alt Hacker NewsAnd Americans still don't get it: cars are not a natural fact of life, a birthright endowment.
Driving a car imposes costs on everyone. It requires public infrastructure, pollutes the environment, endangers lives, etc.
Cars are a private privilege, and toll roads are a way to make people aware of that.
But I wonder how the country that hates socialism will see this privatization of costs.
Do I expect Americans to start thinking of making cities for people instead of cars? Will they begin taking public transportation seriously? No, they won't.
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On the East Coast there are more cities with dense populations, so public transit can be effective and car ownership rates are lower.
In the West, many cities are urban sprawls that built out instead of up, so public transit is less effective and car ownership rates are higher.
I wish LA or Phoenix or Vegas was dense living where public transit could be effective, but since they’re urban sprawls and public transit isn’t aa effective as a densely populated city, most people own cars to get around.
> Cars are a private privilege
People might actually not laugh at this when the government builds public transport, walkable cities, jobs within walk distance etc
Cars require the least amount of public infra and can be run relatively cheaply, allow for free movement.
Contrast this with literally every other type of western public transport project going several times over budget, expensive to use and maintain and breaks down after a decade. I'm all for the idea, but that's the reality.