They Failed To Coerce Americans out of Their Cars
By: Terrance P. Jeffrey
It’s time that government stop trying to micromanage our lives. We declare for freedom.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Commuting by subway — or some other form of public transportation — and commuting by car epitomize two dramatically different lifestyles in the United States.
In the former, for example, an American might live in a high-rise building in a densely populated urban area. He rides an elevator to the street each morning and then descends via an escalator to an underground chamber, where he stands on a concrete slab until a crowded train comes along.
When he boards that train, he is likely to stand, holding the metal rail above his head to make sure he does not fall when the train lurches forward.
He hopes the coughing, sneezing person standing next to him does not have a communicable disease — but doubts it.
In a hypothetical example of the latter lifestyle, an American might walk through the door of her single-family home into a two-car garage. She gets into her four-door sedan, pushes a button to open the garage door, starts the car, turns on the air-conditioning and backs into her driveway.
She then heads down to the street, passing through a bright green lawn shaded by a massive oak.
She now turns the dashboard stereo to her favorite music.
That same morning, some other Americans would be heading to work via bus, bicycle, cab, carpool, ferryboat or even their own two feet.
So, which commute would you choose?
A recent Census Bureau report indicates the vast majority of American workers have made the same choice: They drive — by themselves — in their own cars.
According to the bureau's American Community Survey for 2019 (the year before the COVID-19 pandemic hit), there were 156,941,346 workers in the United States. Of these, 119,153,349 — or 75.9 % — drove to work alone in a car, truck or van.
Another 13,900,979 — or 8.9% — commuted to work in a carpool.
That means that 84.8% commuted in a private vehicle, either alone or in a carpool.
The next largest group of these pre-pandemic workers (8,970,800, or 5.7%) did not commute at all. They worked at home.
In fact, only 5% of American workers (7,778,444) took public transportation to work.
This included the 2.3% (3,601,403) who took a bus; the 1.9% (2,935,633) who took a subway or elevated rail; the 0.6% (921,391) who took a long-distance train or commuter rail; the 0.2% (242,776) who took a light rail, streetcar or trolley; and the 77,000 who took a ferryboat.
In addition, there were 4,153,050 workers (2.6%) who walked to work; 805,722 (0.5%) who took a bicycle; 385,756 (0.2%) who took a taxicab; and 221,923 (0.1%) who took a motorcycle. There were also 1,571,323 (1.0%) who got to work by what the Census Bureau called "other means."
Nor was the use of public transportation evenly distributed across the country.
A majority (51.1%) who commuted on public transportation lived in the Northeast. Another 21% lived in the West, while 15.1% lived in the South and 12.8% lived in the Midwest.
Within these regions, not surprisingly, public transit users were concentrated in urban areas. Indeed, 62.5% (4,842,172) of the nation's public transit commuters (7,778,444) were concentrated in just five metropolitan areas: New York (3,000,640); Chicago (584,804); San Francisco (461,832); Washington, D.C. (440,972); and Boston (353,924).
The City of New York, according to the Census Bureau report, was the only major city where a majority (2,242,092, or 55.6%) took public transit to work.
Shortly after President Barack Obama took office, as this writer pointed out in a 2010 book ("Control Freaks"), he indicated his desire to have Americans reduce their use of automobiles.
"I would like for us to invest in mass transit, because potentially that's energy-efficient," Obama said at a 2009 town hall in Fort Myers, Florida.
"The days where we're just building sprawl forever, those days are over," he said.
Then-Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood — a former Republican congressman — suggested taxing Americans for every mile they drove. But even the Obama White House rejected that idea.
Obama's Transportation Department then launched what it called the "Livable Communities Initiative."
The AARP Bulletin asked LaHood in October 2009 to "describe" what a livable community was.
"It's a community where if people don't want an automobile, they don't have to have one," LaHood explained. "A community where you can walk to work, your doctor's appointment, pharmacy or grocery store. Or you could take light rail, a bus or ride a bike."
On May 21, 2009, LaHood spoke about this plan at the National Press Club. "Some in the highway supporters and motorists groups have been concerned by your livability initiative," the moderator asked him. "Is this an effort to make driving more torturous and to coerce people out of their cars?"
"It is a way to coerce people out of their cars, yeah," LaHood responded.
