Cities Banning Cars Around The World? (Explained)
Traffic in U.S. cities is a big problem. It’s also a big problem in my home country, the Philippines. In Los Angeles, commuters spend a total of five days a year in traffic. The average traffic speed in Midtown Manhattan is 4.7 mph. For context, the average human walking speed is 3–4 mph. CNBC did a test last year (2022) for 1 mile. One guy rode a car while the other walked. Here are the results.
Walk Guy — 15 minutes for 1 mile
Car Guy — 12 minutes for 1 mile
However, car guy spent $15 for that mile with 400 grams of CO2 emission. There’s a financial and environmental impact to that one mile. For walk guy, 1 mile gives you about 2,000 to 2,500 steps. That’s a plus if you’re into the 10,000-steps thing. Walking for a mile roughly burns 80–100 calories (depending on several factors). But walking in a major city makes you tired (depending on your cardio) and exposes you to noise (constant honking) and air pollution.
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You’ve already experienced a car-free city. In 2020, cities became mostly quiet and car-free when COVID hit. But this trend in car-free cities has been gaining popularity even before the Pandemic. As traffic and congestion become a big issue in large cities, it’s imperative to design pedestrian-friendly communities with convenient public transit. That is how we should build new cities/communities. We can also re-master-plan existing cities to encourage people to walk instead of using a car or Uber.
There’s a Real Problem
Nearly 7,500 pedestrians in America died in 2021 and 2022 after being hit by a vehicle, an all-time high in 40 years. In New York and San Francisco, converting streets into car-free areas is a common proposition these days. The goal of Ydanis Rodriguez, New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) Commissioner, is to make New York the most pedestrian-friendly and cycling-friendly city in the country.
Times Square: The Most Iconic Pedestrian Plaza in the World
In 2009, there was a spike in traffic accidents in NYC. The city closed off Broadway next to the sections of Times Square and Herald Square. Experts believe more areas in the city would benefit from a similar treatment. When Times Square became a pedestrian plaza, they worried that tourism and economic activity in the area would decrease. But Times Square still gets 360,000 visitors a day. It’s controversial. But the Pedestrian Plaza brought down pedestrian injuries in both Times Square and Herald Square. However, other American cities did not copy it despite the success. That’s why there’s only one Times Square. Tourists love it, but the business sector, especially the advertisers, love it too, as the 360,000 daily visitors look at all the giant billboards. This solution was not an original concept. It came from the Netherlands. It’s called “Autoluw”, a Dutch term that translates to “car-free” or “low in car traffic.”
Autoluw
Pedestrian and bike-friendly plazas are common in the Netherlands. It is the direct inspiration of Times Square. They were not alone. Here are some more countries adapting Autoluw.
- Netherlands: The Netherlands has been a pioneer in promoting Autoluw . Many Dutch cities, including Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Groningen, have implemented car-free zones or restricted car access in certain parts of the city center.
- Belgium: Cities like Ghent and Antwerp in Belgium have introduced Autoluw zones to prioritize pedestrians, cyclists, and public transportation.
- Germany: Cities like Freiburg and Hamburg have implemented car-free zones and pedestrian-friendly areas as part of their urban planning strategies.
- France: Paris has been gradually implementing measures to reduce car traffic and promote cycling and public transportation, including creating Autoluw zones in certain areas.
- Spain: Barcelona and Madrid have introduced car-free zones and initiatives to reduce car usage and improve air quality in certain parts of the cities.
- Italy: Some Italian cities, such as Milan, have implemented Autoluw zones to reduce congestion and pollution in the city center.
- Sweden: Cities like Stockholm and Gothenburg have taken steps to create Autoluw areas and improve the urban environment for pedestrians and cyclists.
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The change was controversial in New York. But that was nothing compared to Denmark when Autoluw rolled out in 1962 in Strøget, the main shopping street in Copenhagen today. At that time, the Mayor of Copenhagen Town Planning got death threats and traveled with bodyguards. But today, it’s one of the most successful pedestrianized streets in Europe. It’s the inspiration of many countries. These car-free zones in Copenhagen and Amsterdam only allow public transport and emergency vehicles, which makes them (ambulances and busses) faster.
A Pedestrian Plaza Is Not The Only Solution
In American cities, they still prioritize cars. For instance, around 25% of Manhattan is space for cars in the form of roads and parking. For context, that space is larger than two Midtowns. If you remove all the traffic, that street becomes prime real estate. You can build apartments where people can live. Apartments have less traffic compared to office buildings. You can create a park with generous sidewalks or bike lanes. You can build restaurants and shops.
A Car-Free Neighborhood In Tempe, Arizona
Real estate developer Culdesac, a cool name BTW, is developing a car-free neighborhood/community. They have retail spaces, garages for e-bikes, and thousands of bike racks. If you need a car, they have designated EV, ride-share, and car-share pick-up zones. But immediate basic needs are within walking distance or a short trip from the community. They partnered with Lyft to give residents a discount. They are also connected to the local light rail system. The Tempe community targeted the start of turnover in 2023. It will have over 600 homes upon completion. They raised $200 million of real estate capital in 2022. They also started building in other parts of the United States. There are other car-free communities and vacation destinations in the country, like Mackinac Island, Michigan, and Bald Head Island, North Carolina. But Culdesac markets itself as the first community in the country designed to be car-free. It comes from a larger trend.
