I just got back from a grocery run, and holy crap. The difference in temperature between a greenway in the woods and a sidewalk next to a multilane road is mindboggling. The greenway was almost pleasant. The road felt more like the surface of the sun.
It's almost* as if continuing to coddle drivers by building out more and more roads is actually contributing to the global heat wave we're living in right now. [*sarcasm]
For those who really want to explain urban heat to me, save yourself the trouble.
Urban heat is a thing because cities are covered in concrete, and concrete traps and then radiates heat.
Cities are covered in concrete because of cars.
IT'S THE CARS. Cars are the reason cities are hot, noisy, stinky, dirty, and expensive.
@DrTCombs Make cities cities again. Bring back the nineteenth century or earlier.
@DrTCombs lol my city is going to try and help with future heat problems by just planting trees. Like that is a good idea, but to actually beat the heat we need to tear out unnecessary concrete and asphalt.
@DrTCombs and also one reason old cities had narrow streets. Far less direct sun hits the surface
@DrTCombs @rmondello the concrete also leads to flooding as there’s no place for the water to drain to.
@willowbl00 @DrTCombs @rmondello
We need more rail, bad.
@DrTCombs and deadly, bloody killing
@DrTCombs @drehumdiebolzen also cars produce heat. They burn fossil fuels and at least 70% of the energy generated by that is heat.
@Pterry @DrTCombs @drehumdiebolzen After a while it's 100% of the energy that becomes heat. If not earlier, then the next time one brakes to stop.
@DrTCombs I would say at least they are at least one of the biggest contributing factors. In the end it's a combination of sealed surfaces and wind traps, and the absence of cars alone won't change anything unless you also unseal those surfaces.
@DrTCombs I'd love nothing more than to tear up all the asphalt outside and replace it with wider walkways and saplings
@DrTCombs didn’t tarred roads come to be because of bicycles?
(Edited out my mansplaining. Sorry. 🤦)
@DrTCombs My town's planners are attempting to make the town more climate friendly by widening cycle paths. In theory a good thing, but they also want to cut down 140 mature trees to do so.
@apolaine
If the bicycle accommodations mean fewer new car trips in the future, then it's a good takeoff. They would have to take down far more trees to accommodate the same # of trips by car.
We're having the same debate here, but the math makes it pretty clear when you account for the potential for reducing future car trips (and thus future temptations to widen roads to accommodate those future car trips)
@DrTCombs There are already bike lines on either side of the roads. The trees really make a massive difference to the heat in summer and, of course, clean the air too. I'd much prefer that they make the roads like those in the Netherlands that have separated cycle lanes as well as cycle lines along the "car" road, so that cars only have one lane if bikes are present.
@apolaine
Yes!
But bikes require far less paved space--and far less cleared space along roadways--than do cars. Orders of magnitude less paved space.
@DrTCombs but without conk reet how will i have my brutalist kfc to kiss depressed girls in