Nigeria - unpleasant okada economy

...The okada is an ad hoc measure, elevated into a main vehicle in the face of the failure of urban planning and the public transportation system. We run a national economy that is fueled by ad hoc measures. That is why the process of formulating the 2008 budget has so far been mostly experimental. The Presidency and the National Assembly do not know what they want. They can't agree on a road map.

Motorcycles have become the main means of transportation in Nigeria, because of the failure of planning. Okada-related accidents are often more fatal, and more frequent, than any other category of accidents, and yet the government is not sufficiently concerned. Even government officials, faced with a traffic snarl, jump onto the back of the okada....VillageSquare

Life without cars. Possible. Better.

carfreelifestyle.com

Manchester, UK - Campaign for FPT

Click Here

Free public transport idea is spreading fast

new international site coming soon

Charlotte, NC - Creative thinking needed

...Here’s another idea: treat public transportation as a necessary public service and set up the system so it’s guaranteed enough money to increase service around the city. It’s time for local officials to get creative for a change, rather than thinking like robotic bureaucrats. How about a luxury car tax? A gas guzzler tax? Or how about coming up with something new, an overhaul of the system that could be proposed to local governing bodies — come on, Keith Parker, have you got that in you? Maybe even look into an idea we brought up in October 2007 — something a number of cities in the US and other nations are having success with: fare-free public transit. Think of the drop in congestion and gasoline bills, not to mention air pollution — and what a way for Charlotte to show that its progressive vision goes beyond a couple of light-rail lines and a lively Uptown...The CLOG

Imagine there's no cars...

carfree.com

U.S. transit didn't just die, it was murdered

But GM lost $65 million in 1921. So Sloan enlisted Standard Oil (now Exxon), Philips Petroleum, glass and rubber companies and an army of financiers and politicians to kill mass transit.

...But with a varied arsenal of political and financial subterfuges, GM helped gut the core of America's train and trolley systems. It was the murder of our rail systems that made our "love affair" with the car a tragedy of necessity. commondreams

U.S.Auto bailout tip of iceberg

For decades the U.S. taxpayer has directly subsidized the carbon-fuel, automobile, and sprawl industries. Now "emergency" direct subsidies are being considered for automakers.

But these direct subsidies are just the tip of the iceberg. The autosprawl system generates large "profits" for the above industries, but these are not real economic profits. The profits come from ignoring the costs [externalities] and wastefulness [opportunity costs] of this system.

The biggest hidden cost is greenhouse gas emissions and the consequent floods and drought. The second is oil and pipeline wars. There are many more problems absorbed by society for the unnecessary autosprawl system. How many can you name?

The solution is to stop the subsidies and invest in public tranportation.

Congress for New Urbanism

“Throughout history, streets were expected to be vibrant public spaces and the setting for diverse and valuable economic activity, as well as movers of people and goods. We’re learning how to do that again, but when you design simply around vehicular movement as typically happens, you limit the results to a familiar landscape that includes big-box and strip retail. And perversely enough, you get a lot of traffic congestion and outrageous carbon emissions. It shouldn’t be a surprise — when people need a car or truck to get anywhere, that creates a lot of long car trips.”
--John Norquist, President and CEO of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU)

U.S. - Which infrastructure?

There is a lot of talk about investing in infrastructure. But which infrastructure? Will the U.S. continue to dump good money after bad into the wasteful autosprawl system? Or will the carbon-auto subsidies come to an end? The American Public Transportation Association makes the case for public transit. It's intuitive, folks. Will the U.S. Congress do the right thing? Join your local bus/transit riders' union, or transit advocacy group.