Quote:
Originally Posted by Slartibartfas
I would not call it a "relative simple life style", just because more people find themselves more comfortable with less cars or without them. PT as well as taking the bicycle are means of transport that don't have to feel inferior towards the car. All you need is a city design that gives the people a choice instead of forcing them into being enslaved by the car.
While your point is true, I want to make clear that just exchangeing your car does not in the least force you to live a "relative simple life style" at all. Thats what maybe opponents of alternative means of transport claim but in reality thats an entirely independent decission. Of course, you can choose both, but you clearly don't have to.
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You make excellent points. When I use the term "simple lifestyle" it is not meant to infer inferior. Indeed, simplicity is, in my estimation, far better and more rewarding way of life than the complex and precarious fossil fuel dominated society we now have. On a personal level, I am working toward further simplifying an already relatively modest standard of living.
It is obvious that car centered urban and suburban development is on its last legs. The fact that American motorists drove fewer miles and used less gasoline over the past year - for the fist time in decades - is reflective of a tipping point in our commitment to the private auto. There is a growing trend of people trying to trade in their gas guzzling SUVs for smaller and more fuel efficient cars. Mass transit systems are seeing passenger growth. More and more people are either selling or leasing their homes in scattered suburbs and moving closer to their places of work, often in more concentrated urban areas. To me those are promising developments.