Restricting Cars

Beijing already does this, albeit for traffic reasons rather than health. 

SaoPaolo does this EVERY OTHER day.  So, if you have a license plate that ends in an even number, you drive on MWF, odd is TThS.  (or whatever)

But to answer your question, we're tied to cars because our city designs are crap...  especially smaller cities.

I'm running late enough most mornings....I'm driving.

In Athens in Greece, odd numbered plates allowed into the city on one day, even numbered plates the other.  Doesn't work to ease their terrible pollution to be honest.

I'm lucky I live in Melbourne, Australia, - public transport is pretty good, I'm from London where it's better.  I don't know anyone in London that drives into town to work - its gridlock you'd never get there and it costs an arm and a leg.

I see lots of bike commuters here.

I confess I drive my daughter to school and I drive myself to the station, every year I say, come summer i'm walking.  Hasn't happened yet.  perhaps I'll do that tomorrow.  Perhaps I'll wait until we get a dog.  perhaps it won't happen...

I'm pro the idea but the barriers seem insurmountable.

People dont like being told what they must do, having a freedom taken away.

Cycling & public transport are not a part of the culture in the US to the extent they are in European and Asian countries.

The infrastructure of towns and cities are primarily accessible to the automobile.  They would need a whole heap of redisigning to encourage the use of alternative transport.

I would guess that people in the US on average live further away from their jobs than people in other countries.  I have nothing to support this, just basing it on my observations.

Because comrade, thankfully it's my choice whether to ride in a car, or take a bus, or ride a bike.  The state doesn't get to dictate how I move....or you.  lol.

What you're asking is that we require others to act like you do. That's not what freedom is about.

Also realize that not everyone's situation is as conducive to bike-commuting as yours may be.

I've considered bike commuting. My 18-minute drive would take over an hour to bike. No shower facilities at work. Professional office, standard workplace attire is coat and tie. It's just not going to work.

It's impractical for most people to ride the bike regularly for ~ 20 miles (one way) to work.  I bet many people don't live close to where they work.

I agree with gr33n. Grew up in Hong Kong, I am used to the convenience of public transportation.  I never drive there. (But HK is still one of a very congested and polluted cities) Here in Boston, I live 18 miles from work.  Normally take me 30 min to drive.  Once I my car was in the shop and I had to take the subway and train.  Took me 2 hours one way.

Another time I had to go to a place that usually takes me 20 min to drive to.  It took me 1.5 hour to get there by the T.

Three main reasons:

First; 70 years of "urban sprawl" and civic planning.  Most employment is centered around urban areas where most people used to live.  You had urban and you had rural.  There was very little "suburb" and those that were, people worked in their suburban hometown.  Then mostly white, upper-middle and higher-earning income people wanted to get away from the cities, away from crime, away from "minorities".  Yes, race and racism had a big factor in this.  Where do you think "gated communities" came from.  As the population "sprawled" away from urban areas, very few cities made the investment into mass transit to support these people commuting back into the urban areas to work.  It was considerably cheaper to simply add a lane to the highways and road arteries leading into and out of the cities.  So they became heavily reliant on cars to commute.  And there you go.

Second;  The US is simply, big.  Lots of space and land to choose to live where you want and plenty of roads and cars to get you where you need to go.  Our country just isn't sized to promote bike-commuting like say, The Netherlands or Belgium or Bermuda.

And third:  Gasoline has traditionally been very cheap.  Even at $4 a gallon, it wasn't enough to dramatically change people's driving habits.  It's easy to get tied to something that's relatively cheap to use.  If our gas prices were more like that in Europe, the equivalent of $9 per gallon, THEN you would see some behavioral changes.

I choose to live on Lake Norman in a nice community, within biking/walking distance from the elementary school for my kids.  I love it here and it would take a LOT to get me to move away.  I LOVE being near the water, boating, sailing, swimming, kayaking, etc.  But my job is in Charlotte, 32 miles away and there's currently no mass transit means for me to get to work.  Having that kind of commute certainly wasn't my first choice, but it is what it is.  I tried to get a job at Lowes Home Improvement in my hometown and if I did, I certainly would bike commute on in.  But I couldn't.  So I have no choice.

And yes, I've tried to reach out to people to carpool, but there are not many who live by me and there was no interest in doing it.  So again, I have no choice.

So I'm tied to my car.  If you have any suggestions, I'm welcome to hear it!

I drive 34.7 hilly windy miles to work. I work from 5am to 1pm, and I carry my laptop back and forth to work everyday. There is also no facilities here to shower. Riding my bike to work is really not an option. I do work from home 1 day a week, or more, so that does cut down on my driving.

I think biking to work would be great, if it were logistically feasible.

with me its a 40 min DRIVE into work each day, more if there is lots of traffic.  And like stated previously, no shower facility and business attire.  plus.....lots easier to ride the bike down in florida or one of those other warm states, but it gets kinda cold and crappy up here in wisconsin!

The only thing that will really make this happen is $$$, and it looks like for a lot of folks, biking isn't really practical.

Remember a few years ago when gas prices first started increasing, when it was getting up to nearly $3.00/gal? That's a bargain by today's prices.  The Philly public transit organization, SEPTA, reported record increases in ridership.  Suddenly everyone was interested in public transportation.  A guy at work bought one of those folding bikes so he could ride from the train station to work.  I think he used it three times.

Our company started a shuttle van service from the train station as well, as a trial.  I can't find any evidence that it's still in service.

I've been bike-commuting a bit the last couple years, mainly to get more riding in.  I'm lucky in that our plant has a fitness center with showers, and my hours are somewhat flexible, and I take full advantage of "business casual".  I've also run home on occasion, it's just under 10 miles, but hilly, especially going home.  The run days have been to drive in (after swimming in the morning), run home, then bike back in the next day, and throw the bike on the car and drive it home.  The main thing is to pre-position clothes, however a small backpack also works.

Oh, and if I tried car-pooling, it would probably be really tough to get to the gym and car-pool.  And where I live, public transit would be 2+ hours, where it's 35 minutes on a bike, and 20-30 minutes by car.  With a mile walk to the bus stop from home, on an un-lit, no sidewalk road.

I live the second-closest in my group (about 12 people) at 10 miles.  Everyone else lives about 35 miles away; and this is thanks to years and years of cheap gas, along with property values as you get closer to the city.  They made choices to live almost 40 miles away, in that they get more house for the $$$.

Our infrastructure, especially in the Northeast, where urban planning didn't exist when the roads were first paved is pretty much cemented in place.  Gas will have to be really expensive to change our behavior.

Just curious, are you suggesting this is a negative attribute of Americans?

Isn't this a little unfair? No one here said that they didn't find alternate methods to work because it was their right to drive. From what I've read people have had legitimate reasons for driving to work.

If there were better options, people would use them. Where I live is about an hour or so out of Philly. When my mother grew up in Philly, there was a train to this area. It has not existed since the 1970's or so. It is constantly being talked about to get revived, but there just is not the money or political will to make it happen, even though it would reduce congestion on the major roads going to the city.

Riding a bike to work is not practical for most people - between the distances, the need to look presentable upon arrival, the lack of safe options (both on the road and at the work place to leave the bike) - it's just going to happen. Heck, if it was just a matter of reducing gas costs, there would be a lot more motorcycles (at least smaller engine ones - my little cruiser gets about 55 MPG), which would solve several of the problems (less congestion, less gas being used, less concern about distance, safe to leave at work though still a little more risk on the road). But even in nice weather, I am in the minority riding my little thumper.