Transport Blog

July 2006
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

November 10, 2003

The way we think about transport

Reading an exchange in the Letters section of the Times (subscription required for non-UK residents) I came across the following:

As for motorists subsidising railways, were it not for the railways, our roads would be even more crowded than they are.

Which, of course, is true. It's just the implication (spend more on railways) that is false. Can you think of any other industry where this sort of thinking would apply? "Mars Bars are selling out so I think we'll make some more Snickers." "Croissants are doing a roaring trade, let's start selling Frosties."

Of course not. What happens in the real (free-ish market) world is two things. First of all Mr Mars puts up the price. Second he increases production and then lowers the price. At all times everyone can get their hands on Mars Bars and at the end point more people can enjoy Mars Bars.

Just the same could work with roads. In Phase I tolls are introduced. In Phase II more roads are built. Easy peasy.

So, why doesn't this happen? Oh, because it will cause pollution and because it will lead to social exclusion and because we don't want to cover the whole country in concrete. That's the sort of thing that gets trotted out. For what it's worth I think it is drivel and I hope some day to get round to writing a proper take-down. We'll see.

Trackbacks

Comments

So you're pro-paving all of Britain? The problem isn't that roads aren't being built, it's that more roads and lanes don't decrease traffic in the long run.

Posted by Randolph Jurisprudence III on November 10, 2003

I second that. And with cars growing larger in some places, the roads will never keep up!

Posted by Laurel on November 11, 2003

WTF?

Please tell us what more roads and lanes do then Randolf?
They certainly DO decrease traffic congestion and in turn this helps out with exhaust emissions, fuel economy and ultimately less time spent stuck in traffic. When did cars become inherently evil and trains inherently good?

You seem to be of the mind that if auto commuting is made more miserable, then everyone will HAVE to take the train, or the bus or anything but a car, and LIKE it.

I would rather the decision as to what form of transportation I use be left up to me and not the Green Party.

Posted by Apache on November 11, 2003

Whoa there, Apache - it looks like someone is a little bit of a road rager...

Anyway, look at any American city that has used profligate road-building as its only solution to the traffic problem. People spend more time commuting in those cities, not less, since roads encourage sprawl. Notice I said "encourage," not "force." Nobody will ever make you give your car up, Apache. However, it seems starkly obvious that if we're going to make it easier for people to get where they need to go and we're going to use public money to do it (let's not forget what builds those highways), we should try a more balanced approach.

And no, building one little strip of street-level light rail through downtown doesn't cut it anymore.

Posted by Randolph Jurisprudence III on November 11, 2003

Pave the Planet!

One World, One People, One Slab of Asphalt!

I used to have a T-shirt with that on it, and wore it proudly. I especially loved when some dipstick driving a Benz struck up a conversation along the lines of 'That's terrible! Why would you want to do that? I drive an hour to work each day just so I can be closer to nature. It'd be awful to pave everything!'

Unfortunately, this was so jaw-droppingly shortsighted and missing the point that I couldn't make the proper response, that being "Well, then it's YOUR fault we're paving everything! You want a road out to your little country hideaway, don't you?"

Posted by Highway on November 15, 2003

Why don't we restrict cars so that there'll be a sudden increase in the demand for roads!?

Posted by jared on December 8, 2003

Permalink

IN BRIEF

November 23, 2004

'Captain commuter' wins Sydney a free day on the trains ...link