The podcast explores the history of America's car culture and the resistance to cars in cities. It delves into the challenges and issues in building public transit, including funding and community interference. The impact of regulation, unions, and staffing on transit costs is discussed. Disparities in public transit ridership based on socioeconomic and racial backgrounds are explored. The success of Los Angeles' light rail system is highlighted. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the potential impact of electric vehicles and the need to address historical harm caused by highways.
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Quick takeaways
Car culture in the United States was heavily influenced by lobbying from car companies, leading to the entrenchment of cars in urban areas and the negative consequences of traffic and pollution.
Building good public transportation in America faces challenges like lack of funding, high construction costs, and the need to overcome the dominance of cars.
Investments in transit options, reimagining streets, and President Biden's infrastructure plan present opportunities to decarbonize transportation and shift towards sustainable travel choices.
Deep dives
Cities Investing in Sustainable Travel Choices
Cities are recognizing the importance of sustainable travel choices and are investing in transit options. Some cities are creating their own sources of revenue to fund their transit systems, such as tax measures passed by voters. Additionally, the federal government has provided funding for transit through emergency relief packages. These investments are essential for decarbonizing transportation and addressing climate change.
Redesigning Streets for Sustainable Transportation
Cities are reimagining their streets to prioritize sustainable transportation options. Many cities are implementing bus-only lanes and creating bus rapid transit systems, which have proven to be popular among transit riders. These improvements not only increase transit speed and frequency, but also make transit a more attractive choice for commuters. By focusing on creating safe, comfortable, and convenient transit options, cities can encourage more people to choose public transportation.
Opportunities in President Biden's Infrastructure Plan
President Biden's infrastructure plan presents an opportunity to address the backlog of maintenance and operational funding in transit systems. The plan includes significant investments in transit infrastructure and operations, which can help cities improve and expand their transit networks. It also calls for a reevaluation of funding priorities, with a greater emphasis on transit. By creating more equitable funding allocations between roads and transit, cities can make significant progress in shifting towards sustainable transportation.
The Role of Electric Vehicles in Sustainable Transportation
Electric vehicles (EVs) are an important part of the transition to sustainable transportation. Cities are implementing programs to support EV adoption, such as electric vehicle car share programs and policies mandating EV charging infrastructure. However, it is important to address the potential reduction in revenue from gasoline taxes as more people switch to EVs. This may require rethinking how transportation infrastructure is funded and exploring alternative sources of revenue.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Transportation Choices
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to changes in transportation choices and priorities. Many cities have seen a surge in cycling and a reevaluation of the importance of streets as public spaces. The pandemic has also highlighted the essential role of transit in cities, leading to increased support and funding for transit systems. As people continue to rethink their commute and seek more accessible amenities near their homes, cities have an opportunity to create more sustainable and livable communities.
The United States is famous for its car culture. But a hundred years ago, pedestrians didn’t want cars to take over the streets — and it took decades of pressure and lobbying by car companies to make them feel otherwise. Today, traffic jams, maintenance and pollution make cars more like the cigarette no one wants to quit. Urban areas have grown up and spread out along ever widening highways with parking spaces required for each new building, further entrenching the car into our lives and choking cities with smog.
Public transit holds tremendous possibilities for reducing our transportation emissions while better moving people through cities. But there’s a lot to overcome when trying to change the mobility model in most American cities, starting with the lack of good public transit and the high costs of construction. How can we make good public transportation work in America?
Guests:
Peter Norton, associate professor of history at the University of Virginia;
author of Fighting Traffic and Autonorama
Eric Goldwyn, assistant professor at the NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management;
co-founder of the Transit Costs Project
Amanda Eaken, director of transportation for the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge at the Natural Resources Defense Council