Not Just Bikes / r/fuckcars / Urbanists / New Urbanism / Car-Free / Anti-Car - People and grifters who hate personal transport, freedom, cars, roads, suburbs, and are obsessed with city planning and urban design

[Sexy Peach Emoji]

Jason and friends pretend bike lanes will reduce vehicular traffic as people switch to bikes and more efficient transportation and free up the road network (he has, in fact, claimed this in one of his videos). Clearly in Toronto this hasn't been the case, yet Jason will NEVER admit he was wrong.

He's not wrong, child. He's just not right yet. Enjoy bicycling to work, stalker.

 

[x3firehexx]

Jason and friends pretend bike lanes will reduce vehicular traffic as people switch to bikes and more efficient transportation and free up the road network (he has, in fact, claimed this in one of his videos). Clearly in Toronto this hasn't been the case, yet Jason will NEVER admit he was wrong.

The issue isn't with the lack of bike lanes, i mean, IT IS a part of it, but what am i supposed to do if i live in a american style suburb and the school is on the other end of this maze of single family homes? A bike lane ain't gonna do shit? Why? Because im not cycling for 1 hour in the freezing cold, and cycling back from school for an hour in sweltering, unmitigated 40+c nevada heat, made worse by the asphalt and concrete everywhere. Sorry, fuck you, i'm driving. Now.Im specifically directing this to hellholes like phoenix, nevada, and when i say hellholes i say it as the literal definition of hell. Tough the same stands for any other american suburb.

Bike lanes ain't gonna fix horrible urban planning, nor the symptoms thereof. This is, hovewer going to get the lowest bidder contracted for said bike path a bunch of money, a grant or two and a pat on the back from the gov't for "fixing" a problem.

Bus, trams, trolleys, may however actually be a good idea, i mean, they are all enclosed, air conditioned self moving vehicles so, maybe? Nope, given how low density US subrubs are, you end up putting a tram/trolley/bus stop everywhere, which means money, so to save money you have top put them more dispersed, but then people need to still bike/walk there which means we circle right back to the start of this reply.

The design of US suburbs as a concept, as a style itself makes public transport unviable, even IF the finances and will is there. The companies operating said public transport just aren't getting their ROI, or very little ROI given the initial required capital, distances and fuel costs.

As i said, the design and planning of US subrubs makes public transport financially unfeasable, so no company/city/state will care about public transport, since, well, it's unfeasable and at a loss. Meanwhile the costs of individual transport (cars) are managed by the individual themslelves, initial capital, maintenance, fuel, that comes out of the person's pocket, and so it isn't the cities/state's/goverment's issue.

 

[WelperHelper99]

As i said, the design and planning of US subrubs makes public transport financially unfeasable, so no company/city/state will care about public transport, since, well, it's unfeasable and at a loss. Meanwhile the costs of individual transport (cars) are managed by the individual themslelves, initial capital, maintenance, fuel, that comes out of the person's pocket, and so it isn't the cities/state's/goverment's issue

Well that's why they want to get rid of suburbs, so they can get rid of those evil cars. Everyone MUST live in the bughive chud.

 

[quaawaa]

The urbanists are complaining this is provincial overreach but they know if this was the other way around and a fast tracked bill to get bike lanes installed (which similar has happened in the past) they would praise it. So I can happily tell them to get fucked.

Those laws already exist in much of the United States. Have you ever heard them complain about "Complete Streets" laws that mandate bike lanes on new/repaired roads?

In total, over 1,700 Complete Streets policies have been passed in the United States, including those adopted by 37 state governments, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.

Source (Archive)

I have, but only when they're complaining about how bike lanes on high speed roads are dangerous, which only exist thanks to the aforementioned laws:

Source (Archive)

 

[Xarpho's Return]

The issue isn't with the lack of bike lanes, i mean, IT IS a part of it, but what am i supposed to do if i live in a american style suburb and the school is on the other end of this maze of single family homes? A bike lane ain't gonna do shit? Why? Because im not cycling for 1 hour in the freezing cold, and cycling back from school for an hour in sweltering, unmitigated 40+c nevada heat, made worse by the asphalt and concrete everywhere. Sorry, fuck you, i'm driving. Now.Im specifically directing this to hellholes like phoenix, nevada, and when i say hellholes i say it as the literal definition of hell. Tough the same stands for any other american suburb.

"Maze of suburbs" is a meme. If you look at any modern suburbs today (and nothing out in the sticks, those are apart for a reason) they're not too far off from the main road and have a layout that makes sense, and are located probably just a mile from commercial development.

I have, but only when they're complaining about how bike lanes on high speed roads are dangerous, which only exist thanks to the aforementioned laws:

Without knowing the exact location (or even what type of road it is) it's difficult to verify the claims, especially with no bike lane over a bridge (which I find doubtful...in Texas, there's often no shoulders on old highway bridges, but these don't get that much traffic, and it's unlikely your average bugman would find their way out there to begin with).

