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wappleby t1_jdtt595 wrote

Road laws aren't followed in Boston and the police don't enforce them. Lose/lose situation

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IntelligentCicada363 t1_jdttcvn wrote

Relying on people to safely operate motor vehicles is a fantasy.

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SpindriftRascal t1_jduukoh wrote

The rate was .63 deaths per 100 million miles driven in Massachusetts in 2020. That’s pretty safe.

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IntelligentCicada363 t1_jduyv8i wrote

Injuries? Getting hit by a car will cause life long pain and very likely ruin your life

Over a million Americans are sent to the ER every year from car accidents. 40,000 are killed.

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SpindriftRascal t1_jdv169j wrote

Yes, it is definitely much safer to stay home. And we would have no car injuries whatsoever if we had no cars whatsoever.

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IntelligentCicada363 t1_jdv1v88 wrote

Some of us live in communities where we aren’t married to a car.

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SpindriftRascal t1_jdv5yw9 wrote

And some of us don’t. One group is not superior to the other.

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IntelligentCicada363 t1_jdv6zg1 wrote

Then why are you going on about privilege if you don’t. One group causes 40,000 deaths and 1M hospital requiring injuries per year and is the leading source of CO2 in the US, the other isn’t. It isn’t “both sides are right”. Cars have been a disaster for our health, our cities and our environment.

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SpindriftRascal t1_jdvco8i wrote

Yes, we have to stop using ICEs everywhere, I agree. But when all the cars are electric, you’ll hate them anyway.

We can’t just flip a switch and transform the entire nation. It’s a big place.

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IntelligentCicada363 t1_jdvdwbk wrote

Boston is not a big place.

And yea, electric vehicles are not going to solve injuries and deaths to people, they are going to make them worse because they are a thousand pounds heavier. Electric vehicles are not going to solve the fundamental issues of geometry imposed by how large cars are relative to people and streets. Electric vehicles are not going to fix the injustice of city streets being clogged by a handful of people in private vehicles, most of whom don’t even live in the city, while residents can’t safely bike and are crammed on narrow sidewalks. Electric vehicles are not going to fix the primary source of particulate pollution from cars which is brake dust.

The list goes on and on.

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SpindriftRascal t1_jdvesxm wrote

Actually, Boston is pretty big. And magical thinking will not disappear all the cars. There is no injustice in our streets being used by cars. That’s why we have the streets. Yes, I understand you wish it were otherwise, but it isn’t.

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IntelligentCicada363 t1_jdvfx6h wrote

Streets exist to allow for the movement of people and goods, what are you on about that they exist for cars? And yes, there is an injustice. Cars make it impossible for anyone not in a car to effectively and safely use the streets. They take more space than any other mode of transit but simultaneously are the least efficient way of moving people around.

If streets in boston were exclusively designed to move the largest number of people most quickly, cars simply would not be allowed. There would be dedicated lanes for buses, streetcars, and/or light rail. You can look up any statistic on transit flux for various modes of transit.

But you’re right, nothing is going to change. That is until Boston decides to implement a congestion tax, which I promise you is not far away.

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SpindriftRascal t1_jdvgntn wrote

“Cars make it impossible for anyone not in a car to effectively and safely use the streets” is simply wrong.

Yes, we should have better transit, but I doubt we agree on what that means.

Good thing we both get to vote.

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IntelligentCicada363 t1_jdvh30h wrote

Only a person who drives everywhere would claim that statement isn’t true. Go ride a bus and see how effective they are when stuck behind a bunch of cars. Or ride a bike on mass Ave and see how safe you feel. Hell try crossing a crosswalk and deal with idiots running red lights.

Every statistic under the sun disagrees with your assessment of the situation.

And it will not be long before Boston implements a congestion tax.

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SpindriftRascal t1_jdvhul1 wrote

I walk a lot in the city. I sometimes ride a bike. I sometimes take the T. I even occasionally take a bus. I disagree with your opinion.

I will fight a congestion tax, along with many others. We’ll see how it goes.

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IntelligentCicada363 t1_jdvictd wrote

“Why should I have to pay to bring my 4000 box of steel with a living rooms worth of furniture into downtown Boston”

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IrelandDzair t1_jdv3qy0 wrote

Some of you have the privilege to pick a community that specifically doesn’t need one. Others dont have such a privilege.

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IntelligentCicada363 t1_jdv48zx wrote

There is nothing inherently expensive about towns that don’t require cars. They are denser, make more efficient use of infrastructure and land, have a larger and more diverse tax base to pay for things, and most importantly the residents don’t need to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a vehicle. They are expensive because you can literally count on one hand how many towns survived the 1950s without getting demolished for cars. Supply is low and demand is high for that type of living.

If you don’t want it to be a privilege then write your reps and vote for candidates that support those types of towns. Otherwise keep driving your car and bitching about people who don’t.

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IrelandDzair t1_jdv9bom wrote

Ok thats all well and good in theory. The reality is certain lower demographics dont have an option to move to a place where this happens. Shoot, take out those last three words even - they dont have an option to movie period. I mean you see it in MA especially out west but all of rural america its like that. You talking “theory” about towns being less expensive is not current reality (even though i agree, towns without cars are much less expensive; my first 10 years were spent in a town that did not have a single car).

Writing to my reps expecting change? Lmfao first time?

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IntelligentCicada363 t1_jdvd3ke wrote

Nothing changes because suburbanites want sprawl, going so far as to make density of any kind illegal. They then call people living in cities raging elitists, despite they themselves being the reason for the insane costs. I’ll take a pass on that argument.

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wobwobwob42 t1_jduudiq wrote

I no longer run or ride my bike on the road because people are psychopaths.

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IntelligentCicada363 t1_jdvivui wrote

Idk this other guy in the thread is saying that cars no threat to your health and that drivers are responsible.

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