A lesson in abject ignorance ... or socialism ... take your pick. A Star Tribune editorial on mass transit makes the following findings: Transit receives about 20 percent of U.S. surface transportation funding but accounts for 2 to 3 percent of all U.S. passenger trips and 2 to 3 percent of all U.S. passenger miles. In fact, use of mass transportation has remained remarkably steady, and low, since about 1970. There is nothing exceptional about last year’s numbers; they represent a depressing norm. This is not to say that public transportation is unimportant. Most U.S. transit use occurs in a handful of dense cities, and in these cities transit provides vital mobility, especially for poorer people (particularly immigrants) who don’t own cars. New York alone accounts for a third of all transit travel. A close look at the report shows that while U.S. transit trips increased by 115 million from 2012 to 2013, trips on New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority rose by 123 million. In other words, transit use outside New York declined in absolute terms last year. This fact shows how crucial public transportation is to our largest city and how small a role it plays in most other Americans’ lives. In other words mass transit is essentially worthless, except in the dense inner city areas. It consumes 20% of funding while representing just 2% or trips and miles traveled. The solution seems simple - right? Eliminate mass transit projects except in dense urban areas where public transportation is needed and necessary. Here is what a trio of idiots. errr ... transit and planning specialists think is the solution: Driving is too cheap. Drivers impose costs on society — in delay, in pollution, in carbon, in wear and tear on our roads — that they don’t pay for. As a result, many of us drive more than we otherwise would. Ending this underpriced driving — through higher fuel taxes, parking and congestion charges and insurance premiums based on miles driven — is a central challenge for local, state and federal transportation officials. Charging the right price for driving would give drivers a better-performing system, both by reducing congestion and raising revenue to help repair roads. It would help communities and the planet by reducing pollution. And, not least, it would help public transportation by leveling the playing field between transit and private vehicles. MAKE DRIVING MORE EXPENSIVE SO IT LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD WITH MASS TRANSIT. Think that is ridiculous? The City of Portland did exactly that - they purposely chose not to build more roads and parking, the chose to purposely increase congestion ... all to make transit more attractive. If you cant beat them, screw em ... what a great planning technique ...
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 00:31:32 +0000
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