Road design, transportation and walkability

[danbrotherston]

Recreation is great, no one would argue with that. But it's limited. The question, though, is: can you live your life without a car? Walking and biking should be usable as primary means of transportation, not just as recreation.

Recreation is limited?  How?

  Walking and biking could be used as primary means as it pertains to the individual or their situation.  I just wouldn't want to take my son to hockey practice on a 7 am January morning on our bicycles.  Walking or biking down to the grocery store to pick up weekly groceries for a family of five is not something I really feel like doing.  But, I can and have biked down to the neighbourhood Zehrs to pick up a small individual item.  Guess I could cycle the 25 km to work but then I don't have shower facilities when I get there and again I would never consider it in winter.  I commend you for these two modes being able to be your primary means, just doesn't work for me. 
 Even those who are able to have those two modes as their primary means at some point still rely on someone who uses some sort of vehicle to deliver a product or service ( pizza guy, plumber, UPS, service tech etc. ).  Now that I think of it, when I was younger I did try to bring a pizza home on a bicycle.  It didn't look great when I got home but I still ate it.

But limited he meant that it's only one of many possible things you might want to do with a bike.

So because cycling doesn't work for you (and you don't question why), you don't want it to be an option for ANYBODY.

The point is not that cycling is everyone's preference, it's that even if it is your preference, it isn't possible.  I would absolutely ride with my kid to sports practice at 7 am in the morning, but I wouldn't if you can't do so safely, which is the whole point.

The design of our road system doesn't enable choice, it restricts it, you HAVE to own a car whether you want to or not.

Nobody anywhere, besides the most extreme people out there (and believe it or not, I am not even remotely close) are arguing to ban cars everywhere either actually or by virtue of restrictive policy. But plenty of people, including people here, advocate for policies which effectively ban all other modes than car.