Thursday, August 30, 2007
Mass transit
An interesting item on the news this morning. Mass transit is, quite obviously, an essential component in reducing not only global warming but also the depletion of the earth's resources. But in the U.S., mass transit is caught in a capitalist-inspired, profit-required death spiral - raise the rates to make a profit, ridership drops, raise the rates some more to make up for it, ridership drops, cut the number of trains or buses, thereby reducing the frequency and providing even less incentive to use it, ridership drops some more, continue until death.
But today in northern California is a "Spare the Air Day" and mass transit is free (for part of the day, anyway) to discourage car usage. And what does the news report? "Regular commuters" on BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) are complaining of overcrowding. Whaddya know? Make mass transit free and people actually use it!
Think anyone might draw the obvious conclusion? Maybe, but they can't do anything about it, because "we don't have the money." And you all know why that is. See the item immediately below this one in case you don't.
