This week, the Chicago Tribune published an op-ed whose author, John McCarron, denounced Mayor Rahm Emanuel's vision for bicycle infrastructure and bus rapid transit, calling it an "undeclared war on the automobile." Yet McCarron missed the mark entirely with his silly references to cycling couture and winner-takes-all rhetoric. In a response on Chicago Now, cycling advocate Brent Cohrs asks, “Is this really a war on cars or an honest assessment of a city's transportation needs for the future?”
CEOs for Cities' research reveals Chicago neighborhoods within three miles of the central business district have seen a 33 percent growth among college-educated 25 to 34 year olds since 2000, compared with only a 5 percent growth in the surrounding metro area. This trend points to the appeal of walkable, urban environments to the city's most valuable economic asset – it’s talent – a demographic segment that increasingly seeks opportunities to get out of their cars or shed them altogether. In fact, the share of automobiles driven by 21 to 30 year olds is a mere 13.7 percent nationally, down 7 percent since 2000. Meanwhile, cycling in Chicago is up 159 percent over the same period of time. These aren't just qualities desired by young adults. Our research further finds home buyers today are paying premiums for houses that have a higher Walk Score, meaning closer proximity to more destinations within walking distance.
This isn’t evidence of a war. It’s evidence of demand for alternatives to the auto-centric land use policy paradigm that is no longer economically or environmentally sustainable in U.S. cities.