OK, how do we get to where we want to go in transforming transportation options?
Avi says we need to Do a Better Job in Promoting Transit (Victoria News, 20 April 2012) and gives a description of the many benefits that can be derived from stopping urban sprawl in favour of urban "densification". We can all understand the principles as written; however, unless those words are transcribed in dollars saved v.s. dollars invested, those who pay taxes and those who levy them have great difficulty in seeing the balance sheet.
When the newspaper headline says "LRT project to cost $1 Billion", every politician runs for cover and says "not in my city"; and virtually every tax payer puts his hand on his wallet. If we are going to see any progress in escaping from our current costs of travel, distances covered in getting to work or play, environmental contamination of our cities and loss of productivity in our enterprises, we must quantify the future value of change.
Do we have no economists who can draw a picture of all those factors and give us the map that will get us out of our current traffic quagmire? A program that politicians can sell and voters (taxpayers) can buy?
