Higher gas tax

[mjs]

Good points, DP. I think I've replaced at least three rims and four tires likely in part because I have a blown shock. I bike when I can and I keep trying to find a way to take the bus to work, but even if it could get me there at six am, I'm not willing to ride the bus three hours a day when I can drive it in an hour. I love the job, but maybe I need a closer one.

Have any idea on how much higher rider fees would have to go to cover themselves? If I could be chauffered somewhere, I'd be willing to pay up to the driving costs I currently pay. How did Europe get public transportation to take?

[DetroitPlanner]

Have any idea on how much higher rider fees would have to go to cover themselves? If I could be chauffered somewhere, I'd be willing to pay up to the driving costs I currently pay. How did Europe get public transportation to take?

The rider fees would have to fluctuate in order to cover the true costs, I don't think that it is possible to get the revenue through a rider fee. Last summer diesel was going for close to $4.50 a gallon at the same time there was a huge demand to put even more buses on the road. Now it is less than $2 a gallon. It might be better to have transit based on property taxes, with those living the farthest from linehaul service paying the least and gradually increasing so those that can walk to a bus stop paying more. Remember, that as our country increases in percentage of those who are seniors less folks are able to drive, meaning that paratransit [[those large vans that pick up seniors) will have a higher demand, so any community that cuts this service will be less desirable to seniors, and seniors are generally the kind of people that communities want to attract because they do not fill the schools with kids or have wild parties.

Europe does not sprawl as much as the United States does. This means much more parking is at a premium price. This is the land-use part of the equation.

As stated elsewhere on this thread, most european countries tax the heck out of gasoline to pay for transit.