02-04-2022, 09:33 AM
(02-04-2022, 09:08 AM)MidTowner Wrote: No doubt even an extremely expensive bike is going to be way cheaper to operate than an expensive bike. To me, posting a picture of an expensive bike along with a sarcastic comment about it being "impossible" to get kids around in the winter is not too different than posting a picture of a cheap car with the same comment. Many people do not have a secure place to store a large expensive cargo bike, whereas almost every dwelling unit in the region comes with a "free" parking spot attached.
Mobility shouldn't come with a price tag of thousands of dollars. It's a bit nuts to me to say that it's easy or even practically possible to get kids around in the winter in this city. Of course it absolutely is- but you must pay for a vehicle that entitles you to use the roads, which are very well-maintained.
I'm not sure if anyone is saying that.
I carried my daughter to/from daycare for months on my 10 year old Walmart bike with a bike seat I got for free from a neighbour. Sometimes I took her in the trailer I bought on kijiji for 200 dollars. And sometimes, I took her on the bus for 3.25.
As for whether it is easy or practical. It absolutely was easy and practical, but I specifically chose my housing and daycare to be accomodating of these choices, certainly our city is not designed to facilitate these trips for most people, but it's far FAR from impossible.
As for what Mobility should or shouldn't be, I wish our society took a more pragmatic look at subsidies and mobility, but we don't. But it's also the case that contrary to popular anti-bike lane rhetoric, cycling is a very very affordable method of transportation.