Montreal bike infrastructure – by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country
A common misconception in North America is that businesses will suffer if we remove on-street surface parking and replace it with widened sidewalks or bicycle infrastructure.
Car-addicted societies have a tendency to believe that people in cars spend more money than people who arrive on foot, transit or by bicycle, and businesses and motorists will defend on-street parking at all costs.
For me personally, I have to admit that I spend more freely now that I have removed myself from the imprisonment of automobile ownership. The average of $6,000-$8,000 a year that I save from living car-free makes it easier to spend more money on local businesses and worry less about my personal finances.
A study in Toronto seems to support the theory that people who arrive sans automobile spend more than those who arrive by automobile.
Read the rest of the article at The Urban Country.
Car-addicted societies have a tendency to believe that people in cars spend more money than people who arrive on foot, transit or by bicycle, and businesses and motorists will defend on-street parking at all costs.
For me personally, I have to admit that I spend more freely now that I have removed myself from the imprisonment of automobile ownership. The average of $6,000-$8,000 a year that I save from living car-free makes it easier to spend more money on local businesses and worry less about my personal finances.
A study in Toronto seems to support the theory that people who arrive sans automobile spend more than those who arrive by automobile.
Read the rest of the article at The Urban Country.
I can get around much better now that I have a folding bike - I can ride or fold it up and take it on public transit. It's much easier to get around like this than driving.
ReplyDeleteNot too sure about saving $6000-$8000/ yr by riding a bike. Most people don't take the plunge into the car free world...which is very difficult to do, especially in Houston. I save around $1300/yr by commuting (reduction in insurance premiums, gas, parking), but that is quickly eroded by buying bike knick knacks and upkeep on my steeds (chains & cassettes need to be replaced, cables, lube etc).
ReplyDeleteNothing will make me avoid a restaurant and/or a mall more if I have to pay for parking and/or walk a fair distance. One of the wife's favorite restaurants is downtown, I highly doubt I could coax her onto a bike to pedal 6 miles on a hot August evening to sit down at a nice restaurant. I tend to agree with the "business owners," I'd rather have the parking.
The best solution all around is to have more patient drivers AND cyclists. I may be just dreaming of a euphoria though...
A car free world is an impossibility for me, especially with two kids. And I agree that saving $6,000 - $8,000 per year is a bit of a stretch, but then again maybe math is different in Canada.
ReplyDeleteMore patient drivers and cyclists that obey the law so as not piss off drivers are both needed. I was almost hit twice today. Once while crossing through an intersection, in the cross walk with the light, a woman driving her car and talking on her cell phone looked directly at me and made a right-hand turn towards me. I hit the brakes and she drove right through the cross walk and kept going. The second time I was in the bike lane and a pick-up truck drove up next to me and slowly crept over into the bike lane and nearly struck me with the passengers side mirror. When I slammed on the brakes he kept going too.