We all know "share the road" is a two-way concept that cyclists can't comprehend, but the "it's four feet wide but feels like two feet" is a prime example of how they'll focus on feelings vs. reality.

While Archive.is is down right now, it should be noted that the user who created this post appears to be a woman (writes like a woman, no tell-tale troon signs).

 

[Midwit]

I have, but only when they're complaining about how bike lanes on high speed roads are dangerous, which only exist thanks to the aforementioned laws:

Your browser is not able to display this video.

I completely agree with fuckcars for once, any bike lane on a road where traffic moves appreciably faster than bikes can should be turned into a shoulder.

 

[Torque Wheeler]

I just want to be able to bike to work when the weather is nice and before the rush hours, not deal with whatever this shit is.

 

[x3firehexx]

"Maze of suburbs" is a meme. If you look at any modern suburbs today (and nothing out in the sticks, those are apart for a reason) they're not too far off from the main road and have a layout that makes sense, and are located probably just a mile from commercial development.

And you are trying to use this point how exactly?
A mile is 1.6km. And double that to get home so 3.2km.

If you are trying to use this as a counterpoint then you fail since if you try walking you'll tire yourself out midway trough, and cycling is fine if it wasn't for the sweltering heat which can (and sometimes is) dangerous.

My point wasn't that suburbs are a maze, you are nitpicking, and this is a strawman you are doing here. My point is that suburbs are wayy too large with no public services availible nearby. It doesn't matter wether the suburb is a maze or not, it's still single family homes as far as the eye can see with the only commercial developments, as you said, being a mile away.

Here in europe go outside and there's already a grocery store right infront of you. Same holds for where i live, wether it be a suburb or not, You don't NEED a car to live in bulgaria, much lest west europe, you need to get to another city? Take the bus there. It's gonna be way cheaper than fuel (but at all, and i mean ALL costs AVOID the train. Train service here is GARBAGE, so are the trains themselves)

 

[quaawaa]

If you are trying to use this as a counterpoint then you fail since if you try walking you'll tire yourself out midway trough

>wants walkable 15 minute cities
>can't walk for 15 minutes without being exhausted

 

[The Jewel of the Nile]

If you are trying to use this as a counterpoint then you fail since if you try walking you'll tire yourself out midway trough

Are you really in europe if walking 0,8km is undoable for you?

 

[dj0449674]

"Maze of suburbs" is a meme. If you look at any modern suburbs today (and nothing out in the sticks, those are apart for a reason) they're not too far off from the main road and have a layout that makes sense, and are located probably just a mile from commercial development.

The vast majority of what these goofs call suburbs are housing developments.

The houses look the same because the same company built them.

Most of them exist outside mayor cities like DC because DC is a Hillsdale no one wants to live in.

 

[x3firehexx]

Are you really in europe if walking 0,8km is undoable for you?

If i wasn't european would i be sitting here shitting on american suburbs and flaunting my superirority complex because i live in europe, even tough i live in eastern europe, and speicifcally this shithole that barely keeps itself together called bulgaria? Would i? No. i'd be minding my own buisness, hovewer, im doing the former, hencewhy i am european.

 

[Xarpho's Return]

And you are trying to use this point how exactly?
A mile is 1.6km. And double that to get home so 3.2km.

If you are trying to use this as a counterpoint then you fail since if you try walking you'll tire yourself out midway trough, and cycling is fine if it wasn't for the sweltering heat which can (and sometimes is) dangerous.

My point wasn't that suburbs are a maze, you are nitpicking, and this is a strawman you are doing here. My point is that suburbs are wayy too large with no public services availible nearby. It doesn't matter wether the suburb is a maze or not, it's still single family homes as far as the eye can see with the only commercial developments, as you said, being a mile away.

Here in europe go outside and there's already a grocery store right infront of you. Same holds for where i live, wether it be a suburb or not, You don't NEED a car to live in bulgaria, much lest west europe, you need to get to another city? Take the bus there. It's gonna be way cheaper than fuel (but at all, and i mean ALL costs AVOID the train. Train service here is GARBAGE, so are the trains themselves)

A mile on flat ground should be very doable in 15 minutes unless you are extremely fat, extremely old, or otherwise disabled. Plus, in suburbs, there's almost no traffic, so almost no waiting.

It would also make sense that a European fed on nothing but memes would have no idea of what American suburbs look like or are actually laid out. Drop the needle on any subdivision and you'll see how wrong you actually are.

