Many people were against dismantling our rail system and building the mass motorway system because of the difference in future costs to maintain each of them. Beyond that, it was apparent that once this happened, it would make us "stuck" with the system we chose, while building anything new [[rebuilding rail) would seem fiscally absurd.... which is exactly what has happened.
Unfortunately, we must keep commerce moving, and in order to do that, we have to keep the current system in grade A shape. If we do not do this, it has very serious affects on our economy and quality of life. Poorly maintained roads will significantly raise insurance rates, drain disposable income diverted to vehicle repairs and tow, cause an increase in accidents and thus medical costs, and significantly shorten the life of a vehicle. Most of all, poor road conditions have an indirect affect when realizing that many vehicles are used for commercial purposes, thus affecting prices for consumer goods, along with unemployment rates.
Adequate insurance is key, but there is still a lot of risk for, say, a farmer transporting perishable goods to markets. Delay of delivery can ruin produce [[and does contribute to higher prices), and down drivers and equipment can still have opportunity costs [[they could be making additional money beyond what insurance is paying to replace). Beyond that, claiming damage from government agencies can be a long and tiresome battle, that goes on and on, with no guarantee that you will get anything. And, if you suffer injury because of a pot hole or other defect, you will likely not be compensated by road accident funds, as they tend to only offer assistance to cases of accidents with other vehicles, or in hit-and-runs.
Until we actually have better alternatives, Metro Detroit and the rest of Michigan will be forced to continue subsidizing costly maintenance of the mass motoring transit system. As we found out by our industry history, we tend to put all our eggs in one basket, and fail to see why diversity is good, until it is too late to avoid extreme discomfort or death.
The mass motoring subsidation system has a reasonable possibility of bankrupting Michigan in the foreseeable future. That is the legacy we are leaving for our children.
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