Not in America

[Apex]

At least not now. I just cannot see a ton of lazy people doing something like this, even though, in congested cities, it makes so much sense. People just like sitting in cages to get from point a to b, staying disconnected from nature. Motorcyclists bridge the gap between the two. If everyone had a motorcycle, there would be so much less traffic, since so many commutes are one person in a vehicle that takes up a large footprint.

Think about it, the new Honda Civic coupes take up 84 square feet. A Ford F150 takes up 143 square feet. In comparison a Ninja 300 takes up 15.2 square feet (similar to a bicycle).

I just think they need to encourage the use of smaller transportation for everyday activities. Motorcycles and bicycles. I think that would do wonders for congestion problems. Maybe a cost break when using toll roads. Cheaper parking since more can park in a given area.

For instance, you take the size of an F-150 and convert that to motorcycle parking, you can cram 7 bikes into that footprint. Of course, in a realistic word, 4-5...so you have space to dismount. Still, one vehicle = 4-5 motorcycles. I just couldn't imagine the drastic reduction in traffic. Bicycles take up even less space when parked, but that is obvious. In the Netherlands you have stacked bicycle parking, which makes it even easier to cram a ton of bikes in a small space.

Just thought I'd share this video. Even if you are not a cyclist, or don't buy into the whole "give up the car" mentality, it is still interesting to see how things are done over there. Once my job ends, I will be joining the bicycle transportation group. I just cannot justify operating a car daily to drive to things that are less than 2-miles away from me.

Link to original page on YouTube.

[ChaoSS]

I wouldn't be able to give up my cage, not with the kids, and groceries being as far away as they are. I'd love to have a bicycle though, when I need to go to the store for one or two things I usually ride my motorcycle, so I'd like to be able to ride a bicycle instead. Get rid of some of the lard around my midsection.

[Domagoj]

Last year one of the respected people here in the office said "Hey, those 4 that park their bikes here? Wtf, we should forbid that, and someone could park a car!"

Just reducing the car's size would work well for start. I mean, there were times when these were normal sight on the roads here.

[Snake]

^^^^^^^ I agree. Vehicles have gotten bigger and I don't understand the need. Most people drive around solo and rarely make use of all that extra space. Many people have large trucks and rarely carry a load in the back.
On a side note. I am very disappointed that the big 3 U.S. auto makers have discontinued their smaller trucks and will now only make large trucks.

[Apex]

Yeah, the Ranger, S-10, etc all filled a gap. I guess they figured if they only made the larger vehicles, then A) they can charge more, B) they reduce production costs by only making the 1/2-ton frame instead of the smaller platform, and C) lower R&D costs because you aren't developing as many vehicles.

Then again, the consumers often dictate what is produced. The desire for lower gas consuming vehicles has sparked the start of a smaller vehicle trend. Fuel efficiency is the key word, hence the development of the Ford V6 with eco-boost. V8 power, but can get better gas mileage than the V6's used to ever get.

The thing is, people like having that extra space for the "what ifs". Like, "I need this larger vehicle so, when my kids have friends over, I can take all of them somewhere". REALLY? REALLY? You use that excuse to justify spending all that extra cash on a vehicle???

I have a co-worker that swears that a person should have a minivan if they have a child. He had one child. He said "all that baby gear takes up a ton of space". Umm, really? I do recall that when I was 3, we had a late 70's Toyota Corolla wagon. My mom and us 3 kids fit quite well in that and manage trips with no problems. No AC, am/fm radio only, and we did fine. Sure it sucked at times, but it was fine. We could easily all take a trip to my grandparents lakehouse during the summer and we'd have ALL our stuff we wanted to take. Those things are like the Ford Focus is now. 3-kids, and one parent, taking trip in a focus. It can be done.

Meh, people are just spoiled these days. Heck, I want to take a trip around Texas on a bicycle. From Houston, to Dallas, to Austin, to San Antonio, to Corpus Christi, and back again. I think it would be a total blast.

The largest vehicle I am considering for my next car is a Subaru Impreza. I was thinking about the Outback, but honestly, that is too much vehicle for me. I want smaller, more fuel efficient, etc. Maybe a Honda Fit. I'll worry about it more when I get closer to that point. As of June this year, my bike will be practically my only form of transportation. I will have no need for a car at that point in time.