[PLUG-TALK] Re: [PLUG] PLUG meeting
Jeme A Brelin
jeme at brelin.net
Fri Dec 6 23:11:59 UTC 2002
Re: Tri-Met
On 6 Dec 2002, Brent Rieck wrote:
> It is a very poor system for those that live in the suburbs; Tri-Met
> serves the close in Eastside and the (very) close in Westside very
> well, get beyond that and expect a bus/max trip to take 2 to 3 times
> longer than a car trip would (not counting finding parking at your
> destination).
The suburbs were created for car culture and are really only suitable to
car culture. I see subdivisions in every suburb that are full of
snout-houses and no sidewalks. It's expected that a person will only
leave their house by car and drive right into the house when they come
home.
Bus service in the suburbs is poor not because it is expensive, but
because it doesn't get used by the constituents of the serviced
neighborhoods and they begin to complain of the cost for a service they do
not use.
The suburbs are mostly full of people that work far from their homes (and
the wealthier the suburb, the more likely a given resident works far from
home). This is a choice people make for (falsely) selfish reasons and no
concern whatsoever for sustainability, be that social, psychological, or
ecological.
Of course, it's also interesting to note that if there were no cars,
nobody would NEED cars. The reason folks in the 'burbs have to drive
everywhere is because everything is spread between four to six lane roads
and parking lots. If those roads were a quarter their current width (big
enough for emergency vehicles and light freight delivery) and there were
no parking lots, most everything you need would be within walking
distance. And in purely residential neighborhoods (like mine here in
Irvington) it would mean bigger yards and more room for people to interact
socially. And you would actually meet your neighbors (and not just the
immediately proximal ones) because you travel the roads on foot or by
bicycle or wheelchair where your eyes and ears are in the open air and you
can easily see and greet the people around you. Then "the red toyota that
I usually follow to the freeway" becomes "Sarah, with whom I walk part way
to work and who enjoys knitting and thinks the fifth grade teachers at the
local elementary school are not as competent as the fourth grade
teachers." You have a forum for casual discourse with people who might
not share your views. Voila, community!
> A significant reason for moving to NW PDX was so I could avoid the bus
> completely and walk to work downtown.
Fantastic!
Now THAT is putting some intelligence into the problem.
And when you get old or if, fates forbid, you become prematurely infirm,
you'll probably be quite thankful for the streetcar and busses that do
service your neighborhood.
J.
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Jeme A Brelin
jeme at brelin.net
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