Driving to drink
We recently decamped to Saratoga Springs NY (half way between New York City and Montreal), which is 91 times smaller than Brooklyn. It’s a lot easier to drink and drive here than in the Big Apple.
Driving to drink
Ahead of the France-England World Cup match, I ordered a beer. Along with the standard taps there were four or five local “microbrews”. Not being familiar, I asked about them. The bar keep answered, somewhat derisively, “I don’t know, I drink Miller Lite.” [point of reference for those not familiar…Beer Advocate ranks Miller Lite 30,663 out of 30,701 beers.]. Fortunately I had a witty comeback, “I try to support local businesses.”
Some years ago I read a transportation planning book that offered a beer analogy. The author lamented that we once drank beer brewed nearby using local water. Now we drink beer brewed elsewhere. Since beer is mostly water, we are essentially moving water around on trucks and trains.
In 1976 New York passed a law which opened the door for local vineyards to produce and sell their own product (which they had not been able to do since Prohibition). In 2013 farm breweries and distilleries were allowed to join. Now there are about 1300 breweries, wineries and distilleries in the state. In Brooklyn I could walk to nine breweries. There are about the same number within a 20 minute drive of Toga, but I can only walk to two. So we have returned to brewing beer locally, but now we are driving to drink it.
Sometime ago, I developed an axiom: If the mayor can drive to the airport in 15 minutes, nothing will ever change. Very few cities around the world have good transit to the airport (including baggage transfer). Lufthansa will cross-book your train ticket, guarantee arrival, and check your luggage at the train station. Most airports are fiefdoms of taxis, rental cars, and car parks. Point is that if you ensconce your decision makers and monied classes in private vehicles, then they will assume and design a system accordingly.
How internalized is the driving-parking axis? Here is an excerpt from the program of a local theatre:
“Parking…can be a challenge. Please allow extra time to find parking when attending our performances…Police will be posting “No Parking - temporary Police Order” signs…These signs are being posted for US to make use of the space for a drop off zone…There are several free parking options…If you park in a 2-hour spot and do not move your car, you will get a ticket!”
The program contained nothing about walking, bike parking, nearby restaurants, places to have a nightcap afterwards, information about the park adjacent, how to support the local economy, or anything else. Just parking. And people who attend local theatre are a fairly progressive bunch, no?
Please don’t get me started about people who remotely start their cars to warm them up….