98% of Americans are in favor of expanded public transportation. Yes, there is a catch. This is what the study released today by the APTA concluded:
A study released Monday by the American Public Transportation Association reveals that 98 percent of Americans support the use of mass transit by others.
Now, that is a scary statistic. With hordes of environmental and financial problems looming over the US economy (chiefly the result of our unappeasable appetites for oil), one would assume that our citizens would become better acquainted with more sustainable lifestyles. This national mentality falls in line with some situations we’ve addressed here on TM; evidenced by the opposition against bringing commuter rail service to the CSX corridor because it would “hamper the commutes of motorists traveling along several east-west corridors.”
Of the study’s 5,200 participants, 44 percent cited faster commutes as the primary reason to expand public transportation, followed closely by shorter lines at the gas station. Environmental and energy concerns ranked a distant third and fourth, respectively.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news America, but this is not how transportation works:
Anaheim, CA, resident Lance Holland, who drives 80 miles a day to his job in downtown Los Angeles, was among the proponents of public transit.
“Expanding mass transit isn’t just a good idea, it’s a necessity,” Holland said. “My drive to work is unbelievable. I spend more than two hours stuck in 12 lanes of traffic. It’s about time somebody did something to get some of these other cars off the road.”
You will notice that equally important in our quest of reshaping the American Landscape (and mentality) is to create a better understanding of our land use policies.
Recommended Reading:
- With Gas Over $4, Cities Explore Whether It’s Smart to Be Dense (WSJ)
Are you sure this is accurate? You’re citing <a href=”http://www.theonion.com/content/faq/editorial”The Onion as a source and no recent polling information is available on the APTA site (at least, to non-members).
IF these statistics are true, I would not be shocked. The problem is, the public does not grasp the severity of the economic situation America is currently facing. I should preface what I am about to say with, I have a degree in International Economics and I follow the financial and economic health of the world closely.
With that said, I believe most Americans think a new president will come in and save they day. Well, they are utterly incorrect. America is insolvent, the fed/treasury is printing money like its no ones business (try to find M4 online, I think shadow government website still publishes it). This is in turn devaluing our currency which is in turn driving up oil prices, well that and supply not keeping up with demand and peak oil with in the next decade. Anyway, currency devaluation is not going to be reversed ANY time soon.
So basically, America can no longer pay its debts. We will see major bank melt down, we will see unemployment higher than we have seen in many generations. I have also heard MANY reports that with in the next four to five years gas will be 10 to 16 dollars on average here in the states. We will probably see Hyper Inflation in the coming years as well. This will be a LONG and drawn out collapse of the F.I.R.E (Finance, Insurance and Real Estate) economy we currently have.
I can go further but it will be out of scope of this topic. Basically, these mentalities will not last long. I expect by the end of 2009 you will see a HUGE reversal in how people think. I just hope, who ever comes into office is extremely honest with John Q Public. Let them know whats going on and that this will not be reversed in one Presidential terms, and likely not in two. They will have to restructure our economy and thats going to take a decade, easily.
Heck, when CNN or one of them grows a set and actually reports on the tent cities that have popped up out west full of ex suburbians who have lost their homes, the populace will realize $4!7 is real right right now and getting worse.
Whether people want to accept sustainability out of virtue of future generations now or out of necessity later, it will happen. Mass transit is going to be a huge part of moving forward. So will de-suburbanization. Oh and yes, they will come with electric cars and blah blah blah but when this is all said and done, not to many will have the money to go out and buy one. Heck people are living check to check now and this is just starting to unfold. Driving will become a luxury for awhile, thats for darn sure.
Well for some reason, it seems that 2% who don’t want it all live in Kendall and oppose any kind of rail (light or heavy) solution for the 88th Street corridor.
If I put this on DIGG, will you get mad? I feel like I have to, though.
I guess this is an instance of the need for fact-checking. The Onion is a political satire publication, and should only be cited accordingly. The point of the Onion’s article is to draw attention to the fact that while many Americans understand the need for mass transit theoretically, there is still the adoptive barrier in favor of the freedoms afforded by personal transit. Unless and until we are able to have efficient means of mass transit, we will never see true adoption. On a separate note, I would like to see a response to Frank Rollason’s opinion regarding the streetcar:
http://www.biscaynetimes.com/neighborhood/neighborhood_0708_Rollason.html
Great article on why Mass transit plans fail!
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=8831
Wow, now that article sounded more like it came from the Onion . A libertarian will always argue in favor of less government in the lives of the people. What would Mill say of our modern society? That hardly leads to the conclusions reached in this article. It reads more like an adolescent rant against government than a clearly thought out argument. Leave it to a French Farting Whore to uncover the truth. And thanks to the government for making sure that life is not nasty, brutish, and short.