Many urban dwellers still lack option to live without a car - Greater Greater Washington

Many urban dwellers still lack option to live without a car - Greater Greater Washington: The Washington region has gotten a "solid return" on its transit investment, but many carless households still lack good access to transit and many more, even in urban areas, don't have a realistic option to live car-free if they wanted to, according to a Brookings Institution report.

Oiligarchy using fake fiscal "crisis" to force people back to cars

Nearly 80 Percent of Public Transit Systems Forced to Implement Fare Increases or Service Cuts Due to Flat or Decreased Local and State Funding: "Washington, DC- Public transit systems are faced with implementing new service cuts and fare increases on top of cuts and increases enacted during the past budget cycle, according to a new study released by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). Nearly eighty percent of public transit systems have already implemented fare increases or service cuts in 2010 or are considering them for the future because of flat or decreased local and/or regional funding."

“For some, Baltimore life is sweeter with no car” – with quotes from yours truly « sidewalkperspective

“For some, Baltimore life is sweeter with no car” – with quotes from yours truly « sidewalkperspective: "while I am concerned about the environment and wanted (at least on some level) to “make a statement” about our car-centric culture, the decision to sell my car was mostly an economic one. I simply could not afford it at the time, whatever my other, higher-minded reasons were.

Today, I probably could afford a car, but why bother? The only thing I wish I could do that I currently can’t do is go to my Mom’s house whenever I want and stay as long as I want. Fortunately, I have a wonderful and understanding mother who doesn’t mind driving a mile to pick me up from the bus stop. (Sometimes I bike that extra mile. And sometimes, she comes to me and spends money in the city. Being car-less means it’s harder to do anything – among them, spending money – outside the range of public transit. And maybe that’s not such a bad thing.)

Really, think about it: What are the things that you currently do that you have to drive to? And are those things all that important? For me, they really weren’t. And I think a lot of people, were they to ask themselves that question, would reach the same conclusion."

Auto-system is economically unsustainable

Transportation: The high cost of underinvestment - baltimoresun.com: "How is this possible? The calculation is based on all the expenses incurred by poor roads, bridges and transit systems. For instance, each year these deficiencies mean an extra $97 billion in vehicle operating costs, $32 billion in travel delays, $1.2 billion in safety costs and $590 million in environmental costs.

As the transportation system worsens, the costs increase markedly. Without greater investment, the average household stands to lose about $7,000 in household income each year within a decade, according to the report."

Invest in sustainability and justice - #publictransit

MassTransit » Blog » The Value of Sustainability: "APTA President William Millar said, “We need to keep pushing that investment in transit is just that, investment, it’s not spending.” With Washington being “a bigger zoo than usual,” it’s only going to get worse as everyone will be trying to push their programs and agendas through with all of the cuts, he said.

King County Metro General Manager Kevin Desmond, also the APTA chair for the Sustainability Committee, said the workshop is about how the value of sustainability is being measured and delivered. “It’s not enough to just believe in it, there needs to be some substance behind that.”

Romel Pascual, deputy Mayor for the Environment, city of Los Angeles, said sustainability is a world issue, but much of the action is at the local level. He stressed, “Transportation is always at the cutting edge of sustainability environmental justice.”"

Some Baltimoreans have given up their cars - baltimoresun.com

Some Baltimoreans have given up their cars - baltimoresun.com: "'I do not miss owning a car at all,' he said. 'Selling it was one of the best decisions I ever made, and really it changed my life for the better.'"

Zipcar's Impact On How People Use Cars Is Enormous | Fast Company

Zipcar's Impact On How People Use Cars Is Enormous | Fast Company: "Zipcar debuted in Baltimore a year ago. The company has since gathered feedback from the new Zipcar drivers there to determine exactly what happens once car sharing is introduced in a city. As it turns out, the effects are rather drastic, seriously curtailing both car ownership and car use, while pumping up how often people take public transportation."