Scumbria,
The way we waste oil driving back and forth to work is insanity.
That's what people chose to do, given a choice. So far, the strategy of forcing people back on the bus by making driving more expensive and time consuming has not worked. People seem to value the convenience, and are willing to pay for it.
Something that has not been tried is the other approach: making public transportation more attractive. Or even better, taking public out of the public transportation and replace it with private.
I actually took a bus from the airport the other day (you should try it one day, talk is cheap). It was run by a private company, and I had a very positive experience. The bus was roomy, quiet, clean, comfortable, air-conditioned, with enough leg room for my long legs.
Of course there is the inconvenience of not ending up exactly where you want to end up, and another leg by some other means of transportation to get to your doorstep, which can be very inconvenient with luggage. That's why people take cabs, if they can afford it.
The only way for mass transportation to work is to remove it from the control of people with 19th century, industrial age thinking. Also, the word "mass" will somehow need to be removed from mass transportation as well, and cater to the individual.
I don't see anything on the horizon with a good chance of succeeding.
Joe |
