Re: Lower speed limits dumbs down driving (Letters, Aug. 21)
We once thought driving was about getting everywhere as quickly as possible. It helped us consume the planet as fast as possible. It was “the good life.” But values change.
Some people now speak of “liveable streets,” places where we share driving, cycling and walking. Safety matters of course, but that may not be all-important. A feeling of comfort and living together also matters.
In Saanich, often without sidewalks and with on-street parking, this can mean walking and cycling between parked cars. We can meet a neighbour whose driveway one used to fly past. We can enjoy healthier lifestyles. We might not consume the planet so fast.
Mostly, slower driving (on secondary residential streets, not on faster arterials) is about respecting other people, valuing that we live together and caring about the world we pass to our children’s children. It’s time to retire a view that only cowards and incompetents will slow down.
Greg Holloway
Saanich