Right now in America about 40% of our carbon emissions come from transportation. We are a country which depends on personal vehicles for most of our transportation needs, and this is not an accident. GM, along with several other companies bought and dismantled street car systems across the nation.
But, as Guy Span states in his article "Paving the Way for Buses - The Great GM Streetcar Conspiracy, "Clearly, GM waged a war on electric traction. It was indeed an all out assault, but by no means the single reason for the failure of rapid transit. Also, it is just as clear that actions and inactions by government contributed significantly to the elimination of electric traction." If we are going to rebuild our cities to support a sustainable lifestyle, we will need to give up the comfort and convenience of private vehicles. Now no one likes the idea of sacrifice, and everyone loves their car. But most of us don't like sitting in traffic for hours, or for what feels like hours, in order to do the most basic things. Truthfully, we have a lot to gain as individuals and as members of a community when we step out of our cars and start living the pedestrian life. It's not as mundane as you think!
But, as Guy Span states in his article "Paving the Way for Buses - The Great GM Streetcar Conspiracy, "Clearly, GM waged a war on electric traction. It was indeed an all out assault, but by no means the single reason for the failure of rapid transit. Also, it is just as clear that actions and inactions by government contributed significantly to the elimination of electric traction." If we are going to rebuild our cities to support a sustainable lifestyle, we will need to give up the comfort and convenience of private vehicles. Now no one likes the idea of sacrifice, and everyone loves their car. But most of us don't like sitting in traffic for hours, or for what feels like hours, in order to do the most basic things. Truthfully, we have a lot to gain as individuals and as members of a community when we step out of our cars and start living the pedestrian life. It's not as mundane as you think!
I come from an average midsized city, plenty of suburbs, a floundering downtown, and a public transportation system most people would rather not talk about. When I first moved to San Francisco almost four years ago I was excited about the prospect of a 'real' transit system that could actually take me where I wanted to go. However, after the novelty of taking the bus wore off, I realized that not only could I get to many nearby spots faster by walking, I also started to see how much stuff was going on in my neighborhood that I had been missing, even on the meandering bus. Since then I have become a walking fanatic, and not because it helps the waistline, although it really does.
I love walking around my neighborhood because I can always find something new to see or do. You will discover that any neighborhood has its own personality, if people start engaging in pavement life. I am lucky to live in San Francisco with its mixed use neighborhoods. I have everything I need right at my finger tips, I just have to walk out the front door and go get it. I walk to school, the store, my local coffee shop, the book store, the library (I'm an English major so books are a big deal to me), friends houses, the pub, and if my mother is reading this, church. But no matter where you live, if you park the car and take a stroll down the street, you will be amazed by how many things you've been missing behind the wheel. Not the least of which being a conversation with your neighbors.
Last night my friend Ariel and I took a stroll down Clement Street. We live seven blocks away from each other in a neighborhood perfectly suited for pedestrian life. Ariel and I love our neighborhood because everything we need is within walking distance. We are very lucky. Usually we go to Clement to buy groceries from the asian grocery stores. They sell produce for about half the price chain grocery stores charge, and they have all the best rice selection I have ever seen. We spend a lot of time on Clement, going to our favorite ice cream shop Toy Boat Dessert Cafe, going to the bank, and stopping by the Richmond library.
We made it over to Clement just as the sun was beginning to set. It was a surprisingly warm night for San Francisco and the streets were full of couples and young people headed home from work or going out to dinner.
We cruised by my favorite bookstore, Green Apple Books. It is spread out over two buildings, with lots of stairs, and nooks and crannies. A book lover can easily get lost in this store. We tried not to go inside, but were seduced by the bargain bins out front and both ended up buying something. $1.98 for a poetry anthology is the type of impulse buy I can support.
The crowds were beginning to gather outside of Burma Superstar, the absolute best Burmeese food on this continent. Luckily it was early yet, so we were able to slip by unharmed.
We continued walking down the street, we heard streaming out of the Plough and Stars. It turned out to be a five piece bluegrass-folk type band. Awesome! I love folk music. Sadly we couldn't go in, AWOL isn't 21 yet. But we could still stare longingly.
It then became too dark to take pictures, and so the story ends. But it continues everyday. Every neighborhood has its own pedestrian story to tell. Why did Ariel and I go out last night? I needed to get some cash, so we were walking to the bank. This was not a special outing, just a mundane task; however, the simplest actions in life can provide us with great pleasure if we let them. I love my neighborhood and I love the ways I am able to participate in it. A life on two legs should be something we treasure, and it is something we can all aspire to as we re-imagine our future and reshape our present.
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