I generally agree - transit is broadly disliked in car-centric America for a wide range of reasons. Although complaining about the cost of building it out and operating it while roads are similarly expensive capital-wise and - outside of hated toll roads - nothing but maintenance liabilities is a curious blind spot.
But we sure do love our cars, and as individualists we further love the mobile private spaces they represent.
I do see potential for needle-shifting as car ownership becomes increasingly untenable for younger generations. In Dallas - a city with summer seasons lasting upwards of 6 months and a built environment outright hostile to pedestrians and cyclists - Iām seeing a notable uptick in people genuinely commuting by bicycle and scooter because they canāt afford a car yet less-desirable micro-mobility is a better option than inefficient to nonexistent transit.
Younger generations also donāt have the romantic attachment to cars that prior generations do. Theyāve been inaccessible things they associate with air pollution and older generationsā many undesirable traits. I gather the enthusiasm for seeking driverās licenses has declined over the years; modern risk-averse parenting also seems to further limit opportunities to drive.
Whether this results in substantial change is of course unknown.
Or incentivizing work from home to cut down on rush hour traffic and the attendant design around peak demand. I can work from home anywhere with internet connectivity - and did for 4 years post-pandemic - yet in 2023 employer bought a swank new office building (nowhere near prior locations) and instituted a 4 days in office mandate start of 2024 all so people can attend Teams meetings in a common location.