While I find the driverless cars interesting, progress is certainly not reshaping an existing broken system that still requires basically the same infrastructure.
It's radical change - like in Paris, Barcelona, etc.
Even in my small city of Oshawa, change is coming. The regional government wants to run a light rail transit line down the middle of the city's busiest street. I hope they are paying attention to the lessons of Toronto, a big city. It has built five of these LRT lines, a few of which include subway transit too, since the 1990s. On average it took 4 years (!) to build each of these. The tardiest, the Eglinton LRT, was started 15 years ago, and is still not fully up and running. By contrast it took only 8 years to construct the Line 4 Sheppard subway, made up of ALL underground subway stops, all dug with tunnel borers. Subway transit is the way to go in Canada, given the nasty winter we just suffered through here.
Oshawa is no longer Car Canada given the ups and downs of the General Motors plant here, so I agree that the city should adapt more to public transit. There are already many more walkable areas in Oshawa than existed 10 years ago. But the process of installing the LRT lines will be just as painful here as it was in Toronto. If Oshawa had a million or half a million people the pain would be worthwhile, but I can't see it being feasible for a city of less than 250,000. So I am not a 100% pro-transit citizen, at least not in the proposed form.
And I see your point. In smaller cities, transit can attract investment and population. But it's different than having this critical mass of people and, subsequently, real pressing need and responding to it. That said, better transit than more roads for cars!!
I had not heard of that book about trams and streetcars.
I am with you on your criticism of the Boss and matters "innate love of the car". If all you ever see and experience is the car, then no surprise you have some varying degree of love for it. Same applies to supporting football teams.
Now, as the pendulum swings the other way in some places, and there is a desire to favour pedestrians and bikes over cars, our designers and city planners need to be thoughtful about how to "tip the balance".
Back home in Zurich, a conflict has broken out between the city and the canton over bike lanes. The city went mad, shut car lanes and caused massive traffic jams. Those who run the city have clearly never read the paradigm of "Barstool Economics"
And now there are driverless cars everywhere on the westside in Los Angeles.
Instead of investing in good public transportation ..more cars and more cars!
You said it.
While I find the driverless cars interesting, progress is certainly not reshaping an existing broken system that still requires basically the same infrastructure.
It's radical change - like in Paris, Barcelona, etc.
Even in my small city of Oshawa, change is coming. The regional government wants to run a light rail transit line down the middle of the city's busiest street. I hope they are paying attention to the lessons of Toronto, a big city. It has built five of these LRT lines, a few of which include subway transit too, since the 1990s. On average it took 4 years (!) to build each of these. The tardiest, the Eglinton LRT, was started 15 years ago, and is still not fully up and running. By contrast it took only 8 years to construct the Line 4 Sheppard subway, made up of ALL underground subway stops, all dug with tunnel borers. Subway transit is the way to go in Canada, given the nasty winter we just suffered through here.
Oshawa is no longer Car Canada given the ups and downs of the General Motors plant here, so I agree that the city should adapt more to public transit. There are already many more walkable areas in Oshawa than existed 10 years ago. But the process of installing the LRT lines will be just as painful here as it was in Toronto. If Oshawa had a million or half a million people the pain would be worthwhile, but I can't see it being feasible for a city of less than 250,000. So I am not a 100% pro-transit citizen, at least not in the proposed form.
I love the perspective from Canada.
And I see your point. In smaller cities, transit can attract investment and population. But it's different than having this critical mass of people and, subsequently, real pressing need and responding to it. That said, better transit than more roads for cars!!
I had not heard of that book about trams and streetcars.
I am with you on your criticism of the Boss and matters "innate love of the car". If all you ever see and experience is the car, then no surprise you have some varying degree of love for it. Same applies to supporting football teams.
Now, as the pendulum swings the other way in some places, and there is a desire to favour pedestrians and bikes over cars, our designers and city planners need to be thoughtful about how to "tip the balance".
Back home in Zurich, a conflict has broken out between the city and the canton over bike lanes. The city went mad, shut car lanes and caused massive traffic jams. Those who run the city have clearly never read the paradigm of "Barstool Economics"
Barstool economics: https://www.wisebread.com/bar-stool-economics-0