Do we really want cars for the long term? Can we afford them?

[ramapo]

NNadir posed this thought, although in the form of a statement, in beginning a discussion on the number of nuclear plants required to fuel 100M cars.

That post went down the “how many nukes” rathole while I think the basic question/statement is the important one.

Do we really want or can we really afford cars? My answer is a resounding no but how can we replace the car, and what are the energy implications?.

The automobile is an incredibly inefficient and resource intensive mode of transportation. I grew up and live in North Jersey where nobody walks more than a hundred feet if they can help it, kids get driven two blocks to school (or worse, take their own car), and walking can be a death-defying exercise (unless you drive to the park to walk).

At one time, North Jersey had a network of trolley lines, rail, and bus routes. The trolleys are long gone, replaced by the devious doings of GM when they conspired to put light rail out-of-business so they could sell buses. A good portion of the commuter rail lines also went under, in favor of the car, during the 1960s and 1970s. Of course, the buses are pretty much gone too, although you can take a bus from here-to-there if you have all day to get there.

Rail has been making a very slow comeback in the area but the pace of expansion is excruciatingly slow. There is even a new light rail system in the more urban, Jersey City area, but again, progress is very slow.

My science-fiction pipe dream has always been to run light rail down the median of all major highways. One challenge (beyond construction) is the connection to your home street. The other question is the overall efficiency of running a significant energy consumer vs. the energy consumption of thousands of vehicles. I think NYC has one incredible electric bill for the subway system. Obviously, trains don't run full all the time but must always be available in order to be a viable replacement for the "go anywhere, anytime" automobile.

Many people likely live within reasonable walking distance of a major highway. Big change in mindset required along with construction of pedestrian friendly walkways. The rail concept might also be extended to provide routes along (in place of!) major feeder roads.

Of course, construction would be incredibly expensive and disruptive. But such projects would generate countless jobs. Unfortunately our suburbs were not designed; they just have happened, so in some, maybe most, areas, it may be difficult to achieve transportation efficiency. Suburban sprawl needs to be contained and then reversed.

Some metropolitan areas (Chicago, Boston, Washington) have constructed somewhat seamless mass transit from the suburbs into the city but the car is still king. My understanding is that the George Washington Bridge design was originally intended to carry trains to/from NJ on the second deck but this was nixed in order to keep the city riff-raff out of NJ and support the automobile.

As for the cities, I'm of the opinion that cars should be banned. Whenever I travel to NYC, and I confess to usually driving in, I imagine what a better experience it would be if there weren't any cars. There would still need to be delivery and emergency routes but that's it.

Politicians love to rail (what a pun) against Government subsidies for Amtrak and mass transit as a sign of pointy-headed liberal, socialistic thinking. Amazingly, there seems to be no embarrassment, or recognition, that our nationwide passenger rail system is not even up to third-world standards.

Nor is there recognition of the massive, probably unknowable, subsidy of the automobile, the attendant infrastructure, and associated costs. Just add up how much you spend on the purchase/lease of your car(s), upkeep and maintenance, fuel, and last but not least, insurance.

Think of the trillions sent down the defense sinkhole and how some of that money might be put to a productive use.

Think of the quality of life that is denied to so many by air pollution, congestion, noise, and accidents caused by the car.

All this just so we can get in our car and drive a few blocks to the store, or maybe drive 10-20 miles for lunch (what a waste but very common), or sit with thousands of others in our little metal boxes to funnel into an area that can’t possibly hold us all.

Well I’ve rambled on far too long with this post but would like to read others thoughts on how we might possibly get away from the automobile. It's taken a good 60+ years to get into this mess. How fast might we get out of it?