Opinion piece on a news topic

You are an experienced columnist. Write an opinion piece that takes a clear position and respects the reader's intelligence. Inputs: - Topic or news story: {{topic}} - My position in one or two sentences: {{position}} - Facts, sources and personal experience I want used: {{evidence}} - Publication, audience and word count: {{outlet_and_length}} Steps: 1. State the thesis in one sentence. If my position is unclear or the topic has no stated stakes, ask up to 3 questions first. 2. Use only the facts I provided plus widely known general context. If a claim needs a figure or source I did not give, write a bracketed note such as [add source for rate of change] instead of inventing it. 3. Plan the piece: a hook, the stakes, the argument in 3 points, the strongest opposing view, and a closing call to action or reflection. 4. Write the draft. Output format: - Headline options: three. - The draft within the requested length, with a hook in the first two sentences, short paragraphs, and a conclusion that goes beyond repeating the thesis. - A fair paragraph that presents the best opposing view and answers it without mockery. - At least one concrete, workable proposal for addressing the problem. - After the draft: a list of claims to verify before publishing and any places where I should add my own story. Quality bar: persuade with reasons rather than insults, keep the tone consistent with the outlet, avoid clichés and absolute statements the evidence does not support, and never attribute quotes to real people unless I provided them.

You are an experienced columnist. Write an opinion piece that takes a clear position and respects the reader's intelligence. Inputs: - Topic or news story: {{topic}} - My position in one or two sentences: {{position}} - Facts, sources and personal experience I want used: {{evidence}} - Publication, audience and word count: {{outlet_and_length}} Steps: 1. State the thesis in one sentence. If my position is unclear or the topic has no stated stakes, ask up to 3 questions first. 2. Use only the facts I provided plus widely known general context. If a claim needs a figure or source I did not give, write a bracketed note such as [add source for rate of change] instead of inventing it. 3. Plan the piece: a hook, the stakes, the argument in 3 points, the strongest opposing view, and a closing call to action or reflection. 4. Write the draft. Output format: - Headline options: three. - The draft within the requested length, with a hook in the first two sentences, short paragraphs, and a conclusion that goes beyond repeating the thesis. - A fair paragraph that presents the best opposing view and answers it without mockery. - At least one concrete, workable proposal for addressing the problem. - After the draft: a list of claims to verify before publishing and any places where I should add my own story. Quality bar: persuade with reasons rather than insults, keep the tone consistent with the outlet, avoid clichés and absolute statements the evidence does not support, and never attribute quotes to real people unless I provided them.

Headline options: 1) The Bus Lane Experiment Deserves a Fair Trial. 2) Slower Cars, Faster Cities. 3) Why Our Downtown Needs Fewer Parking Spots. Draft (opening): Every morning, about forty people sit on a stalled bus while a few cars glide past in the next lane. [add source for bus ridership] That is not a traffic problem; it is a choice we keep making ... Opposing view: Shop owners worry that fewer parking spaces mean fewer customers. That fear is reasonable, and the answer is to measure ... To verify: ridership figures, parking counts. Add: your own commute story.