Transportation is inherently political. When I choose to ride my bicycle or walk instead of purchasing a car, I am making a statement; I oppose the consumer debt that is propagated by the automobile industry, I know that automobiles contribute significantly to climate change and I refuse to pay exorbitant sums of money to put gas in an internal combustion engine so that I can sit in traffic. Considering how the simple act of choosing to get in a car, to walk, to bike, or to ride the bus is actually an action of enormous social and political importance, it is not at all surprising that Cincinnatians were up in arms over a proposed streetcar. Americans love their automobiles.
Many of our downtown streets terminate as on-ramps to interstate highways, and our neighborhoods have been bisected by interstates in order to facilitate efficient transit. What good has this done us? Our downtown looks like a plate of concrete spaghetti has been plopped on top of it. We're not alone in this. Our interstate system propagates a car culture that has proven to be environmentally, socially and economically destructive. With an annual mean price tag of about $8,000, automobiles are black holes into which we throw a significant portion of our GDP.
One person against an interstate highway system is a battle that will surely be lost, but hundreds of letters, phone calls and visits to your local officials can and will make a difference. Explain why bicycle facilities like sharrows and bike lanes are important to you and demand that the proposed bicycle plan be formally adopted and initiated by City Council. Vulnerable road users need to be represented by our officials. Drop out of car culture, if only for a day. Take the bus. Dust off your bicycle. Take a walk to work. If these aren't options, then share a ride at the very least. Change begins with our personal choices, but we need to remember to take it to City Hall.
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