(Untitled)

[misplacedmind]

Behind again, but what-evs...

Day 12 - Whatever tickles your fancy...Today, what is tickling my fancy is the notion of transportation. As those of you who are my FB friends likely know, our van took a powder on us Saturday night (leaving us stranded 30mi from home and resulting in a $125 towing fee & an $18 cab ride to work this morning.) Looks

Comments

[athaena]

Lack of decent public transportation in most of this country has LONG been a major issue of mine!

Did you know that Richmond (yes, RICHMOND) had the first electric street car system in the world? It lasted from the 1880s until about 1949. I would lay money that an oil company and/or an automobile company had something to do with buying it out. Now I think perhaps we could REALLY use it. Not only would it be good for the environment and for generally reducing road traffic, it could be a tourist draw a la San Francisco. But no one wants to lay out the money to put it back in. *sigh*

GRTC - the local bus company - has apparently gotten awards for being among the best mid-sized bus systems in the country, which I find disturbing and hilarious seeing as how they are raising rates and cutting routes all over the place. For me to get from my house to the Broad Rock Library, it would take 3 HOURS and at least 4 changes (and all this for a 6 mile one way journey!). If GRTC is among the best bus systems in its class in the country, this shows how pathetic public transit is here. (and then we have the whole Chesterfield and Henrico counties not wanting buses to come to far into the counties because *gasp* they might get exposed to a black person or 2! - stupid cities and counties being separate entities in VA!)

People need to get over this notion that it is their god-given right to have a car in this country and start thinking practically about how much public transport could benefit everyone.

(I, too, miss my reading time on the NJ Transit - and on various trains and buses in the UK.)
/rant