Do we have to redesign the whole thing?

Cars. Our environment, the modern world - the first world (and in many respects the 3rd world as well) is designed to accommodate these creatures. The average American spends something like 40 minutes a day in them just to get back and forth to work - and those people in car-dependent places like Southern California or New Jersey or Dallas end up spending hours on top of that!

Do we have to redesign the whole damned thing? The whole system that we’ve built to placate our dependence on these objects? Maybe. As is usually the case in my post-automotive life, I’m intrigued by the challenges that might lie in trying to develop an infrastructure of the future that takes account the social, economic, and functional needs of the population. The automobile provides so many things to our world that it’s almost a thoughtcrime to imagine a world without them. But what if this system (which is, by the way, really damned dependent on petroleum, which is really damned dependent on some key international allies) were to suddenly need to be reworked? Could we accomplish such a task?

There are obviously some circumstances and environments where automobiles are invaluable. Hell, I’ve gone on a cross-country road trip… 8,000 miles in a month! The car is the embodiment of the independent spirit within most Americans. We can make a social or fiscal statement (think Priuses, BMW’s, and basically any other kind of car), but we can also determine our own path to our destinations.

I think where the pressure valve needs to be released is the concept of the “daily commute”. This is a hazard to our society, it costs millions of hours of productive time, billions of dollars of unproductive fuel, maintenance, and insurance costs, and doesn’t really do anyone much good. Sure, if you’re in your car you can decide which Starbucks to visit this morning - and whether or not you want to take 101 or 280. But how can we redesign the systems of communal transportation to achieve useful results? It’s an interesting issue to consider, and I for one am enjoying looking at the world with fresh, non-driving eyes.

I read a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit, for those not local) system map today that had several proposed line extensions, that would basically give BART full coverage all the way down to the South Bay (particularly appealing for this particular young man living in the heart of downtown San Jose). But even BART is dirty. I got on a train today and was appalled by the sheer physical filth on the seats. It’s no wonder people prefer their own car - at least they know where the dirt came from!

Anyways, I’ll stop rambling an venting about this again, and hopefully the next time I post on the topic of future transportation infrastructure I’ll actually bring something worthwhile to the table.