One of the MOST IMPORTANT THINGS your city could do to become more healthy, sustainable, livable, affordable, equitable, resilient, etc — stop pretending to “balance” transportation modes, & commit to PRIORITIZING walking/rolling, biking, public transit. HT @dublincyclingcampaign for graphic
@BrentToderian @dublincyclingcampaign In NSW we have (theoretically!) this same hierarchy. But I question why they both place cyclists above public transport. I think it's reflecting something about vulnerability, but it doesn't really make sense to me as an overall 'more desirable', from an external perspective, in all situations. On heavy demand routes and in dense areas, public transport is more space efficient than cycling, both in motion and in parking space required.
@BrentToderian @dublincyclingcampaign On the other hand cycling uses less energy and creates less pollution, perhaps that is part of the considerations.
This isn't something I'm super set on, just been mulling over it lately.
Nor does it really matter in practice as there is plenty of space to be taken from cars, and when our city does take positive action, it usually improves things for both groups at once.
@jroper @BrentToderian @dublincyclingcampaign As I understand it, it ties back to the idea of the 15-minute walkable neighbourhood.
Most things you need in daily life (work, school, food, medical care, civic services, open public space) should ideally be available within a 15-minute walk (or bike ride) of your home.
You shouldn't need to catch a bus or a train to buy a loaf of bread or a bottle of milk.
That isn't always practical, so the next best thing is to make sure everyone's within 15-minutes of the public transport network, and those other destinations are within a comfortable walk of a train, tram, or bus stop.
i like @RM_Transit 's description of higher order public transport as being a "range extender" for your walks.
But I totally agree that great planning takes care of both.
@ajsadauskas @BrentToderian @dublincyclingcampaign @RM_Transit
Also I strongly disagree with ever characterising a public transport network by distance/time to get to a stop. Only door-to-door travel time is what matters.
(Sorry, I'm feeling a bit argumentative today, but I do appreciate the discussion.)
@jroper @BrentToderian @dublincyclingcampaign @RM_Transit I completely agree that door-to-door travel time is the metric that matters.
But.
To be of any real value, it needs to be accessible within a comfortable walk from your house, and it needs to get you within a comfortable walking distance of your destination. That's the point I'm getting at there.