Post by Steven Dale
Image by flickr user sicoactiva.
We like to think of the choice to drive a car as just that: A choice. That’s why we frame the Private Automobile vs. Public Transportation debate in terms like “travel mode choice.”
We then shame drivers for their choice, knowing in our heart-of-hearts that they’re making a less than optimal decision.
But what if choice had very little to do with it? What if driving an automobile was habitual and devoid of choice?
What if driving was like cigarette smoking? We all know it’s bad for us, but damn if it doesn’t feel good while we’re doing it.
If that hypothesis were the case (and someone far smarter than I should test it to find out), then it means our entire approach to transit planning and marketing is flawed.
If that hypothesis is correct then no matter how perfectly planned a transit system is, increased ridership is unlikely to follow.
Suddenly we’re dealing with addiction. How then to deal with that?
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Want more? Purchase Cable Car Confidential: The Essential Guide to Cable Cars, Urban Gondolas & Cable Propelled Transit and start learning about the world's fastest growing transportation technologies.
