It's great being able to get to places farther and faster than ever before. However, it can become frustrating when speed is overshadowed by size.
One TikTok video is going viral, highlighting the ever-growing size of personal vehicles and what that means for our public spaces.
The video, posted by outdoor enthusiast TikToker Mathieu Murphy-Perron (@matnessmtl), shows the user visiting a national park in South Dakota, emphasizing the overload of massive personal vehicles building up in the parking lot. The reception to the video has been high, gathering over 600 likes so far.
@matnessmtl The supersizing of personal vehicles over the past few decades is such a heartbreaking collective failure to stand up to manufacturers reprogramming our brains in order to work around regulations. #CarsRuinCities #CarsRuinEverythingAroundMe #BanCars #NUMTOT #Urbanism #UrbanPlanningTikTok #Custer #CusterSouthDakota ♬ Clair de lune/Debussy - もつ
Mathieu expressed his concerns about the supersizing of personal vehicles by commenting on the post that it is "a heartbreaking collective failure."
The U.S. National Park Service is celebrated for the benefits it offers to visitors and wildlife, covering more than 85 million acres in all 50 states. In the last year alone, there was an increase of 4% in national park visitors, totaling over 325 million people according to USA Today. With more visitors come more vehicles and the space needed to accommodate them.
The video mentions a similar occurrence that happened at Cairngorms National Park in the UK, showing that vehicle congestion in outdoor spaces can be found in other countries as well.
A sentiment encouraged by the TikToker is there are alternative ways to get around while still enjoying nature. Public transit is a fantastic way to travel to national parks in a safer and cleaner fashion.
China, for example, is an innovator with subway, light rail, tram, and maglev systems. With three of the fastest high-speed trains in the world and $1.8 trillion for transportation and industrial parks, according to the South China Morning Post, the country can inspire the U.S. to follow suit.
When it comes to public parking, there's an array of smaller and innovative vehicles that are kind to our planet and exciting to use. Watt Electric Vehicle Company has created an all-electric van, the eCV1 made from recycled materials, designed to last longer on roads with a range of about 230 miles per charge.
One user reinforced the OP's sentiment by commenting, "We need trains. Trains to national parks shouldn't have to be fancy."
Another user supported the push for better outdoor access by writing, "More walkable cities."
There are many ways to get around, and we have the technology to do it.
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