I generally agree with the ethos of it. Bicycles are the most efficient machine ever invented and we’re just adding a little power assist to flatten the hills. We dont need cars and they actually have tons of negative externalities especially climate related ones.
Paired with BRT with level boarding and in-car bike racks we could easily make a whole city bikeable basically overnight. Even suburban areas could support transit routes because the bikeshed (distance people are willing to bike from) of the stops would grow significantly.
Imagine biking 5 miles through a car free suburbia leftover from the days of cars. You go to a bus or train stop and roll right on with your bike. You are downtown in 15 min on bus rapid transit due to the 100% signal priority at junctions. You roll right off and into the street and bime another 5 miles to your destination. That’s 10 miles of biking each way. Totally doable on a muscle bike; many untrained, largely idle, people could do this on an ebike. People with accessibility needs would have a be more likely to ride it on an ebike. I’ve done something very similar in Germany 10-15 years ago. People are scared to give up their cars, or even to just use them less, but it’s actually a bit more like this.
No car registration, cheaper insurance, less road wear, less pollution, less loud traffic, can walk in the street with no cars for minutes at a time, drunk drivers are on a lighter vehicle and if they get too drunk there is a higher chance of them falling over than mowing down kids and a crossing guard, an extra room the size of a 2 car garage in many homes, much smaller roads with much more green space and plants in cities, kids are actually able to go places, less taxes on roads, less time at the DMV, no need to go to gas stations, less need to go to the gym, better health even with moderate use, see more places, social sphere is more accessible than inside a car, less road rage, don’t have to spend tens of thousands of dollars every decade or so to buy a new car (assuming you’re 30 and live to 70 that’s very conservatively an extra $100k you can spend on a hobby or life goal), no parking lots, and so much more.
Pick a day. Give everyone an ebike. Ban cars. Save millions. Save Lives. Save the earth.
