…while some cities with world-class public transport are debating how to tackle the stubborn minority of journeys still made by car, others – particularly in the US – have become so dependent on driving that opting out is almost impossible.
From connecting commuter suburbs to persuading royals to use buses, here are four expert-backed ways for tackling car culture.
- Expand and improve public transport
- Share space with pedestrians and cyclists
- Focus on suburbs
- Understand why people drive
That’s because people, even me, are kind of stupid and unimaginative. They don’t like change for primitive reasons.
If only we could get that idea in people’s heads.
Seems misguided to me. People only do these sort of society-wide prosocial actions when it is within their convenience tolerance. It reminds me of this:
Sure, you occasionally will run into the desperately poor person working 3 jobs who also finds the time to pick up litter in their local park. But most of the time this person has more important things to think about than litter - like getting a job that doesnt require them to work 3. The idea that we need to get people to be more pro-social so they will take the bus feels a lot like the idea that we need to teach people that exercise is healthy so they will cycle more. But the reason people don’t cycle, we know, is because it is inefficient and dangerous, and the reason people don’t take transit is because it is slow and unpleasant. And when cycling or taking transit is faster, cheaper, safer, and more pleasant than driving, people do that.
In general, you need to make the right thing to do easy and the bad thing to do hard.
If taking the bus was fast and free, and driving meant you had to file a request to get a day license and drive no faster than 25mph, people wouldn’t drive so much.