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No, the cars clogged things up. Those buses are moving a lot more people than the cars. People seem to miss the MASS part in Mass Transit.
I get what you mean about the MASS part. But my point is that I would never ever consider using mass transit. I want to use my car. I like being in control of the transit. I find it disgusting to crowd in like sardines on a bus, with smelly dirty people that I don't know. I want my satellite radio, the storage space if I pick something up and I want to drive through Bojangles at lunch. So when I drive my car through some poorly laid out place like Chapel Hill, the big buses are in the way. They constantly stop, so you have to go around. The create all kinds of traffic issues. Sure, if 100% of the people used mass transit, then maybe things would flow alright, but most people don't want to use mass transit. For me, buses are just a nuisance.
Light rail would be an absolutely horrible idea in this area. I like quality public transportation in places where it works and where the dense design of the cities makes it feasible - places like Germany and the Netherlands, for example.
I'm generally against using the tax code or zoning laws to regulate the type of accommodation people live in. The market should determine that. If people want sprawl, so be it. I would argue, though, that they should pay for it through higher tolls on roads.
If the goal is reducing traffic and pollution, the best and cheapest way to do that would be to build bigger and better roads and encourage development of more fuel efficient and alternative fuel cars. It's much more effective to work with existing infrastructure (roads, sprawl) and societal behaviors (driving) than to try to force people to adopt new behaviors.
If gas hits $5.00, an electric rail system would be a real blessing.
The roads are a waste of time. Sprawl needs to be throttled dead by ending the expansion of roads that lures commuters to live further out.
Multi-family housing needs to be sponsored to help working people live decently and to help energy efficiency.
Multi-family housing would definitely increase in popularity if the market were allowed to function without any interference. Sprawl has happened because driving long distances has become artificially cheap through subsidized roads and utilities construction - not to mention the ridiculous tax code that subsidizes homeownership while penalizing renting. If people were made to pay the true cost of sprawl, it wouldn't happen.
Allowing the market to function the way it's supposed to will bring about the same results much better than forced government initiatives.
I get what you mean about the MASS part. But my point is that I would never ever consider using mass transit. I want to use my car. I like being in control of the transit. I find it disgusting to crowd in like sardines on a bus, with smelly dirty people that I don't know. I want my satellite radio, the storage space if I pick something up and I want to drive through Bojangles at lunch. So when I drive my car through some poorly laid out place like Chapel Hill, the big buses are in the way. They constantly stop, so you have to go around. The create all kinds of traffic issues. Sure, if 100% of the people used mass transit, then maybe things would flow alright, but most people don't want to use mass transit. For me, buses are just a nuisance.
How is that private jet working out for you? The same people type of people are sitting next to you on a plane. Most planes also pack in more people than a typical bus in this area.
What do you base the dirty smelly comment on? If you do not use the bus system here how would you know what type of people use it?
You know I bet some of the people serving your Bojangles might be the dirty smelly people on the bus. They are making your food, but I guess sitting next to them is out of the question? I mean I am sure they shower before making the biscuits.
Exactly. A real life example is the Metro Rail in Miami. It does not go to Miami International Airport, nor does it go to Miami Beach. What the heck were they thinking?
The government of Miami Beach won't allow a Metrorail extension into Miami Beach; it brings what they think are undesirables over. Of course, you can walk over the bridge from downtown in an hour or take a bus.
After six years use of the Chapel Hill bus system:
Amount I saved on parking passes: $2400
Amount I saved on gasoline+ wear and tear on my car: at least $1000
The state of the environment: Slightly better
Number of friends I met on a bus: three
Number of grey hairs due to sitting in rush hour traffic: zero
Number of smelly people I had to sit next to: zero
Multi-family housing would definitely increase in popularity if the market were allowed to function without any interference. Sprawl has happened because driving long distances has become artificially cheap through subsidized roads and utilities construction - not to mention the ridiculous tax code that subsidizes homeownership while penalizing renting. If people were made to pay the true cost of sprawl, it wouldn't happen.
Allowing the market to function the way it's supposed to will bring about the same results much better than forced government initiatives.
Before petroleum's rise, there were boats and railroads.
After petroleum's demise, there will be boats and electrified railroads.
Plan accordingly.
BTW - urban rail mass transit is not just "light rail" (multiple cars - light passenger load).
Rail includes: streetcars / trams / trolleys, interurbans, funiculars, subways, and monorails.
For those who dismiss urban rail because of population density, check this out: Interurbans
I would also strongly suggest that if you want rail mass transit DO NOT LET GOVERNMENT FUND OR CONTROL IT. Government invariably means waste, delay, partisan bickering, back door deals, and nothing good will come of it.
Best solution: grant ZERO TAX LIABILITY to the transit companies and their employees. Capital investment will flock to rail. And without the administrative overhead (and stupid tax code), companies will focus on making a profit, serving the most passengers at the lowest cost.
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