How can we make DC streets bicycle and pedestrian-only?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For one, our metro system is inadequate, there aren't enough stations.

I live and work in DC, but with an elementary kid in school, it would take me (checks google maps)... 25 min to get my kid to school that's a 10-15 min drive away, then another (checks google maps) 45-55 min to get myself to work that's a 25-30 min drive normally.

This is living in NE, with kids in school in NE, with my work also in NE.

No thanks.

You do realize you're literally driving at bike speed? Probably slower depending on where in NE.

The reason it takes you so long is because of traffic and lights (aka too many cars).

Now imagine your trips if DC had half as many cars.

Yes!

DP. This is the real answer. It’s not banning all cars, it’s banning any non-DC plates. Or making them pay huge tolls to drive in the city. Anything that reduces MD and VA plates would be fine by me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For one, our metro system is inadequate, there aren't enough stations.

I live and work in DC, but with an elementary kid in school, it would take me (checks google maps)... 25 min to get my kid to school that's a 10-15 min drive away, then another (checks google maps) 45-55 min to get myself to work that's a 25-30 min drive normally.

This is living in NE, with kids in school in NE, with my work also in NE.

No thanks.

You do realize you're literally driving at bike speed? Probably slower depending on where in NE.

The reason it takes you so long is because of traffic and lights (aka too many cars).

Now imagine your trips if DC had half as many cars.

Yes!

DP. This is the real answer. It’s not banning all cars, it’s banning any non-DC plates. Or making them pay huge tolls to drive in the city. Anything that reduces MD and VA plates would be fine by me!

If youridea of a thriving downtown economy is a few Starbucks outlets and more homeless encampments, then bring it on! More businesses, trade associations and nonprofits will move to MD and VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For one, our metro system is inadequate, there aren't enough stations.

I live and work in DC, but with an elementary kid in school, it would take me (checks google maps)... 25 min to get my kid to school that's a 10-15 min drive away, then another (checks google maps) 45-55 min to get myself to work that's a 25-30 min drive normally.

This is living in NE, with kids in school in NE, with my work also in NE.

No thanks.

There are buses though.

Also, if this is all in NE DC, then you have a lot of long-duration, short-distance car trips. Very inefficient. I"m so sorry.

You're not getting it. The public transportation times I gave involved busses as there's not a particularly metro friendly way to get to my kid's school nor my workplace. I'm a 15-20 min walk from the closest metro. Sure, I have busses, but they would add 30 min to my commute one way, an hour daily. With kids, that's a no go. Doesn't even factor getting my kid across the hill to their random after school sports practice or whatever.

So what I'm saying is that there's no way for me to get anywhere I need to where public transport is faster than my car - including school, work, and the grocery store. I live in Langston, kid's school on the Hill, work near Catholic. It is not better for me to use public transportation. Even just to drive down Benning to H St NE to go to the grocery store, it's faster for me to drive than to walk to the bus or streetcar, wait for the next one, and wait for it to make multiple slow stops to the location...

If it is one day, I'll use it, but it's not currently.

Imagine if POV vehicles were banned and the number of buses and routes was increased along with providing more and safer bike lanes.

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Livin' life in peace

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For one, our metro system is inadequate, there aren't enough stations.

I live and work in DC, but with an elementary kid in school, it would take me (checks google maps)... 25 min to get my kid to school that's a 10-15 min drive away, then another (checks google maps) 45-55 min to get myself to work that's a 25-30 min drive normally.

This is living in NE, with kids in school in NE, with my work also in NE.

No thanks.

You do realize you're literally driving at bike speed? Probably slower depending on where in NE.

The reason it takes you so long is because of traffic and lights (aka too many cars).

Now imagine your trips if DC had half as many cars.

Yes!

DP. This is the real answer. It’s not banning all cars, it’s banning any non-DC plates. Or making them pay huge tolls to drive in the city. Anything that reduces MD and VA plates would be fine by me!

If youridea of a thriving downtown economy is a few Starbucks outlets and more homeless encampments, then bring it on! More businesses, trade associations and nonprofits will move to MD and VA.

My neighborhood restaurants and bars don’t rely on MD and VA drivers. If some Jose Andreas restaurants in Chinatown or the touristy spots at the wharf go out of business, fine by me. But they won’t because people like you will keep going, even if you have to pay huge tolls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For one, our metro system is inadequate, there aren't enough stations.

I live and work in DC, but with an elementary kid in school, it would take me (checks google maps)... 25 min to get my kid to school that's a 10-15 min drive away, then another (checks google maps) 45-55 min to get myself to work that's a 25-30 min drive normally.

This is living in NE, with kids in school in NE, with my work also in NE.

No thanks.

You do realize you're literally driving at bike speed? Probably slower depending on where in NE.

