More cycling? Less motoring? Vote now please!

[Cyril Haearn]

Better travel, what, new air-conditioned buses and trains and trams?

There is plenty that can be done, planning permission for more small food stores instead of fewer large ones on the edge of town for example, small stores have indeed become more popular in recent years. Less travel = more life!

Travelling costs money and time and nerves, plenty of nudges can be used to discourage it, now is a good time, when things are changing

When I retired I fixed my life so I can cycle or walk everywhere, plenty of people could do likewise

[Stevek76]

Well thats sort of what I meant by better, and are you actually doing less? People using smaller shops tend to do so now frequently rather than a big weekly shop so it doesn't always work out less. Cycling is enjoyable though so people don't tend to consider it a loss of life. Surveys on hypothetical teleportation often find this, a majority of those who cycle and work would rather keep doing that than instantly teleport, PT is rather more mixed and few who commute by car want to keep on doing so.

For PT I didn't meanas specific as aircon, but it does need to be frequent, comfortable and convenient. Not everyone can cycle and not every trip of those who can is suitable. If we want people to reduce car dependency, particularly in urban areas, then we need reasons for them to be able to give up cars altogether and most will continue to desire longer distance travel since most have friends and family scattered across the country and if we want them to do that not by car then it requires a major rail upgrade.

[Cyril Haearn]

I walk to the food stores mostly, keeping an eye out for bargains. I chose a good place to live, it is not worth cycling 300 metres to the food store. Cycling just for fun

Less travel by car or train is Plus 3 at least, saves cash time work

I practice what I preach. Had a bit of luck, too

[Oldjohnw]

I walk to the food stores mostly, keeping an eye out for bargains. I chose a good place to live, it is not worth cycling 300 metres to the food store. Cycling just for fun

Less travel by car or train is Plus 3 at least, saves cash time work

I practice what I preach. Had a bit of luck, too

What would people living in Utopia do if they want to visit children or grandchildren or parents.

[Cyril Haearn]

Two train stations

[Jdsk]

Less travel by car or train is Plus 3 at least, saves cash time work

What would people living in Utopia do if they want to visit children or grandchildren or parents.

Two train stations

My emboldening.

Jonathan

[Oldjohnw]

Two train stations

Great idea. Never thought of trains.

Just remembered: we don’t have a station for 20 miles. My son is 20 miles from a station. My wife doesn’t need to see her children, silly sentimental stuff.

[Cyril Haearn]

Lots of people have the chance to fix their lives so that they do not to travel much, when retiring, changing work, etc
One should put a high cost on travel when calcuating

[Jdsk]

Two train stations

Great idea. Never thought of trains.

Just remembered: we don’t have a station for 20 miles. My son is 20 miles from a station. My wife doesn’t need to see her children, silly sentimental stuff.

I see what you're doing there, John. You're thinking about other people!

; - )

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

One should put a high cost on travel when calcuating

Agreed. Both for oneself, and in one's country's travel policies.

Lots of people have the chance to fix their lives so that they do not to travel much, when retiring, changing work, etc

And lots of people don't. We need much smarter polices on travel and transport. And all of them should include much more cycling and walking. That's both for individual health and happiness and for reducing damage to the planet.

Jonathan

[Oldjohnw]

Lots of people have the chance to fix their lives so that they do not to travel much, when retiring, changing work, etc
One should put a high cost on travel when calcuating

My children, it happens, both work. They go where the jobs are. So wherever I live I would have to travel to see them. That is vey likely the same for most people. It is so easy to tell others how to manage their lives.

[Cyril Haearn]

Not telling, not telling, rather nudging, suggesting, thinking how things could be better, different
There are lots of reasons for fixing ones life so one can travel less, and lots of people can do it

Really, do you think I am trying to tell you what to do or not to do?

[Oldjohnw]

I'm just about to leave for a 120 mile round trip to take my wife to a hospital for a CT scan. Some advice, please, as to how I can reduce this travel. Other than walking 2 x15 miles to the station then 2x15 miles at the other end.

[Vorpal]

Lots of people have the chance to fix their lives so that they do not to travel much, when retiring, changing work, etc
One should put a high cost on travel when calcuating

And lots of people also have their lives disrupted by things beyond their power, for example being made redundant during covid, and taking whatever job comes up afterward with no money or ability to move closer to the new job. Or kids settled in school and a partner in a good job locally when the company they work for closes and office and tells someone they are now working 40 miles away.

While I agree with your point, and I have made the same argument on this forum in the past, it's not cut & dried. For example, I included the ability to cycle to work and take public transport as an alternative when I bought my current house. The line for us economically came out about 10 miles from work.

Last year, I was furloughed due to covid & working freelance from home, but when my company called me back in to work, they asked to me to work out of another office. That office is 25 miles away, and the job market is too slow for me to get something else at the moment (I have been trying, but it's lots of work for little benefit). My freelance work was okay, but it's not enough to make ends meet long term.

I cannot move much closer to work because, even if we could squeeze into a house half the size of our current one, we cannot afford to buy or rent anything within 10 miles of the new location.

We have been in a similar situation in the past. My work & Mr. V's were approx. 40 miles apart, and he did shift work, so we lived a bit closer to his work than mine. That was an improvement over my work & his being 60 miles apart, and both of us commuting similar distances.

[Oldjohnw]

I don’t disagree with the suggestion in principle. What I don’t like is assuming you know someone’s circumstances, much of which has happened to them with life and much of which is beyond an individual’s control to do anything about.

Such is my agreement with this in principle is that I am practicing what Cyril preaches. The last 15 months have been challenging for most of us. I had major surgery last year which added to our sense of vulnerability and isolation from family. A sad reality is that sooner or later, one or other of us will be left alone. Statistically, the evidence points to me falling off my perch first: I am a male and 8 am nearly 10 years Mrs Ojw’s senior.

So last year we explored the possibility of moving south to be nearer our daughter. One of the criteria was to be on a reliable and adequate bus route and to be near medical facilities. Because of pandemic difficulties we deferred the search but three weeks ago someone approached us via our estate agent to ask if we were interested in a sale.

End result was that within a couple of days we had a good offer when our house wasn’t even up for sale. I drove down to Stratford upon Avon and viewed some properties. On return we made an offer on a property in a village in the North Cotswolds. The process has now begun. Property is horribly expensive there compared with up here. We have tried to manage our finances over recent years to enable us to make this move when the time was right.

Remarkably, some of us are able to think these things through for ourselves. We make the best decision and judgement we can at the time and within the limitations of our circumstances.

It does mean that there will be one more cyclist in the Cotswolds. But one less in Northumberland and the Scottish Borders.