Comments on: How to Reach Gen Y and Younger http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/10/28/how-to-reach-gen-y-and-younger/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ian Turner http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/10/28/how-to-reach-gen-y-and-younger/comment-page-1/#comment-145021 Ian Turner Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:17:18 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=78911#comment-145021 Mitch, You're also rubbing up against the automobile as a symbol of the coming of age. High schoolers who bicycle are still kids, but those who drive may be considered men. Probably the strongest way by far to cut back on student driving is through parking restrictions. It doesn't sound like your daughter's school provides parking, so students are parking on the street. All the city needs to do is reserve street parking permits for those who live or work in the immediate area. An even better alternative would be Shoupian pricing, but I imagine that would be extremely unpopular with teachers and residents. Cheers, --Ian Mitch,

You’re also rubbing up against the automobile as a symbol of the coming of age. High schoolers who bicycle are still kids, but those who drive may be considered men.

Probably the strongest way by far to cut back on student driving is through parking restrictions. It doesn’t sound like your daughter’s school provides parking, so students are parking on the street. All the city needs to do is reserve street parking permits for those who live or work in the immediate area. An even better alternative would be Shoupian pricing, but I imagine that would be extremely unpopular with teachers and residents.

Cheers,

–Ian

]]> By: Mitch http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/10/28/how-to-reach-gen-y-and-younger/comment-page-1/#comment-144611 Mitch Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:54:04 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=78911#comment-144611 The high school my daughter attended until last June is bike and pedestrian accessible, and bus service is reasonably good. But a lot of kids insist on driving to school, even though they have to park on the streets and move their cars every two hours to avoid getting tickets. Some of them probably drive because they think the alternatives -- biking, buses or walking -- are uncool. But the big reason, I think, is that cars allow them to escape some forms of adult control. If you have a car, you have a place to smoke (or use stronger substances...) and you can have a choice of places to eat lunch, instead of being stuck with the cafeteria or the one sandwich shop in walking distance. A lot of people -- especially the school's neighbors -- would like to cut down on the number of kids who drive to school, but the attractions of cars for teenagers are pretty strong -- and not entirely related to transportation. Any suggestions? The high school my daughter attended until last June is bike and pedestrian accessible, and bus service is reasonably good. But a lot of kids insist on driving to school, even though they have to park on the streets and move their cars every two hours to avoid getting tickets.

Some of them probably drive because they think the alternatives — biking, buses or walking — are uncool. But the big reason, I think, is that cars allow them to escape some forms of adult control. If you have a car, you have a place to smoke (or use stronger substances…) and you can have a choice of places to eat lunch, instead of being stuck with the cafeteria or the one sandwich shop in walking distance.

A lot of people — especially the school’s neighbors — would like to cut down on the number of kids who drive to school, but the attractions of cars for teenagers are pretty strong — and not entirely related to transportation.

Any suggestions?

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