Do we really enjoy driving? Owning a car? Paying insurance, title, registration, maintenance, fuel?
Living in Charlotte for ten months now I am reminded daily why driving should never be the first choice of transportation. When I lived in Gastonia from 2000-2004, I was used to driving everywhere. Growing up in rural Illinois, you simply had no other choice. I was horrible at figuring out how to adjust my direction of travel if it was shifted from my original A to B route. Home to work, school, store, theater, whatever it was I could handle. Call me on the phone and ask me to go to some other location and I had to think about it. I would even manage to take a longer route simply because I was familiar with it.
Then I moved to Chicago and it all changed. Cycling, public transportation, and walking all required adaptability in your daily routine. I quickly figured out how to adjust my route to save time and energy. It's not that Chicago itself changed my thought of transportation, but the fact that it's history of alternative means were so ingrained. Cyclists within the city boundaries were typically understood and respected. Talk to people who live away from the core area of the city and you will probably hear differently.
The first year back in Illinois, I was living in the suburbs which continued my need for driving. January 2006, I moved into the city and opportunities to access other means of transportation were at my fingertips. In June 2007 I began riding my bike as my core transportation. Riding to work and school combined for a round trip of nine miles. I drive, ONE WAY, to class and work ten miles in Charlotte.
I had not realized just how much I appreciated public transportation and cycling until I moved. I had a weird expectation that I could manage getting around Charlotte with my bike alone. I can't explain how, regretfully, wrong I was in that belief. Enter driving on a daily basis. Now fuel cost is added into the mix, more maintenance, exposure to road hazards, and who knows what else may come up. Why do we enjoy being owned by our vehicles? We don't drive it, it drives us, we're just the tool it needs to tell it when to go, stop, turn, brake.
Let's take control and apply the brakes on the entire idea of vehicles as the sole form of transportation. This does not mean vehicles will not be involved in transportation, just less, even more so the second or last desired option. Riding the train was so much fun, listening to music, talking, people watching, reading, knowing a small bit of focus was needed to ensure I got off at the right stop. If I didn't? Just catch the next train heading back. While driving? Watch out for that pothole! What is this idiot in front of me doing? Do I have enough fuel to get to work? Where did this traffic come from?
A large part of Charlotte's problem is the planning. The only area that provides concentrated housing is Uptown. Away from Uptown, you may have apartment complexes and other similar housing arrangements, many new structures surrounding the light rail line. This is great, take it to the next step Charlotte, let's be serious about expanding the LYNX system. A new mayor is now elected, will that solve the delay? A system like a new and growing rail line requires support vocally and structurally. The bus and rail system need to be as in sync as possible, this will expand the opportunities for a resident to take advantage of this resource.
A random individual was explaining a trip taken via CATS from their home to Southpark Mall. It was the first time they had attempted it and were severely disappointed. It took them over two hours via bus that otherwise would have been a twenty minute drive. How is someone suppose to sacrifice two hours of their life just to make a trip to the mall? That is not acceptable. Her resolution for the ride home, "Hi Mom, can you come pick us up?"
We have discussed the goal once school is finished in the next couple years. Accept the decision to move was a learning experience and return to Chicago. I have enjoyed my time in Charlotte thus far, my desired lifestyle will prevail though...
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Dude, not every city is able to afford a superb public transportation system. Don't forget costs of buses/trains/laying tracks along with paying employees/drivers/etc. We are just so used to this car-driven (ha-ha) society that it would be really hard to change it. Also, public transportation is hard to establish in rural areas, which means these people have cars. Which means when they travel, there will be cars in cities... that maybe have public transportation... etc. etc.
ReplyDeleteYou are lacking context both about the development of the south in the post war period and specifically Charlotte. I suggest you visit the Levine Museum of the New South to gain it.
ReplyDeleteGenerally, most cities in the South including Charlotte lack natural barriers such as a Great Lake to constrain their development foot print. It simply more economical to design for paving over cheap farm land than the infrastructure needs & long term benefit of a rail based transport system.
I'm not saying it's a better system I'm explaining how it got to be this way. It's illogical to move from one context to another and expect that the same forces that shaped the previous context to have created the same result in another.
That said it is changing. This city is one of the few in this state with a full time employee in charge of cycling & cycling facilities in the transportation department. You can get involved with the Charlotte Area Bicycle Alliance at http://charlottebikes.org
Nothing is random.
ReplyDeleteA random person telling you their transit story?
I kind of wish people would do that. I would probably suggest ways to make their trip more efficient.