Quote:
Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse
I rent cars fairly often, and there's also services like carshareHfx. I
think it's paralysing to submit to the mindset that you can't change anything because doing something different from what's being done isn't compatible with the status quo. I agree that it's necessary to provide better transit service, but adding transit service without reducing automobile provisions won't accomplish much. The transit service will simply be cut after few people are using it because there's little incentive if it's more convenient to take a car. To make a major societal shift, you need both incentives for the new, and disincentives for the old. Mainly because the old, regardless of any drawbacks or advantages, has the momentum due to public familiarity and acceptance.
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If you think that I'm submitting to any such mindset then you are underestimating me.
I think actually the momentum is more towards the no-car mindset than otherwise. My impression is that many more young people today have little interest in driving and no interest in owning a car. That's momentum and the future status quo, IMHO. With that in mind, I feel that attempting to force people into not having cars is actually overkill as the trend will take care of itself in the years to come.
Building an efficient transit system will help to sway those who are on the fence and will be an asset to those who have already made the choice, and this will only be moreso in the future.
Regardless, those who choose to take their cars will continue to take their cars, even if you try to provide disincentives for them. Show them a better way and you may change their mind. Make life more difficult for them and you will never change their mind. Again, just IMHO.