Imagine people start driving through a park. Pedestrians and bicyclists complain. Drivers respond: This is just a more efficient use of space. If you prevent cars from driving into the park, they'll just cause more traffic along the arterials--that's not fair.
Streets are not fungible "vehicular transportation widgets." They serve many purposes. In many places, relatively quiet neighborhood streets serve as unofficial (but sometimes official) transportation infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as spaces for community. They can only serve this purpose if they are low-traffic. Taking your kids on errands on a cargo bike, or letting them walk to school or to a neighbor's house, or letting them play basketball on the street, or teaching them how to ride a bike--all possible on a low-traffic neighborhood street, all very ill-advised on a high-traffic one.
Higher traffic on these streets expands the space available for motor vehicles, but it literally destroys transportation infrastructure for bicyclists and pedestrians. As someone who lives on a major arterial but commutes (by bike, with kids) on quiet neighborhood streets, I strongly support the diversion of traffic to the former.
Streets are not fungible "vehicular transportation widgets." They serve many purposes. In many places, relatively quiet neighborhood streets serve as unofficial (but sometimes official) transportation infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as spaces for community. They can only serve this purpose if they are low-traffic. Taking your kids on errands on a cargo bike, or letting them walk to school or to a neighbor's house, or letting them play basketball on the street, or teaching them how to ride a bike--all possible on a low-traffic neighborhood street, all very ill-advised on a high-traffic one.
Higher traffic on these streets expands the space available for motor vehicles, but it literally destroys transportation infrastructure for bicyclists and pedestrians. As someone who lives on a major arterial but commutes (by bike, with kids) on quiet neighborhood streets, I strongly support the diversion of traffic to the former.