this post was submitted on 29 Jan 2026
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Fuck Cars

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A place to discuss problems of car centric infrastructure or how it hurts us all. Let's explore the bad world of Cars!

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[–] TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 66 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

I've seen a couple comments now to the effect of "it's not more walkable" or "there's no pedestrian roadway".

If you go and look for yourself, however, both sides of the road clearly have a spacious, separated pedestrian and cycling roadway.

An image taken from Google Maps showing one side of the road

The roundabout in the OP is at the intersection of East Auburn and Harrison in Rochester, Michigan if anyone wants to see for themselves.


Edit: here's the renovation plan if anyone wants to enjoy it over a slice of stale toast and some elevator music.

[–] wieson@feddit.org 11 points 1 week ago

Michigan, USA

[–] gwl@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 week ago

spacious

I forgotten how fucked American roads are where that's "spacious" to them 😂

[–] herseycokguzelolacak@lemmy.ml 45 points 1 week ago (2 children)
[–] RustySharp@programming.dev 22 points 1 week ago (4 children)

As a non American, what even is that first picture? Is that a common "design" (or lack thereof) in American towns?

[–] saimen@feddit.org 20 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

It really is just asphalt with paint. Not even proper signs. At least from this one picture I wouldn't have expected an intersection there.

[–] OR3X@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago

As an American the top picture is very typical of less urban areas. The bottom looks very a-typical around my parts.

[–] acockworkorange@mander.xyz 4 points 1 week ago

That's almost every suburb in the US and Canada. It's sad.

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[–] BanMe@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Suburban/stripmall decline. Hey that mud is gross, pave it. Hey I don't want to mow that, pave it. Hey everyone is already driving over that, pave it.

Now that cement is super expensive you don't see it as much, but for a while, the answer to any problem was "pave that sumbitch."

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[–] fizzle@quokk.au 28 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I dont get the hate honestly.

Sure it might not be how you would do it but its infinitely better than it was.

[–] chilicheeselies@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago (2 children)

There are two kinds if people in this space. This first kind that want better designed towns in general who reject the carcentric designs of the 50s and 60s that we are stuck with. The second kind are bike supremicists who wont be happy until every roadway is bike only. They couldnt give a rats ass about peedtrians, they just want to be the biggest thing in the road.

[–] zaphod@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 week ago (4 children)

They couldnt give a rats ass about peedtrians

Apparently in this case the pedestrian infrastructure is explicitly also there for bicycles. Mixing bicycles and pedestrians is not a good idea. OP calls this "good infrastructure" in the title. It would be good infrastructure, if the bicycles had their own lane, there clearly is enough space for that.

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[–] spacesatan@leminal.space 19 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Every roundabout in the US needs to have a sign "use signal when exiting roundabout" until drivers here become civilized.

There is a roundabout in my town that I do my best to avoid because I will regularly see people signal to enter the roundabout and I have never seen anyone signal their exit.

[–] RustySharp@programming.dev 8 points 1 week ago

I'm halfway across the world and it's the same. Nobody signals their exit. I've learnt to watch the movement of their wheels to read their intent.

[–] dreadbeef@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

nah, I know how to use a roundabout. Maybe other drivers with a license can learn the rules if the road as well or lose their license

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[–] NarrativeBear@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Another view of the same area, now designed as a street.

624107493_25586093441084890_6370882993171756562_n

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[–] coralof@piefed.social 17 points 1 week ago

It looks so much nicer now!

[–] saimen@feddit.org 17 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

It's a huge improvement for sure. But I also have to say most "underdeveloped" countries have better infrastructure than how it was before. I would have hardly called it infrastructure. It was just an area with asphalt and some paint.

[–] gwl@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 1 week ago (11 children)
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[–] Glitch@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 1 week ago

A few of these conversions near my home town and they are fantastic

[–] Ek-Hou-Van-Braai@piefed.social 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Massive upgrade!! Kudo's to them.

One thing that it lacks though is protected bicycle lanes.

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[–] HalfSalesman@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Still flawed, but a step in the right direction. Though I suppose you want to take baby steps to avoid backlash from sudden stronger changes.

[–] NarrativeBear@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Absolutely don't let perfect be the enemy of good.

The next step would be for people to voice there desired improvements and additions. This can be the addition of bike paths, raised crosswalks, bollards at intersections, benches and tree shade, patio areas and pedestrianised streets, dedicated tram ways, anything to turn a street into a destination as opposed to a thruway (or throughway).

Anything that can be done to push in the "right" direction is a win when it comes to improvements of infrastructure. Often enough we see cities get stuck in "planing and studies", and rarely implement, as to not inadvertently make a select few "unhappy".

Instead we all left collectively "unhappy", as opposed to a select few of us "unhappy".

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