Cars are unnecessary

Cars are unnecessary:

The simple reason people can't imagine doing without their car is that there are currently no viable alternatives (for many). But consider for a moment just how expensive your car is. A fraction of that cost, paid by car-owners and non-car owners alike could easily pay for a robust public transit system. It could also pay for a delivery service, freeing people of the need to own cars to haul groceries and heavy purchases.

A fraction of the money it costs to buy and maintain cars (and roads and police and, the big one, health costs associated with car accidents) wouldn't just by public transit, it would by NICE public transit. And not just in urban areas -- suburban and semi-rural areas as well.

Where public transit is simply too impractical, car share systems like Zipcar or rental car agencies could pick up the slack. In rural areas people would of course still need cars, but cars in rural areas aren't nearly the nuisance they are in densely populated areas. DailyKos

US President, shill for oil barons

Billions urged for Pa. transit

....The problem, as portrayed by the committee report, is immense: Of the state's 25,000 bridges, more than 5,600, or about 22 percent, are structurally deficient. Travel delays caused by congestion have doubled in the last 25 years and are projected to increase 50 to 60 percent by 2035. Most roads were constructed in the 1960s or earlier and need to be rebuilt. Mass-transit agencies, such as SEPTA, are saddled with decrepit stations, outdated fare systems, and worn-out power networks.

Additional funding of $3.5 billion, including local funding, would allow the state to rebuild 500 bridges a year for the next 10 years and 300 bridges a year for 10 years after that, reducing the percentage of structurally deficient bridges to 5 percent.

It would also permit transit systems to add new bus routes and commuter rail service, and limit fare hikes.... philly.com