2024年8月17日周六 美国大选AI日志 第三十四篇
距离投票日80天
2024年美国大选中的新政治分歧：共和党支持的汽车驾驶者 vs. 民主党支持的步行者和骑行者。这一争论体现在共和党控制的众议院拨款委员会针对华盛顿特区交通法规提出的几项议案中。这些议案试图阻止特区禁止右转红灯和取消自动交通执法摄像头。这表面上看是关于交通政策的技术性问题，实际上反映了更深层次的文化冲突。
近年来，蓝色城市推行了更多以行人和骑行者安全为主的政策，往往以降低机动车通行便利为代价。这包括降低限速、将汽车车道改为自行车道，以及禁止右转红灯——后者被认为可以减少与行人和骑行者的碰撞。华盛顿特区也计划在2025年全面禁止右转红灯，这一举措引发了共和党的强烈反对。
共和党认为，这些政策背后反映的是民主党推进“反汽车”议程，意在削弱汽车在城市交通中的主导地位，并推崇更加环保的出行方式，如步行、骑行和公共交通。这些举措在郊区和农村地区遭到反感，因为这些地方的居民更依赖汽车出行。
与此同时，民主党则主张这些政策是为了提高城市安全，减少交通事故，尤其是在行人和骑行者伤亡率上升的情况下。支持者认为，限制汽车行为、鼓励更多可持续的交通方式，不仅有助于减少交通事故，还有利于应对气候变化。
这一争论不仅是交通问题，更是两党在如何规划城市、应对气候变化和保护公众安全方面的广泛分歧。
延伸阅读👉 美国大选ABC：共和党和民主党的由来和演变
A new political divide that emerged during the 2024 election year: the tension between Republican motorists and Democratic pedestrians. The debate is reflected in GOP-sponsored provisions in the House Appropriations Committee targeting D.C.’s traffic laws, particularly measures banning right turns on red and the use of automated traffic cameras. These provisions reveal the culture-war dimension of transportation policy, echoing broader partisan divides over urban living versus car-centered lifestyles.
In recent years, blue cities have implemented policies to prioritize pedestrian and cyclist safety, often at the expense of driver convenience. This includes lowering speed limits, converting car lanes to bike lanes, and banning right turns on red, which is increasingly seen as a necessary safety measure due to rising pedestrian accidents.
The Republican pushback portrays these efforts as part of a broader “war on cars,” emphasizing driver freedom and convenience. Groups like the National Motorists Association argue that these measures are driven more by “virtue signaling” and revenue generation than by genuine safety concerns.
The GOP’s interest in D.C.’s traffic policy extends beyond local governance, reflecting a broader philosophical stance against perceived Democratic attempts to control transportation choices, whether through Vision Zero initiatives or environmental policies aimed at reducing car dependency. Critics like Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.'s non-voting delegate, view the GOP’s actions as an undemocratic imposition on local affairs, underscoring the long-standing tension over federal oversight of the capital.
This conflict touches on deeper cultural and ideological divides, with Republicans aligning with suburban and rural drivers while Democrats focus on urban, alternative transportation modes. The debate over whether right turns on red should be banned is a microcosm of larger disputes over climate change, urban planning, and the role of government in everyday life.
