No Car? No Problem Response | Teen Ink

No Car? No Problem Response

April 1, 2010
By Chrissy Mullins BRONZE, Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Chrissy Mullins BRONZE, Sewickley, Pennsylvania
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

“Passenger cars produce 12 percent of green house emission in Europe and up to 50 percent in the US.” If more towns would embrace this concept of no cars a lot of pollution could be reduced. Especially in cities were to only use bikes or public transportation it could be a lot safer, save on gas, and reduce emissions. This concept would be easier to adopt for people who already live in cities and walk or bike everywhere they need to go. If this were to be adopted in Pittsburgh, a lot of drastic changes would need to occur. It would make it difficult for people who commute from the suburbs, but parking garages outside city limits could help cut the usage of cars. From the parking garages, people could take public transit or bikes to their buildings in the city. Currently, there is a bus stop at almost every corner of the city as it is, so it wouldn’t be illogical to rely on public transit to get to work downtown. The use of bikes and public transit would exponentially decrease the amount of pollution and emissions released from everyday commutes to work. It would also reduce the risk of auto and pedestrian collisions. Also, roads and parking garages in the city would need to be modified to accommodate biking commuters. Accommodations would most likely need to include bike racks, bike lanes, enforcement of biking laws, bike repair places, and places for employees to change or shower once at work. However, in a place like Pittsburgh where winters are often harsh, it would be difficult to ride a ride to work in 3 feet of snow. Unless the city were to ensure that roads would be cleared and increase the amount of public transit running during those months, it would be illogical to expect someone to bike or walk to work.

The author's comments:
In response to "No Car? No Problem" published in "UPFRONT" magazine

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