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An article over at Motherboard covers the growing inequities in the US resulting from the cultivation of individualized transport options.
Carsharing, ridesharing, ride-hailing, public transit, and cycling—"all of those things are needed to replace personal cars," said [Robin Chase, co-founder of Zipcar].
It's a nice idea, but to actually kill car ownership, we're first going to need to have some very uncomfortable conversations about class and equity in the United States. Public transit used to be the great equalizer, but affordable private rides have become the new favorite of the middle class. When richer people give their money to private ride-hailing or carsharing companies, public transit loses money—and that's not good for cities, societies, or the environment.
[...] This dependence on ride-hailing is having the adverse effect of increasing traffic congestion, which in turn makes bus service slower and more frustrating. Besides, until cities change dramatically—i.e. more parks, fewer parking lots, less sprawl, better accommodations for active and public transit—decreased rates of car ownership likely won't benefit the environment if we're still travelling the same distances in cars.
Those living in countries that still have good or remnants of good mass transit will have different insights. It is unlikely that without good, reliable, vast public transit networks, there will be social and economic equity, assuming that is a goal. While public transit can suck, especially in the US, it is sometimes necessary to take one for the team and vote with your wallet. Unfortunately the situation is often framed as a false dilemma, that there can only be private cars or only mass transit, but not both coexisting and used for different ends at different times by the same people.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday February 14 2018, @01:12AM (1 child)
It was very expensively printed on a huge sheet of plastic then hung from the side of a large building on Portland's Burnside Street. Burnside is always packed during rush hour.
The billboard was flogging the practice of using Uber for your commute to work.
I was and still am appalled at Uber's cruelty. Taking their suggestion would result in some really low-paid guy fighting with traffic every day, while a really high-paid guy kicked back and enjoyed the ride.
Interstate 5 and 205 between Portland and Vancouver both have an all-day long rush hour, even on weekends.
The traffic would be solved in an instant, and we wouldn't need a new and very $$$$$ I-5 Columbia River bridge is just a few of those Ignorant Mother Fuckers would get out of their cars to ride the bus or light rail.
That's what I do every day. My commute takes quite a long time but I enjoy the ride because I get to listen to head-banging rock and roll music [radioparadise.com] both coming and going.
I don't own a car. I don't really need one. If I were to get a car I could shop at a better grocery store, but even the inferior grocery store supplies most of the foodstuffs that I generally eat.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 3, Informative) by TheRaven on Wednesday February 14 2018, @12:13PM
As I read this, Radio Paradise is playing Bondn Og Elverpigen. Either you have a very different definition of head banging to me, or you get very different music from you RP stream...
(Not to in any way disparage RP - I've had a regular donation going to them for years)
sudo mod me up