We are aware that Americans love their cars but I was shocked at a recent (American) study. Houston, similar in size to Paris has just 16 transit vehicles per 100000 compared to the French city’s 118, Houstons only railway station receives just 3 inter city trains A WEEK. This dependance on cars results in about 40000 deaths a year. Most European cities have invested in public transport and can boast that a car is an unecessary luxury for residents and visitors. Mayor Khan has led the way in London with UELZ’s in many residential areas, and thus reducing stress on the NHS (London was the only area to have a rising healthy life expectancy in the UK. Living in a rural area makes one dependant on the car, but higher fuel costs could make the economics of a nationalised bus network viable again. roads safe for pedestrians and cyclists would help. If insurance companies had to bear the cost of road traffic accidents in full, and the cost of premiums increased commensurately I think many people would slow down! and make fewer journeys.
Oh the ’15 minute city’ so hated by the right wing. Surely it is just common sense that we could all met our current health, educational, social, recreational and shopping needs within a 15 minute walk. Economies of scale are not appropriate when applied to human existence. Austerity caused a tragic diminishment in our social meeting areas with libraries, youth clubs and sporting venues shutting. Reform led councils will force further cut backs in these easy to cut vulnerable areas. Traffic control methods are also against their philosophy of free market enterprise and supporting those who can afford SUV’s. If they want to cut costs maybe they should cut the wages of the highest earners? Why do council leaders earn more than the Prime Minister – after all they do not have the ability to declare war ( not even on immigrants), although cut backs may seem like war on children and the poor. Have I said that I hate that fucking smug frog faced twat?