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In the absence of a flair system on lemmy yet, let’s try to make it easier to scan through posts by type in here by using tags:
Just to compare, this is the utopian dream for Toronto:
There are approx. 18 cars and trucks in that image.
They are taking up SIGNIFICANTLY more space, and are causing traffic.
Still, we keep saying, "give us more of this, please!".
Insanity or stupidity?
And every other building would have been knocked down to make room for parking
After a quick Google search, snowfall average per year in Amsterdam is 6.1cm
Toronto is apparently 121.5cm
Biking in the snow is significantly harder, and the accumulation of snow in the road in winter makes it even worse.
I don't thin that's the best comparison to make
Just to counter that:
Snow in Toronto would rarely cause someone to not be able to bike. In fact, the only time it might be too risky to bike, is when it's also too risky to drive.
That said, Montreal gets more than twice the snow and colder winters compared to Toronto.
Yet they have been making an effort to encourage active transportation, and cycling over the winter has been increasing.
Even their ride share runs in the winter (it doesn't in Toronto).
If Montreal has a few bad snow days out of a few months in the year, and is still very bikable, then we should stop making excuses that people in Amsterdam can do it only because the weather is nice and the land is flat.
Also, the least bike friendly places in North America have great weather most of the year, and snow is never a concern (Dallas, Miami, Raleigh, etc.).
I think we're too used to making excuses to drive everywhere. It doesn't have to be this one-sided, favouring only cars.
Edit: I posted this in another reply, but I was biking in this the other day, and I live close to Toronto (close enough to bike):
I work in Montreal.
People biking year round are very rare, and dping so require significant effort compared to using public transit.
I'm all for reducing car usage, but what I am saying is that solutions should be tailored to location.
Bike work for Amsterdam, great!
But I think cities where snowstorm are somewhat frequent should probably focus on public transit instead.
( I'll admit tough that I assumed Toronto weather was similar to here and didn't expect that much less snow! )
But I think cities where snowstorm are somewhat frequent should probably focus on public transit instead.
For sure, this could be a good option, too. Anything to lessen car dependency would benefit those cities, and the people who live in them!
we should stop making excuses that people in Amsterdam can do it only because the weather is nice and the land is flat
The land is definitely flat, but I don't think anyone would ever describe Dutch winters as nice. It's not as cold as in many Canadian cities, but the wind from the North Sea and the lashings of sidewise rain aren't easy to get used to.
Not true in plenty of cities like the one I live in (PNW) but go off I guess
Sure, if you're talking about Seattle then you've got a rarity. Even then, Seattle isn't even in the top 100, according to People for Bikes.
Visit a place like Huston, and you'd might as well stay home unless you've got a car.