Isn’t this meme format supposed to be satirical? Everything in this one is unironically true.
Aww, you’re right. The traffic engineer part of me is actually kinda disappointed.
Still, it’s definitely plausible for a stack interchange with extra ramps for, say, HOV lanes or C/D roads to be that complicated.
I hope to some day live somewhere that allows me to take a train to where I want to go mid to long distance and the ability to walk short distance to the rest.
Here’s the thing: I live in a mid sized city in Brazil. As in America, Brazil is very car centric (thanks, Kubitschek). But there’s no trains. The capital city of my state has a single urban train line, and I think it’s the only in the whole state, that’s as big as France.
Your options here are:
- use a car and endure the traffic;
- get a poor planned, crowded and falling apart bus, and endure the traffic, because they rarely have exclusive lanes;
- get a motorcycle, so you can split lanes and get through the traffic, but risking your life and not being able to carry more than one (adult) person and a handful of small items;
- or use a bicycle in this very hilly and mountainous place, with close to no infrastructure to make it less risky.
I chose to use a motorcycle (although I couldn’t afford one yet because we’re poor), but I understand that for anyone with a family, owning a car is not a choice, it’s a necessity (and it’s a very expensive one)
Time to make it a political movement then. Because the people who have any sort of power to make significant changes are politicians.
First we have to convince people here that this is a problem at all. Most people think that the solution to the traffic problem is more roads, more lanes, cheaper cars, and better buses.
The buses are bad? Just make them better. There are too many cars in the streets? Just make better streets
Buses are that bad usually because they are a monopoly or very close to it. The government chooses which company can do public transportation by rigged licitations, and no other company can do it. Then they have no reason at all to do a good job.
Most people seem to have given up on the idea of more train lines. No company can do it, only the government. Every politician promised it, but adding train lines to an existing city is very hard, so none do
Agree to all points. Sadly this is prevalent among countries with political corruption (my country included). And these are the countries that have the least buying power for general public and therefore the the societies that would most benefit from public transport and micro mobility infrastructure.
Hopefully having a global discussion helps bring out awareness. My local politicians regard the US as some sort of gold standard, therefore I am hopeful whenever the US makes “fuck cars” infrastructure changes.
Even while having a car, I found my self taking transit anyways. To the point where both my daughters (15 and 17) have absolutely no desire to get a car or their drivers because not only do they see what’s happening to the climate, but know transit well enough that vehicles are next to pointless for them. My understanding is that many, not all, of their friends thing the same way, too.
That, and I don’t care if you drive a BMW. My ride costs 150k, and comes with a driver who opens the door for me. Fuck cars and the status that goes with 'em, too.
Also, it’s ironic that cars are supposed to be a status symbol because “public transit is for poor people” but cars are practically mandated and cities where public transit exists are expensive to live in thanks to high rents.
Actually, it’s public transit that should be the sign of wealth and cars that are “for poor people” but something tells me that by some strange alchemy, that means a car is a sign that one is a salt-of-the-earth working class type now.
The only issue I have with this take is how it ignores how the changes happened over decades, not overnight. Of course no one would choose any of these pictures, but that’s not how it started out, and the slow changes is exactly why we bought into the idea. It also can’t be easily undone or changed, even in a progressive society.
the slow changes is exactly why we bought into the idea.
And slow changes can bring us back.
It also can’t be easily undone or changed, even in a progressive society.
Who said it had to be easy? Most things worth doing aren’t.
It is more important that the goal will serve us and that it will bring us value. That we are unwilling to postpone longer before it becomes even harder.
The Netherlands chose to do this when it was easy (easier anyway). Canada and the US made the choice to postpone then.
Other nations are chosing now, should we join them now? Or should he wait until the damage is even harder to undo? How many more must we slaughter and maim in the streets? How much more must we pollute our environment? Do we chose to act, or do we wait until action is forced upon us?
Evey road in north american must be resurfaced every 10-50 years. Car don’t last much longer that 20. That means without any additional resources, this can be done in about 15 years.