Winter Solstice arrives today at 4:47 p.m. local time. The sun will set sixteen minutes earlier, thus beginning our "longest night" here in New York City.
That is not the reason, though, I have posted the above image. Yes, dusk and dark will come sooner than on any other day of the year. And it seems that some former Google employees are doing everything they can, if unwittingly, to further prolong it.
They formed Swyft Cities, an organization that aims to "revolutionize transportation and real estate." (The more likely any group or organization uses any form of the word "revolution," the less likely they are to know what it means--or to have studied any history.) Their Twitter feed claims they "save time, space and costs by reducing parking needs, freeing up land use and providing a superior passenger experience."
I can get on board with "reducing parking needs." It seems to me that it can be done most efficiently by, well, getting more cars off the road. But their own promotional materials don't reflect any understanding of that, or what else might make cities truly sustainable or livable--for people from all walks of life.
I mean, an aerial gondola ride at sunset (or sunrise) can be quite lovely. I know: I've taken such airborne voyages. But, really, how many cars can they replace. A bus. let alone a train, can carry many times more passengers per trip and run more frequently.
Swyft Cities is here to revolutionize transportation and real estate! An innovative gondola system combines autonomous pods w/ lightweight, fixed cable infrastructure to move passengers efficiently w/ significantly lower cost-per-mile & less emissions than traditional options.👇 pic.twitter.com/AlZ6yucOML
— swyftcities (@swyftcities) December 20, 2022
What really irks me, though, is that the folks of Swyft seem--as, to be fair, too many other planners--oblivious to bicycles. As "Hannah" on Road.cc acerbically retorted, "Just build bike lanes!" I agree, but with this caveat: that the lanes aren't conceived, planned or built by folks like the ones at Swyft Cities. I've ridden on too many bike lanes that seem to have been designed by people who haven't been on bicycles since they got their driver's licenses, if indeed they ever rode for transportation or even recreation.
As for the people at Swyft: They confirm, to me, that people who are smart enough to bring us "smart" phones and appliances sometimes lack in life experience, or simple common sense.
