On Tue, Mar 06, 2007 at 05:33:06PM -1000, Al Eridani wrote:
> On 3/2/07, Roberto C. Sanchez <roberto@connexer.com> wrote:
>
> >if you compare motor vehicle traffic in those cities, you see that even
> >the two *best* public transport cities in the US can't even make public
> >transport work for a *majority* of their residents.
>
> First, can't you read? New York and Chicago are, according to some
> absolute numbers, the *largest* public transportation systems; nothing
> to do with the *best*.
>
Actually, I think you are the one who can't read. The NYC and Chicago
public transit systems being the largest (both in absolute and per
capita) makes them the most ubiquitous and able to server the largest
number of travelers. Did you miss the entire ongoing discussion about
public transportation?
The number one requirement for any public transportation system is that
it be ubiquitous and accessible.
> As for public transportation working for a majority of the residents, I hope
> you realize that in the US the majority of affluent people would rather not
> use public transportation because of the stigma associated with it ("other
> people smell, the seats are dirty, etc.")
>
> They prefer to drive from the suburbs in their SUVs, even if it takes
> longer.
>
Could it be because there is no public transort where they live? Of
course not! It has to be about elitism.
When I lived in Atlanta it was quite popular for people who lived
outside the city and worked in downtown to park at an outlying MARTA
station and take the train to downtown. Most of the terminal points on
the line had big parking lots. Lots of people take advantage of this.
I don't know what it is you have against people who prefer to live in
the suburbs and not in the city itself.
> As a result, most passangers are those that have no alternatives. And
> the ones that have them work hard at keeping them, sabotaging public
> transportation in favor of more freeway lanes.
>
Really? Where are the people holding guns to passeners' heads and
forcing them to continue to ride public transit? Oh wait, there aren't
any! People who use public transit do so because they (conciously or
unconciously) perceive the cost/benefit analysis of whether to use
public transport or not to favor the public transport. It has nothing
to do with not having any choices. Everyone has a choice.
> The US mentality of the car being king is too entrenched to make it
> disappear overnight.
You know, I'd love to see cars go away. Why don't you give yours up?
Personally, I like living out in the country. It is worth it to me to
deal with the daily commute so that in my off time I can enjoy the
scenery and being out in the country.
Besides, everyone has a choice. You can always live in a place (like
NYC or Chicago) where you can live just fine without a car. Of course,
many people choose to not do that.
Regards,
-Roberto
--
Roberto C. Sanchez
http://people.connexer.com/~roberto
http://www.connexer.com
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