Politics & Government

The Hub: A 'War' On Cars?

Warring reports insist that political/cultural foes are demonizing cars, or pedestrians, or bicyclists.

A Patch commenter mentioned one of the newest flashpoints in the culture wars—the conflict between drivers of cars and riders of bicycles. (And pedestrians are in there, too.)

Several conservative politicians, including the mayor of Toronto, have dubbed the growth of bike lanes and pedestrian crossings "the war on cars." The Heritage Foundation wrote a paper on Washington’s War on Cars and the Suburbs: Secretary LaHood’s False Claims on Roads and Transit.

"There is plenty of room for legitimate debate," countered Todd Litman in The First Casualty of a Non-Existent War. "Different groups differ in their objectives and priorities so there are likely to be conflicts over specific transport policy and planning decisions. But claiming there is a war against cars changes the nature of this debate. It makes the issues ideological and absolute, and implies that motorists are justified in defending their interests however possible, including tactics that are destructive and harmful."

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Meanwhile, here are some of the local construction projects that could affect your travels this week.

Find out what's happening in Ryewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Putnam County

It's all on I-84 and I-684, shoulder work near Exit 20 and between Exit 19 and the state line.

Rockland County

There are lane closures on I-87 this week dayside between Exit 15A and Exit 16.

Westchester County

On I-95 in New Rochelle, there will be north- and southbound lane and shoulder closures between 10-11:30 a.m. Tuesday for a bridge inspection.

On I-95 in Port Chester, there will be north- and southbound lane closures overnight.

The Sprain Brook Parkway will have lane closures between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. between Mount Pleasant and Yonkers.

Route 9A in Cortlandt will have a single, alternating lane of traffic dayside between Crugers Station Road and Trinity Avenue.

In Rye, bridge inspection will close a lane on North Street on Oct. 6 between Nursery Lane and Theodore Fremd.

In Briarcliff on Oct. 5, alternating single-lane traffic on Route 100 between Campfire and Inningwood roads.


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