"But I Have to Drive": Why That's Exactly the Point
If you have to drive, great: driving's better when you're the only one driving.
We've all heard it (or said it) in discussions about bike lanes, bus routes, or walkable neighborhoods: "I drive because I have to." It's a statement that comes from a place of genuine frustration - perhaps you live far from work, carry tools for your job, or need to drop kids at three different schools before your day even begins.
But here's the twist: when advocates push for better bike infrastructure, more reliable transit, and walkable communities, they're not ignoring your reality - they're acknowledging it directly.
The goal isn't to force you personally out of your car tomorrow. The goal is creating a city where fewer people have to drive, which ultimately benefits everyone - including those who still need to drive.
The Zero-Sum Illusion
When we frame transportation as cars versus everything else, we miss the bigger picture. Every person who can safely bike to work instead of driving is one less car in your way during rush hour. Every family that can walk to the corner store instead of driving frees up another parking spot near your destination.
This isn't abstract theory - it's practical urban math. Our streets cannot physically fit all of Philadelphia's residents in cars simultaneously. With over 1.6 million residents, if even half needed to drive at once, we'd need more than 3,000 miles of road just to line up the cars front to back - more than the city's entire 2,500-mile road network.
The Liberation of Options
The magic of good urban design isn't forcing change - it's enabling choice. When we create protected bike lanes, reliable transit routes, and safe walkable neighborhoods, we're expanding freedom, not restricting it.
Think about the families who spend 20-30% of their income on car ownership - insurance, gas, maintenance, parking. For many, that car isn't a luxury; it's a necessity forced upon them by design. A city that requires car ownership to function isn't maximizing liberty - it's imposing a heavy tax on participation in public life.
The Hidden Benefits for Drivers
Here's the counterintuitive truth: the best pro-driver policy is creating excellent alternatives to driving.
When Copenhagen built its cycling network, traffic congestion decreased significantly. When Paris expanded transit and bike infrastructure, they saw reduced travel times for essential drivers. This pattern repeats across cities worldwide - good alternatives to driving make driving better for those who truly need to.
Why? Because traffic, like water, expands to fill available space. The only proven way to reduce congestion isn't adding lanes (which paradoxically increases traffic through induced demand) - it's providing attractive alternatives that remove discretionary trips from roads.
The Middle Path Forward
The solution isn't an all-or-nothing proposition. We don't need to choose between "car-dominated hellscape" and "ban all cars immediately." The path forward looks more like:
Protected bike lanes on key corridors that create a connected network
Bus lanes that ensure transit is reliable and time-competitive
Neighborhood slow zones that protect residential streets
Smarter parking management that ensures spaces are available when needed
Walkable commercial districts where daily needs are accessible without driving
This approach recognizes that some trips will still require cars. The plumber needs their van. The family visiting elderly relatives in the suburbs needs their car. The late-night worker with no transit options needs a safe way home.
But by creating better options for the many trips that don't absolutely require driving, we free up road space for those essential journeys.
Breaking the Cycle
The current system traps us in a vicious cycle: poor alternatives force more people to drive, creating more congestion and parking pressure, which leads to frustrated drivers opposing change, preventing the very improvements that would ultimately help them.
Breaking this cycle requires acknowledging a simple truth: the status quo isn't working for anyone. Not for reluctant drivers stuck in traffic. Not for people who can't afford cars. Not for cyclists navigating dangerous streets. Not for pedestrians trying to cross multiple lanes safely.
The solution isn't telling individuals to change their behavior within a broken system. It's fixing the system so that better choices become possible.
Moving Forward Together
So the next time you find yourself saying "I drive because I have to," consider this: that's precisely why we need better transportation options in Philadelphia.
Not to force you out of your car against your will.
Not to make your life more difficult.
But to create conditions where fewer people have to drive, so that those who truly need to can do so more easily.
After all, the ultimate goal isn't about mode share statistics or ideological victories. It's about creating a city where everyone can move safely, efficiently, and in the way that works best for their unique circumstances.
Let's make "having to drive" suck less by making it a genuine choice rather than an unavoidable obligation.