When people say Americans don’t walk anywhere, they seem to not know about this part.
It’s mind boggling how much people outside the US don’t realize the barriers we face to doing the things they suggest we do. “Why don’t you riot and blockade your congress?” Because it would take me 8 days of driving - 4 there and 4 back - to protest at the capital for just a single day, and I’d lose my job for being gone that long. “Why don’t you walk more?” Because I’m 100x more likely to get killed by a car due to street design, and the store I need to go to is no less than 5 miles away if I’m lucky. Etc etc etc.
The best advice I can give is to get involved at a local level, especially now during local elections. Call the people running for town/county positions, make your voice heard. Doesn’t matter which side you’ll vote for, call both people running. Livable infrastructure is bipartisan.
I’ve watched enough NotJustBikes to know your struggles. It’s not your fault. I hope city planning will get less car centric at your place at some point. Greetings from a walkable city outside the US.
I travel a lot. My brother lives in Amsterdam. I’ve visited several times and rented an ebike. I intend to leave ASAP but my ongoing divorce and career make it impossible at the moment. :(
Your solidarity is appreciated.
Desire to end car dependency
