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A World Where Cars Lack Efficient Personal Mobility

Posted by: David Gest
Thanks to: Paul Kim
1 January 2006 - 11:00am

The stubborn car culture rooted in American suburbanism does not have to be fought; eventually, through successful examples and experiments, the automobile will be viewed as a valued commodity in certain situations, rather than a ubiquitous solution.

"[H]umans have an innate urge to increase their personal mobility, which cannot be deterred no matter how alarming statistics about traffic fatalities or global warming look. A world offering more car-free places will only happen when people come to realize that automobiles actually stand in the way of greater mobility and a better life."

"Following in the footsteps (rather than the tire tracks) of Rome and Madrid and London, I believe people in Eastern Europe and Asia and someday even North America -- where car culture was born and remains stubbornly embedded -- will eventually discover an important truth: The auto is at its best and its most useful as just one of many ways to get around."

Full Story: Car Trouble
Source: AlterNet, December 29, 2005
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Is Jay Walljasper too much of an optimist?

Submitted by Irvin Dawid on Sun, 01/01/2006 - 17:48.

Sorry to appear so glum on January 1, but I fear that unless the financial and economic subsidies of owning and operating motorized vehicles are removed, this country (USA) will remain, sadly, auto-dependent and uni-modal. Jay concludes (in "Car Trouble") that he'd take Air Train in returning to JFK. Ironically, he was in a taxi - which is an alternative to begin with! How can we get more taxis, buses, air trains? How can we walk and bike more and drive less?

Sustainable transportation won't arrive by itself.
We need more Mayor Ken Livingstones....which is why it was so gratifying to see Stockholm embrace congestion pricing for its central city. (http://www.planetizen.com/node/18361#comment-1876), fewer Governor Sonny Purdues (http://www.planetizen.com/node/18373)
and higher gas prices (http://www.planetizen.com/node/17788)

Provide the correct financial incentives and disincentives, and voila, sustainability becomes more apparent.
Irvin Dawid, Palo Alto, CA

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