The moderator followed up: "Speaking of, some conservative groups are wary of the livable communities program saying it's an example of government intrusion into people's lives. How do you respond?"
"About everything we do around here is government intrusion in people's lives," said LaHood.
A decade later, according to the Census Bureau report, most Americans were still driving their cars to work.
There is one word that explains why they insist on doing so: freedom.
Tags
Who is online
104 visitors
This fits them all so well in this context…
Ah, so the author is pro-choice?
do you think that pro choice is the topic??
Not in his derailing context! We choose to live in single family home subdivisions with nice back yards, sidewalks, schools and parks within walking distance, with no multi unit housing nearby and no store or commercial or industrial property within a mile of said homes. Where to get anywhere other than the k-5 elementary school and the neighborhood park you need a car or to walk/ride bike to a neighborhood bus stop. We will not let bureaucrats in Washington DC countermand said choice.
That's interesting. I recall you stated here on NT that you shop at dollar stores because Walmart is too expensive and yet you're looking down your nose at multi unit housing.
I don’t look down on multi unit housing. There are some newer multi unit buildings in town that are far bigger and more luxurious than my home. I’m simply describing a lifestyle choice I made that I don’t want government to override against my will. As to shopping, reduced income mandates certain changes. Much of what one needs can be found at Dollar Tree and 99CentStores and they do stretch ones budget. What I described above is what I do have in one of the most affordable neighborhoods in this city.
I don’t want government to override against my will.
Believe me I have done the comparative shopping thing and can tell what’s a rip off and what is a good deal. And at the 99 cent store they have items that are 1.99 and 2.99 that still undercut a regular discount grocer. Both stores have frozen and refrigerated groceries and 99 c store has lots of fresh fruit and vegetables too. They can’t be beat though for so many household items.
as far as that not happening to me, it’s true. The subdivision was built from the late 1960’s to early 1980’s. There are no empty lots near me where multi family units can be infilled as they call it. Where I grew up and my mom still lives there were 30 acres of empty woods near their place largely surrounded by housing built in the late 50’s and early 60’s and schools and a cemetery. A developer wanted to put 600 units on those 30 acres. Needless to say the resistance was fierce. Fortunately we got Lowe’s to buy 1/3 of that and put a store between one of the schools and a then new Safeway/CVS shopping center facing a commercial street. The developer said he could not make a profit on the remaining land and developed them adjacent to the north and east end of the concentration of major big box stores we have here where they belonged. 10 of the acres are now industrial behind the post office and the other school and the cemetery kept their 10 closest to most of the existing homes for future expansion. A much better arrangement.
"We declare freedom"...
Who are they talking about? Who is, "we"? It's non-specific so it must include women, yes?
I am very, very sorry you are unable to distinguish what the topic is.
Maybe someone else with far more patience than I can explain it.
They hate the distant suburbs and exurbs and the people who choose to live in such places wanting to preserve the option to live that way so they will talk about anything else.
The topic is freedom, I am sorry that you are unable to distinguish that a person's right to make their own choices would fall under that as a freedom.
I shopped in one a few years ago because I was curious what they had for a dollar. You're right there are things that cost more. But look closely at the products. For instance a box of aluminum foil was .99 for three yards. You can buy aluminum foil at a regular grocery for about 3.99 for 25 yards. I don't remember the pricing for produce. I do remember the packaged products were all off brands I've never heard of.
Last Friday they had the 25 yards for $1 there, 40 yards in a generic brand. They have greatly improved their content and value over those years . I’m not questioning your experience then as I can relate to being there then too as an infrequent shopper there back then. They’ve always been great for greeting cards for various occasions, balloons, party supplies, gift bags and wrap, bows, tissue wrap, tape, and all that.
Yes, women too are free to keep their gas powered cars and live in a suburb. Happy now?
I also won’t be forced out of my car. Even if it is an old one. When my Sorrento became to expensive to keep running at 210,000 miles, I replaced it with a 2000 Nissan Maxima I was lucky to find that was a one owner car with records, garaged parked and only driven 6k miles per year it’s first 20 years and looks new inside and out. My Mechanic gave it a clean bill of health 14 months ago and Since it has a pre CVT auto trans in it and the engine is usually good for 300k I’ll likely keep it for a decade or more.