[Link: Have You Driven a Bus or a Train Lately? - NYTimes.com] "The Obama administration should ask the companies, as a condition of financial assistance, to begin shifting from being just automakers to becoming innovative “transportmakers.” As Barack Obama’s new chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, recently said: “You don’t ever want a crisis to go to waste. It’s an opportunity to do important things you would otherwise avoid.”
As transportmakers, the companies could produce vehicles for high-speed train and bus systems that would improve our travel options, reduce global warming, conserve energy, minimize accidents and generally improve the way we live."
This is a wonderful idea. The United States must direct its transportation system towards universal and comprehensive public transportation while we are still able. This moment in time may be the best (only?) opportunity for that to happen. There will come a time, and I believe that it will be not to distant, when we will still need transportation but will not be able to continue to absorb the cost associated with the automobile or the externalities of the automobile based transportation model. If a functional public system is not ready when that time arrives it may never happen.
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