance.