Comments on: Today’s Headlines

By: Niccolo Machiavelli

Niccolo Machiavelli — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:20:08 +0000

It does penalize people in rural areas, exurban and suburban areas relative to urban areas. So do the high gas prices. No one out there complained when the opposite was true, the years when relatively low gas prices in effect penalized people in urban areas (most of the population). The energy-transportation-political perfect storm driven by $150+ per barrel of oil represents a watershed moment, a tidal shift when political and economic power begins to return to economies of urban density.

By: JF

JF — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:14:15 +0000

I’ve got one thing more to say, James: their pathetic rationalizations (“it would penalize people in rural areas!”) sound exactly like the ones used against congestion pricing.

By: James

James — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:50:27 +0000

Those comments in the NY Times piece of the 55mph proposal make me embarrassed to be an American. There’s nothing more to say.

By: Josh

Josh — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:37:09 +0000

If Ikea is paying for the water taxi, I don’t have a problem with their customers getting preferential treatment.

By: Larry Littlefield

Larry Littlefield — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:55:25 +0000

I was just doing research for a report on Los Angeles when I came on this:

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/07/elevated_cycleway_advocate_dead.php

Now THAT would be bike infrastructure — an elevated bicycle expressway. And unlike an elevated subway or auto expressway, there would be no noise.

By: Doc Barnett

Doc Barnett — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:43:13 +0000

“Speaks volumes about the American mindset, doesn’t it?”

Yet, Europeans have always considered us to be slow drivers. The higher (taxed) gas prices that they’ve long had induced smaller cars and less driving, but not at all slower driving. Which is kind of faulty, because at high speeds drag starts to matter more than weight. But, when you rarely drive on restricted access roads (their tolls being expensive) it makes sense to maximize the benefit by going fast and splurging on gas. (Leaving aside the fact that crashing at 130 kph is beyond life threatening.)

What I find interesting is that our country of supposed capitalist rambos is the one that responds to fuel crises with command and control mechanisms—like the national 55, CAFE efficiency mandates, price controls and rationing—while the red socialists in Europe instituted gas taxes that enlist the market to find solutions.

By: Urbanis

Urbanis — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:37:56 +0000

Re: “Ikea Customers Getting Preferential Treatment on Red Hook Water Taxi”

Alas, it was only a matter of time.

By: Urbanis

Urbanis — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:31:31 +0000

Re: “Why Manhattanites loathe the bus”

Is anyone truly surprised that it takes less time to walk cross-town than ride the bus?

By: Urbanis

Urbanis — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:09:15 +0000

Re: “Moving Too Fast to Drive 55″

Here’s a choice quote on reducing the national speed limit to 55 to save energy:

“‘It’s too slow,’ Mr. Jacobs said. ‘It’s not the way we live. Everything is fast. We eat fast food. We have high-speed Internet. If you’re going from Point A to Point B you want to get there as soon as you can. I don’t think the solution is making us go slower.”

Speaks volumes about the American mindset, doesn’t it?

By: Larry Littlefield

Larry Littlefield — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:37:52 +0000

Deferred maintenance.

Note that no cuts are planned to retirement benefits or debt service, the main purposes of government.

I expect that when the huge tax increases on wage income come around (with no additioal funding for anything), I doubt the retired will be asked to pay a dime.

This is the first installment. I’m barely paying attention until after November.