The reason it takes you so long is because of traffic and lights (aka too many cars).

Now imagine your trips if DC had half as many cars.

Yes!

DP. This is the real answer. It’s not banning all cars, it’s banning any non-DC plates. Or making them pay huge tolls to drive in the city. Anything that reduces MD and VA plates would be fine by me!

If youridea of a thriving downtown economy is a few Starbucks outlets and more homeless encampments, then bring it on! More businesses, trade associations and nonprofits will move to MD and VA.

If only there were non-car transportation options in DC. Like maybe a train, except underground, and it makes regular stops. Or big vehicles kind of like cars, running on regular routes, and you can get on and off where you want to. Or paved areas where you can do what you learned to do when you were 1 (walk). Or other paved areas where you can do what you probably learned to do when you were 5 or 6 (ride a bike). Wouldn't that be great!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For one, our metro system is inadequate, there aren't enough stations.

I live and work in DC, but with an elementary kid in school, it would take me (checks google maps)... 25 min to get my kid to school that's a 10-15 min drive away, then another (checks google maps) 45-55 min to get myself to work that's a 25-30 min drive normally.

This is living in NE, with kids in school in NE, with my work also in NE.

No thanks.

You do realize you're literally driving at bike speed? Probably slower depending on where in NE.

The reason it takes you so long is because of traffic and lights (aka too many cars).

Now imagine your trips if DC had half as many cars.

Yes!

DP. This is the real answer. It’s not banning all cars, it’s banning any non-DC plates. Or making them pay huge tolls to drive in the city. Anything that reduces MD and VA plates would be fine by me!

If youridea of a thriving downtown economy is a few Starbucks outlets and more homeless encampments, then bring it on! More businesses, trade associations and nonprofits will move to MD and VA.

My neighborhood restaurants and bars don’t rely on MD and VA drivers. If some Jose Andreas restaurants in Chinatown or the touristy spots at the wharf go out of business, fine by me. But they won’t because people like you will keep going, even if you have to pay huge tolls.

Your “neighborhood restaurants and bars” certainly rely on customers from outside your neighborhood.

If downtown restaurants are not viable, it’s a symptom that downtown is not viable. The implications of that would be widespread to the city, including to your quality of life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only upside to this proposal is that it would reduce carjackings.

Without the safety of a car, there would certainly be an increase in robberies.

[Anonymous]

How does the food get to the cafes? Biked in on 1000 bikes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is such a beautifully designed city, with amazing outdoor dining and cafe potential.

But trucks, busses, cars and motorcycles ruin it for us residents.

DC is geographically tiny, so why not make our streets pedestrian and bicycles- only?

Is it really necessary to point out that most of the bars, restaurants and stores in this city would go out of business if we banned cars?

+1 I have been a daily bike commuter in this town for 20 years, but even I think a total ban on cars is foolish. What I would like to see, though, is a network of bike trails and/or streets closed to cars that is comparable to the metro coverage. So, a couple N-S streets, a couple E-W streets, and a couple diagonal streets. All the bike lanes that have been put in place are great--and do get used, contrary to what some folks say on this board. But, if I could get around town on my bike without having to worry about getting doored/hooked/run over, that would be a game changer.

I support bike trails or elevated bike lanes. Just don't support creating lanes/unnecessary traffic jams for some phantom demand. I actually think more people would bike if they could bike in a bike-only lane like they have in Vienna or Montreal (near the river).

Beach Dr is closed to cars 24/7 now and is poorly utilized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For one, our metro system is inadequate, there aren't enough stations.

I live and work in DC, but with an elementary kid in school, it would take me (checks google maps)... 25 min to get my kid to school that's a 10-15 min drive away, then another (checks google maps) 45-55 min to get myself to work that's a 25-30 min drive normally.

This is living in NE, with kids in school in NE, with my work also in NE.

No thanks.

There are buses though.

Also, if this is all in NE DC, then you have a lot of long-duration, short-distance car trips. Very inefficient. I"m so sorry.

You're not getting it. The public transportation times I gave involved busses as there's not a particularly metro friendly way to get to my kid's school nor my workplace. I'm a 15-20 min walk from the closest metro. Sure, I have busses, but they would add 30 min to my commute one way, an hour daily. With kids, that's a no go. Doesn't even factor getting my kid across the hill to their random after school sports practice or whatever.

So what I'm saying is that there's no way for me to get anywhere I need to where public transport is faster than my car - including school, work, and the grocery store. I live in Langston, kid's school on the Hill, work near Catholic. It is not better for me to use public transportation. Even just to drive down Benning to H St NE to go to the grocery store, it's faster for me to drive than to walk to the bus or streetcar, wait for the next one, and wait for it to make multiple slow stops to the location...

If it is one day, I'll use it, but it's not currently.

