Quote:
Originally Posted by BrownTown
Great, let's have that! If transit is a superior form a transportation then nobody will need to be coaxed into taking it by massive subsidies, they will do so of their own free will and be glad to pay a fair fare.
People make decisions on what form of transportation to take based on quality and cost the same way they would make decisions about anything else. If the cost they are paying is drastically different than the actual cost due to subsidies or punitive taxes then people will respond in a way that is not what an efficient market would dictate. This results in all sorts of inefficiency. Nobody seems to have a problem understanding this fact when low gas taxes result in inefficient low density areas because drivers are not paying the full costs of the roads they use. The only reason people here have an issue seeing the flip side of the coin is due to their dogmatic views that transit is inherently good and driving is inherently bad. Look past your own bias and you will see how obviously true what I am saying is.
|
Do you not acknowledge that your chosen method of transit, driving, is highly subsided? So if the idea of subsidies is ok then isn't it a matter of trying to determine which transit method gives society the best return? In NYC that might be a different answer then Columbus, Oh. One size does not fit all.