Peak travel and Detroit growing as a bicycle city
Peak travel, heard about it?
That’s the moment when a society stops using more energy on transportation and more private cars, and slowly turns to a greener way. It seems to be happening, or even have happened. Swedish radio reported last week about this from prominent researchers who have studied the energy and transportation sector for a long time.
Adam Millard-Ball from McGill university in Montreal points out that the raised gas price is not the only explanation for why fewer people are getting private cars, attitudes among people are changing too. Even in the car’s home town Detroit bicycling is growing largely.
Peter Newman, professor i sustainable development at Curtin University of Technology, Perth, tell that the “peak car” happened already in 2004 in developed countries. Therefore he recommends urban city planners to re-check their plans and drawings. Most cities might not need more highways in the future, but more bicycle lanes or train tracks, for example.
I also just found this great video from Detroit, showing how bicycling can be a new lifestyle, bringing both joy, less pollution but also an improved health. Enjoy:
Want more info about this?
Are We Reaching Peak Travel? Trends in Passenger Transport in Eight Industrialized Countries, Adam Millard-Ball & Lee Schipper, Transport Reviews: A Transnational Transdisciplinary Journal, Volume 31 Issue 3, pages 357-378, 18 Nov 2010, DOI:10.1080/01441647.2010.518291
‘Peak Car Use’ (pdf) : Understanding the Demise of Automobile Dependence, Peter Newman & Jeff Kenworthy, Western Australia Eco‐Logica Ltd. ISSN 1352‐7614World Transport, Policy & Practice, Volume 17.2 June 2011
