Just to compare, this is the utopian dream for Toronto:

There are approx. 18 cars and trucks in that image.

They are taking up SIGNIFICANTLY more space, and are causing traffic.

Still, we keep saying, “give us more of this, please!”.

Insanity or stupidity?

  • TheAlbatross
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    3 months ago

    Look we all want to be a pothead cyclist sex worker in the paradise of Amsterdam, but they can’t fit us all.

    They have entire fried fish fillets being sold on the street for like 2€ it’s stupid bro it’s fucking stupid how good they got it.

    I blame the civil engineers.

    Edit: I visited Amsterdam during a work trip. They have a tram system that stops at every other street and goes up every other spoke of their bike wheel city. It’s cheap and it runs almost all night. I was sharing a jazz cigarette (Marijuana joint) with a local after drinking many fine Belgian beers and remarking about this in a broken German the local was ever so polite to entertain and they laughed at me, telling me the tram was slow, hardly stopped anywhere and cost too much, next time I should just rent a bike.

    They don’t even know how good they fucking got it.

    • Showroom7561@lemmy.caOP
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      3 months ago

      They don’t even know how good they fucking got it.

      That’s because this way of city planning is normal there. You wouldn’t think that making streets and sidewalks safe for human beings would be such a big deal, but to us it’s unheard of!

      When we put a pedestrian crossing with gasp, a signal, motorists around here lose their minds! Not really, they just ignore them. /s

      • ilega_dh@feddit.nl
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        3 months ago

        It’s normal because people in the 70s put in a lot of effort and protesting to make it normal. I thank them every day for that.

        • FireRetardant@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          So what is stopping america from building its new neighbourhoods in denser and more compact design like new neighbourhoods in the netherlands? Its not 1350 anymore yet they still seem to be able to build density and walkability.

          Many American cities were founded before the car existed, why aren’t those neighbourhoods walkable and cycleable?

          • jjjalljs@ttrpg.network
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            3 months ago

            America has a big conservative streak. That’s typically why we can’t have nice things.

            Conservative in both the sense of “don’t want change” and also “don’t want outgroups to have nice things”.

        • Showroom7561@lemmy.caOP
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          3 months ago

          You might be interested in this recent video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uqbsueNvag

          Change can happen very quickly, both good and bad.

          There’s no reason why cities in North America have to throw up their hands and say “we can’t do anything about this.”

          Plenty of places have already returned cities back to people, and many are still trying. Some seem to have given up, and others don’t want to quit their car addiction.

    • usrtrv@sh.itjust.works
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      3 months ago

      This is why you vote/advocate for bike friendly infrastructure to exist where you currently live.

      • TheAlbatross
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        3 months ago

        Buddy this is suburbia that shit ain’t even on the ticket in the primary

        • usrtrv@sh.itjust.works
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          3 months ago

          Hence why I also said advocate.

          If there are no relevant ballot issues, you will need to find like minded people to create petitions. Start small: Painted bike lanes, reduce speeds in neighborhoods, signage, etc

          The other option is be angry and bitter on the Internet. 🤷‍♀️

          • TheAlbatross
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            3 months ago

            I ain’t bitter or angry, like I said, this is suburbia, we just talk like that.

    • futatorius@lemm.ee
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      3 months ago

      They have entire fried fish fillets being sold on the street for like 2€ it’s stupid bro it’s fucking stupid how good they got it.

      I prefer the kibbeling (little chunks of battered cod). The smoked-eel sandwiches (broodje paling) are also great.

      I go to smaller Dutch cities when I want a break from the neglected and incompetently-managed infrastructure of England. There are too many Vice-reading Joe Rogan fans in Amsterdam.

      As for bike rental, last I checked, locals could rent an OV-fiets using an OV chipkaart (and presumbably the OV-pas coming in this year), but visitors can’t do that. I’ve heard that there are workarounds, but I’m not convinced that they can be relied on to work.