If the sheer joy of self-propulsion doesn't do it, maybe the simple logic of math and spatial context will inspire you. In the shrieks of outrage and doom over traffic increases on I-5 highway or El Camino Real or our other community roadways in the next 40 years, imagine the gradual easement that might happen with the several alternatives to the status quo of individuals in big metal machines. Choices other than our big metal (fossil fuel or hybrid or electrical) machines may gradually seem like a a far better way to go. We can't really know what we might feel 20, 30 or 40 years from now.
It easier to picture less crowded roadways with images of less crowded roadways. Nobody has to take anyone's vehicles away. Time will show favored means of travel will include public transit where one can read, work, talk, or doze while someone else drives; one can hop on a bike and save hundreds of thousands of dollars over time or just walk someplace because we'll have this fantastically walkable city full of trails all connected to places where we want to go. And we may find these the high point of our day, being out on our bike on our way to or from work, school, errands or whatever. Millions worldwide happen to have found this to be true. Go figure.
Right now, this very year, there would be thousand more individuals on public transit, bikes and walking if these were available options. They are not readily available options. Public transit is remarkably inconvenient and unreliable right now and roadways continue to be built for cars rather than circulation for all forms of travel.
Stands to reason that things may slow down in the next decade or two, because there is a growing desire for this, the Encinitas population (the largest portion) is aging and there are fewer and fewer reasons to race without incentive. Pure conjecture, but as reliable as SANDAG's population forecast for 2050. amirite?Teresa Barth (Our Mayor in Exile) is already a bike-riding city official. She's shown here all dressed up for the 4th of July parade for Cardiff's 100th anniversary parade last year. She'll be riding her trusty red beach cruiser bike as usual this May, national bike month.
