While travelling by tram today to a lesson, I looked over a babcia's shoulder and saw an article in a women's health'n'gossip magazine that travelling by public transport does one a power of good. Running for buses keeps you fit, whereas sitting in a car and using it to drive your idle carcass 200m to the bakery or florist will turn you into an obese blob.
This article immediately reminded me of a daily chart from The Economist website, which shows how the further Americans drive, the fatter they get (see article and graph here). In 1995, the average American drove 11,600 miles; in 2010 it was 13,700 miles. In 1995, 16% of Americans were obese, in 2010, it was 28%. Obviously other factors are in play, but the correlation is telling.
My own observations from Warsaw is that city centre people, with access to good public transport, are slimmer than exurbanites from Grójec, Izabelin or Magdalenka, who have poor public transport links to Warsaw and are condemned to driving. After spending three-four hours each day in a car, these people are too whacked to do any exercise after getting home.
But if there's one thing worse than long-distance commuting by car, it's short-distance one-per-car commuting. People from Mokotów or Ochota who drive to work each day in Śródmieście are contributing massively to urban congestion and the degeneration of quality of life it brings. There is an alternative - yet company cars, subsidised (or free) fuel and free parking spaces lull such folk into thinking there isn't. Socially-responsible corporations should fine-tune their company car policies to encourage use of public transport or bicycles among employees living close enough to their workplace to do so.
My recommendation for your company car: a Trabant (with 1.1l. VW Polo engine). Offer these to corporate drivers who really need to drive, and the majority will chose to take the tram.My pet hate is great big gas-guzzling, road-space consuming SUVs used to ferry a single (typically portly) gentleman around town. The gentleman has a primitive belief that such a display of projects his wealth and power so that lesser homo sapiens, driving small cars or using public transport, cycling or walking, are somehow impressed, in awe of his Porsche Cayenne or Audi Q7. They are not. If you cling on to such beliefs, move to Moscow, Minsk or Kiev, where arrogance still cuts some ice.
As Poland moves west, it shall become more like Copenhagen, Berlin or Amsterdam and less like centres of primitivism further to the east.
Take up your quarterly season ticket or cycle to work, you shall be lean, fit and progressive!
This time last year:
Hot in the city
This time four years ago:
At my parents'
Maybe don't go into extremes and don't label cars 'enemies'. Cars have been designed to serve people, but everything should be wiser. You habe to distingush between situations when using private cars is justified. Everything depends on:
ReplyDelete1) distance you have to cover - the longer, the better it is to go by car, distances below 3 kilometres should not be covered by car, unless in special circumstances (downpours, something heavy to carry, etc.)
2) number of people travelling by one car - if it's four, why not, I'd even let cars carrying at least five people into bus lanes,
3) availability and reliability of public transport - it's a folly then to go to Śródmieście by car, but commuting to P&R is a reasonable choice.
On Wednesday, during the big downpour, 709 and 727 buses didn't run at all and car was a salvation - I got home without getting by best suit sodden!
And because I don't get tired in a bus on my way home, I still can have energy for some exercise in the evening. And please believe me, there is a time to make up - everyday to compensate for 1 km walk to and from a bus stop I walk from Metro Świętokrzyska to work (some 2 kilometres, 20 minutes), plus this is sedentary lifestyle over weekends that is a real nail in the coffin - I stopped commuting to work by train - I cycle more often (for leisure) and swim once or two times a week.
And of course commuting from Ursynów, Mokotów or Wola to Śródmieście is an idiocy, but when it comes to suburban areas, you could be in two minds. And when the sourthern bypass is open, the temptation to use it on my way to work then (NI -> Puławska -> POW -> Al. Krakowska -> P&R Okęcie) will be big...
SUVs... oh, doesn't it square my views. More and more often I see young women (in their late 20's or early 30's) driving those horrible vehicles. And it always makes my laugh when they struggle to park those big cars, usually to no avail (car left aslant occupies two spaces).
And 'last but not least'. After changing train for car, underground and trams and losing my student 50% student concession I decided it was too expensive to buy sub-urban tickets (after price hike the difference is 150 PLN in three months!) and I began calculating - would it be cheaper to get to Konstancin by car (marginal cost of fuel) or by bus (24-hour ticket) and the fuel would cost some 8 PLN and the ticket 19 PLN. I could try using two 40-minute tickets but they would cost 7.60 PLN. And if I wanted to take another passenger who'd have to buy tickets as well?
Only long-term tickets prove always cost-effective!
As right as you are in principle, you get it wrong (as usually) in the details. I don't think London has a smaller per capita concentration of SUVs than Warsaw. And upper-middle class arrogance it indeed has in amounts unseen anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteGood post Michael (as always)
ReplyDeleteEach time Ewa and I go to Scottsdale to visit Mom, we are amazed by the beautiful, wide, sweeping and perfect sidewalks everywhere. All bereft of pedestrians.
Ewa often will walk about 2km to an outdoor mall when she desires and is the only person on the sidewalk, in fact Mom thinks it is sheer lunacy to walk so far as do all the neighbors.
Maybe these sidewalks could be exported to Poland where they would be used?
When we lived in Vienna - we walked and used public transport 100% of the time and it was wonderful. Same as when I lived in London (Hampstead). The firm provided me with a brand new 4 door, fully loaded BMW but not a transport card. I used the car so seldom that I would forget I even had it.
Bob
Fortunately, I'm 'city centre person' with access to good public transport.:)
ReplyDeleteWe usually don't appreciate Warsaw public transport. It's not bad public transport! I was in Vienna three weeks ago. I liked their subway, but I must admit Warsaw trams are much better.
Very interesting notes. Thanks for them.
Build more bike lanes - and let the police keep them free. Unlike what the poor chap here experienced in New York City. To see him taking advice, please…
ReplyDelete…follow the link:
http://youtu.be/bzE-IMaegzQ
or this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzE-IMaegzQ
I suppose you know there are discussions about making Świętokrzyska a less-car zone?
ReplyDeleteAlso one to think about: many companies provide parking spaces for their workers. I read a book which cited a study that said in the UK around 5 years ago, each car parking space cost the company around £400/year, taking into consideration the cost of the land, cost to maintain the carpark etc. So a company will pay an extra £400 for each worker who drives in - but what do they give you if you choose to take the bus? Usually nothing.
I know several people who work close to the metro or Śródmieście PKP and live close to the metro or a station connected to Śródmieście. They choose to drive in (after the company has given them a car) even though their drive takes twice as long as public transport. Crazy.
I don't think Warsaw will naturally become like Copenhagen. It's all about decisions and recent decisions in Poland have favoured the car.
@ Martin - Świętokrzyska carless? Bring it on! Extend the zone to central Warsaw north of al. Jerozolimskie, east of Marszałkowska, west of Nowy Świat and south of Królewska.
ReplyDelete@ Bob - Right on!
@ Jel - Thanks - as always :-)
@ Yagotta - Very amusing (the guy looked like he took a lot of pain to get us that film clip!)
@ Jan - Interesting - I reckon there are fewer 'Chelsea Tractors' per head in London than in Warsaw (population is 5-6 times larger). SUVs are considered passe, both Boris Johnson and his predecessor as mayor of London Ken Livingstone have railed against them.
@ Bartek - Yes - I also see more and more women driving SUVs. Their explanation 'I feel safer driving one'. Pure game theory - bugger your neighbour who's not driving one.