Thread by @IDoTheThinking

I received some interesting pushback on my EV takes: the primary solution to transportation emissions for most Americans is public transit and bikes. But unlike cars in the 20th century, there is no corporate lobby or mass party for either these forms of transit.

I live in a city when the highest share of non-car commute usage in California, mostly bikes. San Francisco ranks right behind it and yet both of these things move at snail's pace and frequently undermined by an overbearing base of motorists, corporatists, businesses and NIMBYs.

In my assessment of electric vehicles, Im just trying to be realistic about the amount of energy I have in getting people in the East Bay Area to accept prioritizing buses on public streets which gets bipartisan pushback. These people dont care so if EVs emissions helps then fine

Yes its true than E-Bikes are outselling cars now but where are these people, man? How do we get these people mobilized? I see a strong cyclist cohort but its woefully undersized compared to its users. In part, even cyclists are indoctrinated into normalizing vehicular violence

Being a paid advocate for public transit just doesnt exist outside of YIMBY groups which is more about housing and how it supports public transit. Of course I'm a tad skeptical that we can erase decades of GM and Shell propaganda in a few years to hit 1.5 degrees Celsius

I'm not saying the goal of urbanism is pointless, in cities we should be radically anti-car. But where cars do remain, sadly, urbanists should take an approach of heavy regulation of manufacturers via mandating only EVs sold and gas stations discontinued where possible.

With housing elements in California coming up for example push hard to have gas stations zoned for high density housing to increase their likelihood of development and removal.

In San Francisco, the highest non-car using metropolis on the West Coast, there's an attempt to renew a lease on *public land* for a gas station. In a climate emergency. Politicians are going to stretch that one out until proponents (socialists and urbanists alike) tire out.

Because when you're dealing with a climate and public safety emergency who tf has time to mobilize so damn long for a gas station. Or a BART parking lot. Especially if you're a renter, time is not on your side when this ought to be common sense and there's bigger fish to fry