Imagine if POV vehicles were banned and the number of buses and routes was increased along with providing more and safer bike lanes.

And it was the final straw, and people in critical jobs like teachers and sanitation workers and nurses and plumbers just stopped working in DC altogether! DC could just combine the fun of the days when trash pick up wasn't consistent, with the days of Zoom school during the pandemic, and feel safe knowing that if your child needed an ER you could just take them to one in the suburbs on your cargo bike!

It's really fun to fantasize about things like this!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For one, our metro system is inadequate, there aren't enough stations.

I live and work in DC, but with an elementary kid in school, it would take me (checks google maps)... 25 min to get my kid to school that's a 10-15 min drive away, then another (checks google maps) 45-55 min to get myself to work that's a 25-30 min drive normally.

This is living in NE, with kids in school in NE, with my work also in NE.

No thanks.

There are buses though.

Also, if this is all in NE DC, then you have a lot of long-duration, short-distance car trips. Very inefficient. I"m so sorry.

You're not getting it. The public transportation times I gave involved busses as there's not a particularly metro friendly way to get to my kid's school nor my workplace. I'm a 15-20 min walk from the closest metro. Sure, I have busses, but they would add 30 min to my commute one way, an hour daily. With kids, that's a no go. Doesn't even factor getting my kid across the hill to their random after school sports practice or whatever.

So what I'm saying is that there's no way for me to get anywhere I need to where public transport is faster than my car - including school, work, and the grocery store. I live in Langston, kid's school on the Hill, work near Catholic. It is not better for me to use public transportation. Even just to drive down Benning to H St NE to go to the grocery store, it's faster for me to drive than to walk to the bus or streetcar, wait for the next one, and wait for it to make multiple slow stops to the location...

If it is one day, I'll use it, but it's not currently.

Imagine if POV vehicles were banned and the number of buses and routes was increased along with providing more and safer bike lanes.

And it was the final straw, and people in critical jobs like teachers and sanitation workers and nurses and plumbers just stopped working in DC altogether! DC could just combine the fun of the days when trash pick up wasn't consistent, with the days of Zoom school during the pandemic, and feel safe knowing that if your child needed an ER you could just take them to one in the suburbs on your cargo bike!

It's really fun to fantasize about things like this!

People in critical jobs like teachers and sanitation workers and nurses and yes, even plumbers, can get where they're going without cars, just like everyone else. It's really an incredible failure of imagination to believe that the only way people can get places is by car. In fact, it's not just an incredible failure of imagination, it's an outright denial of reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For one, our metro system is inadequate, there aren't enough stations.

I live and work in DC, but with an elementary kid in school, it would take me (checks google maps)... 25 min to get my kid to school that's a 10-15 min drive away, then another (checks google maps) 45-55 min to get myself to work that's a 25-30 min drive normally.

This is living in NE, with kids in school in NE, with my work also in NE.

No thanks.

There are buses though.

Also, if this is all in NE DC, then you have a lot of long-duration, short-distance car trips. Very inefficient. I"m so sorry.

You're not getting it. The public transportation times I gave involved busses as there's not a particularly metro friendly way to get to my kid's school nor my workplace. I'm a 15-20 min walk from the closest metro. Sure, I have busses, but they would add 30 min to my commute one way, an hour daily. With kids, that's a no go. Doesn't even factor getting my kid across the hill to their random after school sports practice or whatever.

So what I'm saying is that there's no way for me to get anywhere I need to where public transport is faster than my car - including school, work, and the grocery store. I live in Langston, kid's school on the Hill, work near Catholic. It is not better for me to use public transportation. Even just to drive down Benning to H St NE to go to the grocery store, it's faster for me to drive than to walk to the bus or streetcar, wait for the next one, and wait for it to make multiple slow stops to the location...

If it is one day, I'll use it, but it's not currently.

Imagine if POV vehicles were banned and the number of buses and routes was increased along with providing more and safer bike lanes.

And it was the final straw, and people in critical jobs like teachers and sanitation workers and nurses and plumbers just stopped working in DC altogether! DC could just combine the fun of the days when trash pick up wasn't consistent, with the days of Zoom school during the pandemic, and feel safe knowing that if your child needed an ER you could just take them to one in the suburbs on your cargo bike!

It's really fun to fantasize about things like this!

People in critical jobs like teachers and sanitation workers and nurses and yes, even plumbers, can get where they're going without cars, just like everyone else. It's really an incredible failure of imagination to believe that the only way people can get places is by car. In fact, it's not just an incredible failure of imagination, it's an outright denial of reality.

You lack imagination. In this utopian city, all goods and services will be delivered via cargo bikes. Which will require distribution warehouses located somewhere close in with freeway access which kind of spoils the whole car free thing. But hey, when you’re dreaming no need to concern yourself with basic practicalities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does the food get to the cafes? Biked in on 1000 bikes?

