🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Jun3.174400.9568@pbhye.PacBell.COM> (ca.environment,ba.transportation), mjvande@pbhye.PacBell.COM (Mike Vandeman) writes:
> -I just read somewhere the other day (can't remember where, but if
> -someone were to ask me civilly I'd think about looking it up)
> -that the average distance that USAmericans live from their jobs
> -is about six miles.  This figure hasn't changed much in the last
> -thirty or so years.  The article also suggested that the average
> -amount of time hadn't changed much in the last <smaller number of
> -years that I can't remember-.  The jobs have followed the people
> -out into the suburbs, it seems.  Most of the commute then was
> -from suburb to urb.  Now it's more likely to be suburb to
> -different, or different part of, suburb.  This raises hell with
> -mass transit planning, since no great numbers all follow the same
> -path anymore.
> -
> -All of which would seem to argue for a small-scale, flexible
> -commuter transportation system.  Maybe we should try individual
> -commuter units.  Maybe we could call them auto-mobiles, to
> -mean self-transport units.  You suppose anybody'd buy one?
> 
> You mean bicycles, don't you? That distance is perfect for
> biking to work.

I think bikes are an excellent transportation mode for some people
some of the time.

I just can't imagine most people biking to work as their normal way
to go to work.  Cars provide a closed, comfortable environment for
the person inside.  Bikes expose people to the elements, this includes
rain, snow, wind, humidity, and extremes of hot and cold.  Bikes also
don't work so well when you need to tote the kids around and drop
them off at day care of school (specifically small children).

--  Michael Peirce      --   peirce@outpost.SF-Bay.org
--  Peirce Software     --   Suite 301, 719 Hibiscus Place
--  Makers of...        --   San Jose, California USA 95117
--                      --   voice: (408) 244-6554 fax: (408) 244-6882
--     SMOOTHIE         --   AppleLink: peirce & America Online: AFC Peirce