pood
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2021
- Messages
- 3,554
- Basic Beliefs
- agnostic
And still far too high. There is very little reason to use a motor vehicle in Manhattan, where I live. The extensive subway system is basically reliable and efficient, despite chronic money problems, there are tons of buses, and bike lanes all over the place. Plus, you can WALK. When I lived on the Upper East Side, during clement weather I’d walk five miles south and then five miles north back again, almost every day. Granted not everyone can do this, but those that can, should. It’s not only better for the environment but better for your own mental and physical health.Motor vehicles per 1000 people in Manhattan - 200And note the quality of said dwellings. Most of the private dwellings that I have been in in China clearly have no insulation in the walls. There's a lot of thermal mass to average things out but that's all.Average dwelling size in China - 448.8 square feet
Average dwelling size in US - 2,233 square feet
I don't consider this an automatic win for the US. Much of our time in China has been in Shanghai. Virtually always foot + subway beats car. Cars shield you from the elements better and are good for cargo. Locals tend to do bicycle + subway + foot which does even better. If I were to live in a city like that I would absolutely not want a car.Motor vehicles per 1000 people in China - 231
Motor vehicles per 1000 people in US - 900
And something your list does not capture--I trust the US product far, far more than the Chinese product. Even if it's an "identical" product--what's in the market in China very well might be the quality control rejects from what's exported.
The cyclists do present a problem, though, The proliferation of bike lanes has brought forth a huge number of cyclists who have no regard for traffic signals and frequently hit pedestrians who have the right of way.