Young People Are Not Happy With Cities
The younger generation (Millennials and Gen Z) are said to be dissatisfied with the status quo of cities. There’s a push for walkable cities with a reliable public transit system. Young people today look for alternate modes of transportation. It helps that the EV is more common than ever today because of advancements in technology and the push for a more eco-friendly and sustainable world. In Gen Z, there is a drop in getting a driver’s license.
In 1988–77% of 18-year-olds had their driver’s license
These Days — Only 58% of 18-year-olds had their driver’s license, despite the popularity of Olivia Rodrigo 😉 I digress.
The Key: Public Transport and “Master-Planned Walking”
Young people today rely on Uber, Lyft, public transport, bikes, and e-bikes. But public transportation can be unreliable in certain cities. This could be a chicken and egg situation. Experts say that the common issue in public transport is delays, usually caused by private vehicles. If you remove the private vehicles, busses will be faster. There is a push to re-prioritize and implement car-free zones to ease traffic and congestion in much of Midtown and Lower Manhattan. People already saw and experienced this during COVID around the world. Streets and parking spaces became dining and outdoor shopping areas. The world saw the potential for reducing car traffic. There was a cycling boom at the start of the Pandemic.
A $900 Million Project to Make NYC More Pedestrian and Bike-Friendly
80 groups backed the goal of NYC to convert 25% of space taken by cars into spaces for people by 2025. NYC also added bike lanes with barriers to avoid swerving vehicles. Mayor Eric Adams allotted $900 million for protected bike lanes, bus lanes, and tracking reckless drivers. They want to add 250 miles of “Class 1 Lanes.” That’s more than double (2.5x) the protected lanes constructed from 2007 to 2018. There is a segment of the population who think biking is not safe. Projects like this encourage people to bike more, which benefits our health and the environment. Speaking of money, the re-design of Times Square and Herald Square set the city back around $90 million.
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Challenges in Making A Car-Free City
Aside from finances, there are several challenges in making a city car-free. Locals worry there will be less consumer traffic and more vehicle traffic. Some say there might be problems with deliveries and access to emergency vehicles. But experts say that’s not the case. If you look at Autoluw cities in Europe, business and quality of life are thriving. Let’s look at Times Square as an example. The economic output in the area is 9% higher compared to the rest of the city from 2007 to 2012.
Should we copy-paste Times Square everywhere else? Not necessarily. Governments should do a study on dense urban cities. They will be re-evaluated with new design strategies and help organize the city infrastructure for the future.
How Do We Get There: Persuasion vs Punishment
Persuasion
*Cycling infrastructure
*Pedestrian plazas
*Public transport
Punishment
*Reduce parking spaces
*Paid parking in the city
*Fewer gas station
*Fewer congestion tolls
The Manhattan $23 Toll
Motorists might face charges of up to $23 for driving through Manhattan’s southern area below 60th Street. While the exact fee and the logistics of its execution remain under discussion, this toll system could potentially be rolled out as soon as 2024. Some cities have cameras that can catch drivers who don’t stop when pedestrians cross the street. Cities can also implement congestion tolling that changes by time of day or adjust based on the traffic volume. The problem with tolls is it favors those who can afford it.
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Persuasion
You can charge time instead of money. You can make driving and parking inconvenient and time-consuming. That’s why persuasion tactics can be more effective and implemented for everyone. If public transport is faster than using your car, people will switch. But you have to create a new system first.
Tech and the Car-Free Lifestyle
Recent technology like sidewalk delivery robots, ride-share apps, EVs, and eBikes all have major contributions to new car-free communities akin to what Culdesac has in mind. Electric scooters are quite common nowadays. The younger generation seems to be more willing to experiment with personal mobility.
Think about this. Most personal cars are just parked 95% of the time. They take up an enormous amount of space (especially from major cities). Rentable or ride-sharing electric vehicles, especially self-driving ones, could be the answer to our future. We only have the car when we need them. They always move and don’t have to take up parking space. It runs on clean energy. It sounds perfect, maybe too perfect. The question is…
What Could Go Wrong?
According to Complexity Science Experts, we (humans) think that we are just one solution away or one new technology away to solve our problems. It’s important to look at what has already been working, namely:
*Shared Metro Public Transport
*Walking
*Cycling
There’s also a push to rejuvenate public transport systems. President Biden announced a $20 billion investment in public transport.
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Streetcar Lines: A #Throwback or The Future
You might have seen streetcar lines in movies and social media. There used to be 17,000 miles of them in the U.S. They became obsolete in the 50s when cars took over. Los Angeles used to be dependent on a streetcar network. In 2017, the City of Angels announced a $120 billion budget for 40 years for their transit system innovation. Kansas used to have a solid streetcar system. It began in 1870 with horses pulling the streetcars. Poor horses. It shut down in 1957 when cars took over. But in 2014, Kansas started constructing a modern streetcar route nearly identical to how it was back in the day.
Conclusion
It seems there is a bias toward the status quo in America. Cities still prioritize personal cars. But we should look at places like Europe, Japan, and Singapore where they have modern cities that are more walkable. Americans see that online and they ask, “Why don’t we have that?”
