• phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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    10 months ago

    What you’re saying is completely backwards.

    If you install sidewalks, people will use it. Right now nobody walks because they can’t. Install sidewalks and they will. Ensure there are places to go, so redesign your cities so that you have mixed use buildings. If you have small stores and bars and restaurants right around the corner, you’ll walk.

    In a residential area there are LOADS of uses for sidewalks. It’s just that the car industry has programmed Americans to think their legs can’t be used for anything. I love European cities, especially the Netherlands because you can safely walk and cycle anywhere. People don’t want to own cars, why would they? Everything they need is around the corner, and if they need to go far away there is awesome public transportation that is better, safer, faster cheaper and more comfortable than cars.

    To me you sound like somebody who doesn’t know what he’s missing out on because you’ve basically been lied to.

    • time_lord@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      The last time they installed sidewalks, they were installed between a Target that you can’t get to unless you drive, and a commercial area that’s about a mile away. I’m not sure what the percentage of people who are going to walk from work to target on their lunch break is, but that’s what they did.

      The other sidewalk that they tried to put in, was in front of the township building. Which is between to a horse farm and a forest. I get the “if you build it they will come” mentality, but I don’t think it applies for trees and horses.

      • phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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        9 months ago

        Yeah that’s just designed to fail. If you design a shitshow and then say “well let’s not do this again because it failed” then you’re just being disingenuous. Governments should take a hint from the Netherlands on hoe to do bicycle infrastructure. You can ride anywhere in the country on bike, there are more bicycle roads than car roads

      • phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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        9 months ago

        Yeah that’s just designed to fail. If you design a shitshow and then say “well let’s not do this again because it failed” then you’re just being disingenuous. Governments should take a hint from the Netherlands on hoe to do bicycle infrastructure. You can ride anywhere in the country on bike, there are more bicycle roads than car roads