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Investing in alternatives to the automobile
Take social cues in choosing a mode
guest column
published 10.26.03 in the "Getting There"section of the
Star Tribune
online at http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4174137.html
Investing in alternatives to the automobile should be considered
good in and of itself and not only as a way of reducing road congestion.
Walking and biking burn calories, not fossil fuels. Invest in bike
lanes and walking connections, together with more efficient land
use, and we might chip away at the 19 percent adult obesity rate
in Minnesota.
Walking and biking for transportation are also more social than
driving. The street is a public place where people can meet as equals.
On the Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, CEOs brush elbows
with the homeless in a crowded, boisterous city scene.
In the office, the CEO is the power broker and the homeless guy
is powerless.
On the mall, on foot, they share a safe space together. If Twin
Citians walked and biked more, it would be a more pleasant and equitable
place to live.
Jeff Carlson, Minneapolis
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