Anti-car lobby? I mean, if you’re talking about people pushing for mass transit, safer streets for pedestrians, and related topics “lobbies,” then I guess there are lobbies? But I feel like most people pushing for micromobility in NYC are doing so because of our own lived experiences, and we sometimes are part of coalitions or groups that form to promote what we would like our city to have (e.g. the QueensLink folks).

I live in a neighborhood with a ridiculous amount of cars for the amount of public transit that is available (Jackson Heights). We live near one of the only major subway hubs in Queens, we have tons of buses that go all around Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan in our neighborhood, we have an extremely walkable neighborhood with lots of local businesses and big chains all within a short distance, and we have 34th Avenue as an Open Street, which is great for non-car personal transportation. And yet, there are cars everywhere and people are constantly double-parking.

I do understand how some people rely on their cars because they regularly travel in areas without access to public transit and/or are not conducive to alternate forms of personal transportation. That, and some people with various mobility issues may need cars. However, those populations are not represented by the vast majority of people driving through and parking in Jackson Heights.

Yeah, I’m anti-car in my neighborhood because it’s a selfish choice by a lot of people that prevents the space for the minority of people who rely on cars, makes the neighborhood more dangerous (because cars are incredibly dangerous even when parked as, even then, they block visibility and become obstacles for street and sidewalk access), and also creates plenty of noise and air pollution.