Drones

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For one, our metro system is inadequate, there aren't enough stations.

I live and work in DC, but with an elementary kid in school, it would take me (checks google maps)... 25 min to get my kid to school that's a 10-15 min drive away, then another (checks google maps) 45-55 min to get myself to work that's a 25-30 min drive normally.

This is living in NE, with kids in school in NE, with my work also in NE.

No thanks.

There are buses though.

Also, if this is all in NE DC, then you have a lot of long-duration, short-distance car trips. Very inefficient. I"m so sorry.

You're not getting it. The public transportation times I gave involved busses as there's not a particularly metro friendly way to get to my kid's school nor my workplace. I'm a 15-20 min walk from the closest metro. Sure, I have busses, but they would add 30 min to my commute one way, an hour daily. With kids, that's a no go. Doesn't even factor getting my kid across the hill to their random after school sports practice or whatever.

So what I'm saying is that there's no way for me to get anywhere I need to where public transport is faster than my car - including school, work, and the grocery store. I live in Langston, kid's school on the Hill, work near Catholic. It is not better for me to use public transportation. Even just to drive down Benning to H St NE to go to the grocery store, it's faster for me to drive than to walk to the bus or streetcar, wait for the next one, and wait for it to make multiple slow stops to the location...

If it is one day, I'll use it, but it's not currently.

Imagine if POV vehicles were banned and the number of buses and routes was increased along with providing more and safer bike lanes.

And it was the final straw, and people in critical jobs like teachers and sanitation workers and nurses and plumbers just stopped working in DC altogether! DC could just combine the fun of the days when trash pick up wasn't consistent, with the days of Zoom school during the pandemic, and feel safe knowing that if your child needed an ER you could just take them to one in the suburbs on your cargo bike!

It's really fun to fantasize about things like this!

People in critical jobs like teachers and sanitation workers and nurses and yes, even plumbers, can get where they're going without cars, just like everyone else. It's really an incredible failure of imagination to believe that the only way people can get places is by car. In fact, it's not just an incredible failure of imagination, it's an outright denial of reality.

But the question isn't "can they", it's "will they"? Will teachers choose to use these methods, or given the enormous shortage of teachers overall, will they just choose to teach in communities where they can afford to live?

Will you pay double for your plumber visit to accommodate the travel time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For one, our metro system is inadequate, there aren't enough stations.

I live and work in DC, but with an elementary kid in school, it would take me (checks google maps)... 25 min to get my kid to school that's a 10-15 min drive away, then another (checks google maps) 45-55 min to get myself to work that's a 25-30 min drive normally.

This is living in NE, with kids in school in NE, with my work also in NE.

No thanks.

There are buses though.

Also, if this is all in NE DC, then you have a lot of long-duration, short-distance car trips. Very inefficient. I"m so sorry.

You're not getting it. The public transportation times I gave involved busses as there's not a particularly metro friendly way to get to my kid's school nor my workplace. I'm a 15-20 min walk from the closest metro. Sure, I have busses, but they would add 30 min to my commute one way, an hour daily. With kids, that's a no go. Doesn't even factor getting my kid across the hill to their random after school sports practice or whatever.

So what I'm saying is that there's no way for me to get anywhere I need to where public transport is faster than my car - including school, work, and the grocery store. I live in Langston, kid's school on the Hill, work near Catholic. It is not better for me to use public transportation. Even just to drive down Benning to H St NE to go to the grocery store, it's faster for me to drive than to walk to the bus or streetcar, wait for the next one, and wait for it to make multiple slow stops to the location...

If it is one day, I'll use it, but it's not currently.

Imagine if POV vehicles were banned and the number of buses and routes was increased along with providing more and safer bike lanes.

And it was the final straw, and people in critical jobs like teachers and sanitation workers and nurses and plumbers just stopped working in DC altogether! DC could just combine the fun of the days when trash pick up wasn't consistent, with the days of Zoom school during the pandemic, and feel safe knowing that if your child needed an ER you could just take them to one in the suburbs on your cargo bike!

It's really fun to fantasize about things like this!

People in critical jobs like teachers and sanitation workers and nurses and yes, even plumbers, can get where they're going without cars, just like everyone else. It's really an incredible failure of imagination to believe that the only way people can get places is by car. In fact, it's not just an incredible failure of imagination, it's an outright denial of reality.

But the question isn't "can they", it's "will they"? Will teachers choose to use these methods, or given the enormous shortage of teachers overall, will they just choose to teach in communities where they can afford to live?

Will you pay double for your plumber visit to accommodate the travel time?

Teachers will choose to use the transportation methods that are the most convenient for them, like everyone else. You seem to assume that the most convenient method for everyone will always be a car, but that's wrong.