173 Public Transportation

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Outside of the major metropolitan areas, the real reason there is a constituency for mass transit is the “poor people” industry: poor people can’t afford cars, old people can’t drive, cars are unsafe, travel distinguishes class, and other subliminal motives. Stripped of self-righteous evangelical fervor, pro-mass transit arguments collapse. Most people are willing to subsidize some amount of public transportation for humanitarian reasons but socialist types argue that the public is entitled to transportation, arrogant “urban planners” say they know what is best for us, and the public employee unions protect their own selfish interests: all of which ultimately cause the concept of public transportation to lose any moral legitimacy.</p> <p>Big buses driving fixed routes is out-of-date, inefficient, ineffective & expensive. It's an anachronism that should be completely dismantled as there are other solutions that solve the problems that mass transit is purported to serve. For example, Smart-phone Ride Apps like Uber & Lyft are available right now & low-income riders could be given a subsidy. The driver would be paid & passengers would have the convenience of being picked up in front of their home & being dropped off exactly where they want to go. At peak times, many drivers would make themselves available because of the work opportunity, while during slow times there would be no high cost infrastructure to support, all due to the magic of Free Markets. Unfortunately, entrenched Special Interests like unions, especially the Public Transportation Union, will adamantly oppose a private sector solution, but the writing is on the wall.</p>