Meanwhile, here I am picking random spots in Bulgaria to see if the "grocery stores everywhere" meme is true. Well, in Plovdiv it's just some grimy-looking apartment buildings speckled with graffiti, the only commercial development is a tiny shack selling glasses. Ok, here's a slightly nicer neighborhood and Google indicated a coffeeshop in the area. Nope, no commercial development except a converted house serving as a daycare.

Other than the major roads and the housing near them (any residential in America located directly off major roads, even apartment complexes, are bound to have SOMETHING near them). I don't see anything in Plovdiv, let's move onto this "urban" area in Sofia. Well, there WAS clearly something there but it's boarded-up, graffiti'd storefronts below buildings made of crumbling concrete, so basically parts of New York but crummier, more economically depressed, claustrophobic, and generally more disgusting-looking...some lovely commieblocks, still don't see anything. A few other random ones:
- Commieblocks, an appliance store, and a large abandoned building.
- A poor pensioner who doesn't even have access to a dryer looks out on an abandoned building that has a kids' slide and beer advertisements on the outside, who knows what that was. You could walk to a Lidl from here but that's still off a major road.
- This is a main thoroughfare so it figures there's SOMETHING around here.
- A shopping district, so an anamoly

That's in the cities, more rural towns don't even have paved roads, and for a direct correlation you can find Wal-Mart and grocery stores (full line supermarkets, even) in small towns.

Either way, it makes no sense to complain about how American cities aren't "15 minute cities" but a 15-minute walk is also too far.

 

[Jotch]

We should convince these people that LED headlights and in-car computer screens are the true reason for car violence. We might see some positive change.

Have you ever noticed when driving a car with LED headlights that the high-beams don't make the headlights brighter? They just make them go higher. Imagine how that looks like to the other guy when you're bouncing up and down.

 

[DavidS877]

We should convince these people that LED headlights and in-car computer screens are the true reason for car violence. We might see some positive change.

Have you ever noticed when driving a car with LED headlights that the high-beams don't make the headlights brighter? They just make them go higher. Imagine how that looks like to the other guy when you're bouncing up and down.

But that's what high beams means...
They're defined by the cutoff line.

Either way, it makes no sense to complain about how American cities aren't "15 minute cities" but a 15-minute walk is also too far.

I found a fun statistic.

Median means 50% of the people are within 0.9 miles. So the majority of the US is in a 15 minute city. Checkmate urbanists.

https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2019/june/u-s-shoppers-access-to-multiple-food-stores-varies-by-region/

Now, sure, they're probably shitty little bodegas, just like most other countries with neighborhood food stores.

 

[Midwit]

it makes no sense to complain about how American cities aren't "15 minute cities"

They are if you own a car.

 

[Xarpho's Return]

They are if you own a car.

Well, of course.

But we all know what they actually mean.

Now, sure, they're probably shitty little bodegas, just like most other countries with neighborhood food stores.

Yeah. The problem is that there's just not enough space to stock what you actually want and need. In Louisiana, there's a supermarket called Rouses, which operates a bunch of nice, normal supermarkets--good bakery, good liquor selection, prices aren't bad for Louisiana, nice American-style supermarket.

In 2007, they bought the New Orleans-area A&P stores, most of which were also normal-sized, but that included a tiny store on Canal Street that A&P first opened in 1930. I went there last summer, most of the produce (outrageously priced, even by Louisiana standards) was in tiny trays and many of them were out (Small hass avacados were a dollar each, and they sold out). It obviously catered to tourists and had competent ownership to keep everything rotated, and wouldn't be so bad under certain circumstances but it sucked as a real grocery store (this is probably the only store in America that has survived nearly a century as a food store) and that's in the absolute best-case scenario with its own distribution network, a naturally profitable location, and competent ownership.

Your average bodega is probably closer to a Circle K, and not one of the nice ones.

 

[indomitable snowman]

We should convince these people that LED headlights and in-car computer screens are the true reason for car violence. We might see some positive change.

Have you ever noticed when driving a car with LED headlights that the high-beams don't make the headlights brighter? They just make them go higher. Imagine how that looks like to the other guy when you're bouncing up and down.

yes... Also lovely when it's raining so the road is wet and reflects all the brightness back up into the eyes.

From a walk the other night. Tesla in front, car with older headlights behind.
View attachment 6724651

 

[quaawaa]

Your average bodega is probably closer to a Circle K, and not one of the nice ones.

Virgin walkable bodega:

Versus chad car-centric Buc-ee’s:

 

[Xarpho's Return]

Virgin walkable bodega:
View attachment 6738509View attachment 6738476View attachment 6738495View attachment 6738516
Versus chad car-centric Buc-ee’s:
View attachment 6738508View attachment 6738490View attachment 6738507View attachment 6738512

NGL, I am genuinely pissed that Buc-ee's discontinued my favorite sandwich but I always enjoy the seething it causes bugmen.