A Sensible Alternative to Public Transportation

A seldom-voiced but very sensible idea from Thought Mesh:

Rather than raising gas taxes and heavily subsidizing public transportation, why not try to fix cities so that people are willing to live in them? Cars are increasingly a necessity because of the spread of suburbs and exurbs. And why is that happening? Because cities are becoming increasingly unlivable. I doubt that there’s a single major city that couldn’t do more to get people on public transport by cleaning up the school system than anything they could do directly with subsidies and taxes. But of course, that can’t happen because the destructive socialism of our decaying cities is strongly correlated with support for public transport (perhaps there’s a lesson in that?). When public transport boosters start to address the underlying issues that push people away from public transport instead of punitive social engineering, then I’ll believe that public transport is a goal and not just an excuse on their part.

Comments

[Erik]

Many people don't live in the middle of cities simply BECAUSE of the population density. I don't think any amount of "clean-up" is going to help as much as you think. Public transportation is essential and I have no problem paying for it. Come to the DC suburbs and ask whether they think it's a good idea to get rid of public transportation!

Also, your four square today is ridiculous. You are comparing two enormously disproportionate events in order to "prove" a thesis that Clinton was a whimp, and Bush is great. I don't buy it. Plus don't forget we caught that guy responsible for the 1993 attack too as I recall.