Comment 32278

By A Smith (anonymous) | Posted July 03, 2009 at 20:27:41

Jason >> They are serving FAR fewer users than if they would reduce the tolls.

No, you're right. However, if they had competition with other toll roads, they would be forced to drop their prices, which would dramatically increase the number of people who could access them.

As long as businesses could make a profit, they would keep building lanes, both for cyclists/pedestrians and cars. Better yet, roads that don't have much traffic/profit potential would be demolished and given over to better uses. They key driver behind transportation development would be profits, not politics and therefore would exist in those areas where demand from the public was enough to justify the costs.

Under this scenario, the HSR would also not need subsidies, as one can imagine Main St and King St toll roads being able to charge a healthy price to access their system. Driving a car on these streets would be rather expensive, but much less per person for a bus/trolley car. In fact, there could be various levels of mass transit, each with a different level of comfort and quality of service.

Furthermore, if developers wanted to still build suburban paradise, they would need to factor in the cost of repairing miles of low traffic density roads. I think this market approach would save more green space then the current legislative approach.

Permalink | Context

Events Calendar

There are no upcoming events right now.
Why not post one?

Recent Articles

Article Archives

Blog Archives

Site Tools

Feeds