Why Can't Government Get You Out of Your Car?

No matter what alternatives it can think of, the Obama Administration remains baffled why most Americans are still attached to their cars, says Fred Barnes.

1 minute read

March 4, 2011, 11:00 AM PST

By Shay Kahen


Barnes writes:

"For most Americans-make that most of mankind-the car is an instrument of mobility, flexibility, and speed. Yet officials in Washington, transportation experts, state and local functionaries, planners, and transit officials are puzzled why their efforts to lure people from their cars continue to fail...

The simple fact is most people prefer to travel by car because it's convenient, which mass transit rarely is. They can go from place to place directly, choosing their own route and schedule. They can do so day and night. They can stop as frequently as they wish for any reason (do errands, drop off kids, etc.). This phenomenon has a name: freedom."

Thursday, March 3, 2011 in The Weekly Standard

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

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