Monday, December 8, 2008

Doesn't Seem Like a Problem to Me

From the San Antonio Express News Transport Blog:
President-elect Barack Obama's call for sweeping infrastructure investments to put 2.5 million people to work has experts debating just what and how much government should do.

One problem, for some, is that toll roads and privatization could get left behind.

Oh noes! We wouldn't want that. I mean the whole idea of toll roads and privatization is getting money from the government right?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

We wouldn't want the Reason/KKK types to get angry do we?

Christopher Monnier said...

"Reason/KKK types"? That's rather ad hominem. Why the sarcasm about toll roads? Toll roads/congestion pricing/privatization will only drive transit use upwards, as people will be better able to internalize the cost of driving.

Justin said...

Or.. We can just not even waste money on toll roads/privatization and invest the money in transit, and ATTRACT people to transit, instead of forcing them.

Christopher Monnier said...

Changing the paradigm from free roads to toll roads/pay for what you drive will result in a sustainable increase in transit demand. Without changing the paradigm, any boost in transit following a shiny new project will be short lived, as people will just go back to driving. After all, driving is cheaper!

Alon Levy said...

Juxtaposing Reason and the KKK is about as sensible as juxtaposing anonymous commenters and Stalin.

Anonymous said...

I agree that changing from free roads to toll roads might encourage transit, but where I am they've only been privatizing new roads and roads out to the suburbs. Exactly the places where transit doesn't currently go. This puts the strain back on the roads the toll roads were meant to help and makes toll roads seem unprofitable. I doubt we'll ever see the political will to toll the main thoroughfares that will actually lead to increased transit use.

The best solution is still to build really good transit that is easier to use than a car. Sell people on "getting work done on the way to work" or "read a book while stuck in traffic". Getting people on transit via the pocketbook is only going to work when democracy isn't involved (i.e. high oil prices).

Pantograph Trolleypole said...

Come on anon, we don't need that type of language on the blog. While we may not agree with the Reason folks, I don't believe any of them deserve this type of attack.

Anonymous said...

The KKK hate black people, because they are black people.

The guys at Reason hate rail lines, because they are rail lines.

They both share the same logic!

Alon Levy said...

We burn witches. We also burn wood. Therefore, witches are made of wood.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous posters are Stalin.

That and often the business plan for toll roads is to screw up badly enough that the government has to buy back the road for a higher price than they sold it for.

Congestion pricing need not be privatized. And you can privatize the maintenance of roads without charging tolls. The idea that these two concepts are bound together is a myth. But why believe me, I'm Stalin.

M1EK said...

Toll roads are the urbanite's best friend - they reduce the existing massive subsidy to suburban drivers from urban drivers and non-drivers.