[Vision2020] Traffic in Moscow

[Ted Moffett]

Roger:

Indeed.

However, without a serious economic motivation to drive less or drive 
smaller vehicles, I expect America's love affair with driving at every using 
with big powerful cars, SUVs etc. will continue unabated.  And the economic 
pressures and profits from this state of affairs will lead the city, county, 
state and federal governments to conform regulation of industry and 
business, highways and parking lots, to accommodate the traffic.

Ted


>From: roger hayes <rhayes@turbonet.com>
>To: vision2020@moscow.com
>Subject: [Vision2020] Traffic in Moscow
>Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 08:13:43 -0700
>
>Visionaries:
>
>I am encouraged by debate, and opinion expressed in response to my inquiry 
>about the increase in traffic on the Palouse of late.  One individual, 
>Luke, said he would have 5,000 cars and SUVs coming to downtown Moscow 
>rather than 20,000 bikes. So I got my tape measure and calculator out.  
>Measuring an average bike, and then an average motor vehicle (not an SUV, 
>but just a sedan), and then doing the math, I found the following.  5,000 
>cars, bumper to bumper and door handle to door handle would consume roughly 
>630,000 square feet.  20,000 bikes in the same configuration would take up 
>125,000 square feet.  So it would take about 100,000 bikes to take up the 
>room of 5,000 motor vehicles.
>
>But let's put everything in motion.  At slow to moderate speeds, it is not 
>dangerous or uncomfortable for a biker to be 2 or 3 feet from another 
>rider.  Of course, the faster one pedals, a bit more room is nice.  Imagine 
>being that close driving a motor vehicle!  Maybe on race tracks this 
>happens, but it's not a good idea for most of us.  This means that cars, 
>SUVs and pick-ups take up more room when put in motion. The ratio, then,  
>changes substantially.  In motion, motor vehicles take up roughly 3 times 
>their stationary area while bikes take up about 1.5 times their stationary 
>area.  I will let the mathematicians finish this equation.
>
>I can also think of a few final points that have risen from this small 
>research. As we put more money in upgrading our roads, allowing traffic to 
>move at higher rates of speed, the more room the cars need.   The greater 
>acreage we designate to parking lots and motor vehicle accommodations the 
>more roads we need, and consequently the more parking we need.
>
>It's up to us, the citizens, the drivers, the taxpayers to envision what 
>our towns will look like and how livable they will be in the future.  My 
>vision would be bike racks, walking lanes, bike roads, bus stops, and maybe 
>some green space where people can talk to each other and connect.  This 
>would be called "community."  I don't see cars, pavement, and racing 
>traffic providing this.
>
>Sincerely.
>
>Roger Hayes
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>_____________________________________________________
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>                              mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
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