Gas prices are expected to reach an annual high this summer across Canada and into fall, with more than one factor causing the increase, experts say.

  • FireRetardant@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I think you have a rather extremist view of walkability. Most people would rather partake in various businesses throughout town, meet up with friends and family, and maybe even travel between cities for work/leisure than stay within their small bubble of their own neighbourhood. Yes the average person should be able to walk to the majority of their needs but I just don’t see a functional city without transit.

    Is everyone supposed to live walking distance to their hospital/medical centers? Are people expected to abandon their families when they move across town/to a different city? Are people with disabilities that make walking/active transport difficult just expected to not go anywhere? I think transit fills a very important role in cities, I highly doubt cities can eliminate people’s need/desire to travel, they can influence how they travel.

    • EhForumUser@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      Is everyone supposed to live walking distance to their hospital/medical centers?

      If the answer is no, why take up valuable urban real estate for hospitals in the first place? Why not stick them on country back roads? Transit can get the people there. If you have transit, it is not clear what you need cities for.

      Thing is, Canada used to have transit lines between every little nook and cranny when the vast majority of the population lived in rural areas. Exactly what is being asked for. We eventually ripped it up because Canadians indicated that they didn’t want to live rurally, they wanted to live in urban centres where they can walk everywhere, negating the need for those transit systems.

      But now they want to go back. What’s brought on this desire to live rurally again?

      Are people expected to abandon their families when they move across town/to a different city?

      Sure, I guess. I expect you will find that they do. Jetting off to lunch with your friend who moved to Tokyo will never be practical, save some fundamental shift in how we understand space-time.

      Are people with disabilities that make walking/active transport difficult just expected to not go anywhere?

      Why can’t they use the tools that they already use to get around? If they don’t even have that, transit isn’t going to help. Transit will never stop in their bedroom.

      • FireRetardant@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I think there are some bad arguments here. Hospitals outside of the city would increase travel times and reduce accessibility to healthcare. Suddenly comparing driving a few cities over to going across the world to Tokyo is an unrealistic comparison. Claiming that transit cannot benefit the disabled is incredibily rude. It may be fine to travel short distances but longer distances could cause discomfort or pain, no one is expecting their transit to take them to their bedroom but being able to bring grocceries home on transit, rest on a bus seat, or give sore joints a break from walking can be quite valuable to those who need it, disabled or not.