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A comment on American society wasn't always so car-centric. Our future doesn't have to be. Parent comment

Re:American society wasn't always so car-centric. Our future... by AlotOfReading on Sunday January 21, 2024 @02:23PM (#39081945)
Stores like Costco and Ikea exist in countries with good public transit. They're just one among many types of store. Transit advocacy isn't about eliminating everything except public transit. It can just be about improving transit so that the infrastructure for vehicles isn't overwhelmed with all the people who don't need to use cars and don't have other options.
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Re:American society wasn't always so car-centric. Our future... by FredPret on Sunday January 21, 2024 @02:47PM (#39082228)
It sure does eliminate other forms of transport.

You ever see the bill for a bit of rail, or a subway, or a bus line? These things are horrendously expensive to build, maintain, and run. The money comes from taxes. Now that tax money might be better spent on other things poor and homeless people need, or might be better off circulating in the economy and not taxed at all.

But freezing all that value in the form of public transit isn't going to yield the best payoff for society.

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Re:American society wasn't always so car-centric. Our future... by mlsu on Sunday January 21, 2024 @04:13PM (#39083134)
Have you seen the bill for a freeway interchange?

Or the bill for lung cancer due to living next to a busy road?

Or the bill for hearing loss due to noise pollution?

Or the bill for having a kid getting hit and killed by a 3 ton pickup truck?

Or the bill for birds choking on oil after a spill?

...

I can go on.

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Re:American society wasn't always so car-centric. Our future... by 303uru on Sunday January 21, 2024 @04:04PM (#39083045)
Freezing it in the hands of Musk, Bezos, Gates, etc... is? You do realize people build all the infrastructure, right? That entire industries are formed? It's quite literally the definition of mobilizing money into the economy.
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Re:American society wasn't always so car-centric. Our future... by ansmithz42 on Sunday January 21, 2024 @02:34PM (#39082075)
Very True! It is about choice of transit. The US has NO Choice of Transit. It is either Car or nothing. How very free that is to be limited to 1 choice!
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