It's not about roads

Mary Newsom at the Charlotte Observer has been thinking about roads. The word 'roads'. Too often discussion about transportation in a city is expressed in debate about 'roads', conjuring up images of asphalt and cars. This is quite different to the word 'street' which carries some sense of urban design with it - a street has other things going on, whereas a road doesn't. Even better is 'transportation':

“Transportation” means auto and foot traffic, bicycles, planes, trucks, trains, buses and streetcars. Call it “transportation,” and you're already thinking more broadly.

Charlotte Observer August 29th