PRO/CON: What if busy city streets had no cars at all?
PRO: City life would be enjoyable and safe
The record is clear. Cities that have removed automobiles from their downtown areas have improved their air quality. Their downtown areas are also more enjoyable. Life there is safer.
Banning cars has made life in city centers better for commuters. Commuters no longer breathe the cars' harmful gases while rushing to and from work.
Less traffic also means workers spend less time sitting in their cars. They spend more time at work. That lets them get more done.
Getting rid of cars also gives workers more time to visit nearby businesses. Then, they spend more money in shops. That helps stores. Shops also get more money to hire more workers.
People walking around do not have to fear being hit by cars. This is especially important to families with children.
Traveling By Bicycle Is Healthier
Traveling by bicycle instead of by car is also good for a person's health.
All in all, there is hardly any downside to not allowing cars in downtown areas.
More help is still needed. More money needs to be spent on subways and trains. This money could come from new taxes. People pay taxes to the government to help the government pay for things like roads, schools and police.
With more money, U.S. cities could follow the examples of European cities.
Cities In Europe Get Rid Of Cars
Norway is a country in Europe. Oslo is the capital city. Last year, Oslo stopped letting cars go downtown.
People enjoyed the change. Workers were more productive. Downtown shops made more money.
Oslo plans to get rid of all cars from its city center by 2019.
Denmark is another country that has limited the use of cars. The biggest city in Denmark is Copenhagen. Copenhagen was the first city to get rid of cars downtown. It quickly became a model for other cities.
Even California has recognized that traffic-free downtown zones can be good.
Change has obviously begun. City centers without cars are on the way! Their time has come.
CON: Cars are easier than subways and trains
"Take back our streets!" is a common cry among people in cities who want change.
Some people want to take city streets back from cars. They think that cars make the area less enjoyable. But the other choices are not better.
Most families in the United States have cars. Still, the government spends a lot of money on things like subways and trains. They should not get so much money if not many people use them. Subways and trains do not make very much money.
There is a myth that subways and trains are better than cars. However, it can be easier to get around in a car than in a subway. In New York City, many people take trains to work. However, these trains reach fewer places than cars can. New Yorkers who drive cars can get to many more jobs than New Yorkers who ride the subway can.
With Newer Cars, Air Is Cleaner
Some cities tried to get rid of cars about 50 years ago. Customers stopped coming to shops and businesses closed.
Environmentalists say we should get rid of cars to stop air pollution. That isn't quite right. Cars have become far cleaner in recent years. They will be even cleaner in the future.
Traffic Safety Not A Big Problem
Then there is the problem of traffic safety. Most deadly car crashes happen in the countryside or in towns outside of cities. Car crashes do not often happen in city centers. Getting rid of cars in cities is an overreaction. It is also a misunderstanding of the problem.
There are still problems with cars in our big cities. However, we cannot solve today's problems by returning to the past. We should work to improve technology. We should not outlaw it.
The record is clear. Cities that have removed automobiles from their downtown areas have improved their air quality. Their downtown areas are also more enjoyable. Life there is safer.
Banning cars has made life in city centers better for commuters. Commuters no longer breathe the cars' harmful gases while rushing to and from work.
Less traffic also means workers spend less time sitting in their cars. They spend more time at work. That lets them get more done.
Getting rid of cars also gives workers more time to visit nearby businesses. Then, they spend more money in shops. That helps stores. Shops also get more money to hire more workers.
People walking around do not have to fear being hit by cars. This is especially important to families with children.
Traveling By Bicycle Is Healthier
Traveling by bicycle instead of by car is also good for a person's health.
All in all, there is hardly any downside to not allowing cars in downtown areas.
More help is still needed. More money needs to be spent on subways and trains. This money could come from new taxes. People pay taxes to the government to help the government pay for things like roads, schools and police.
With more money, U.S. cities could follow the examples of European cities.
Cities In Europe Get Rid Of Cars
Norway is a country in Europe. Oslo is the capital city. Last year, Oslo stopped letting cars go downtown.
People enjoyed the change. Workers were more productive. Downtown shops made more money.
Oslo plans to get rid of all cars from its city center by 2019.
Denmark is another country that has limited the use of cars. The biggest city in Denmark is Copenhagen. Copenhagen was the first city to get rid of cars downtown. It quickly became a model for other cities.
Even California has recognized that traffic-free downtown zones can be good.
Change has obviously begun. City centers without cars are on the way! Their time has come.
CON: Cars are easier than subways and trains
"Take back our streets!" is a common cry among people in cities who want change.
Some people want to take city streets back from cars. They think that cars make the area less enjoyable. But the other choices are not better.
Most families in the United States have cars. Still, the government spends a lot of money on things like subways and trains. They should not get so much money if not many people use them. Subways and trains do not make very much money.
There is a myth that subways and trains are better than cars. However, it can be easier to get around in a car than in a subway. In New York City, many people take trains to work. However, these trains reach fewer places than cars can. New Yorkers who drive cars can get to many more jobs than New Yorkers who ride the subway can.
With Newer Cars, Air Is Cleaner
Some cities tried to get rid of cars about 50 years ago. Customers stopped coming to shops and businesses closed.
Environmentalists say we should get rid of cars to stop air pollution. That isn't quite right. Cars have become far cleaner in recent years. They will be even cleaner in the future.
Traffic Safety Not A Big Problem
Then there is the problem of traffic safety. Most deadly car crashes happen in the countryside or in towns outside of cities. Car crashes do not often happen in city centers. Getting rid of cars in cities is an overreaction. It is also a misunderstanding of the problem.
There are still problems with cars in our big cities. However, we cannot solve today's problems by returning to the past. We should work to improve technology. We should not outlaw it.