Two good pieces in yesterday’s New York Times. Tom Friedman writes from India, where last week …
I was driving through downtown Hyderabad and passed the dedication of a new overpass that had taken two years to build. A crowd was gathered around a Hindu priest in a multicolored robe, who was swinging a lantern fired by burning coconut shells and praying for safe travel on this new flyover, which would lift traffic off the streets below.
The next morning I was reading The Sunday Times of India when my eye caught a color photograph of total gridlock, showing motor scooters, buses, cars and bright yellow motorized rickshaws knotted together. The caption: “Traffic ends in bottleneck on the Greenlands flyover, which was opened in Hyderabad on Saturday. On day one, the flyover was chockablock with traffic, raising questions over the efficacy of the flyover in reducing vehicular congestion.”
Friedman thinks India might want to avoid our mistakes (which, with mass-production of a $2,500 car, they clearly don’t intend to do).
Suggests Sunita Narain of New Delhi’s Center for Science and Environment:
“I am simply asking for many more buses and bus lanes — a complete change in mobility. Because if we get the $2,500 car we will not solve our mobility problem, we will just add to our congestion and pollution problems.”
Charge high prices for parking, charge a proper road tax for driving, deploy free air-conditioned buses that reach every corner of the city, expand the existing beautiful Delhi subway system, “and then let the market work,” she added.
Helpful advice, no? The whole column is here.
The other piece – a video, actually – discusses Portland’s bike economy. Yes, cycling is now considered part of the economy.
You can find the video here. With related article here.
A direct link to the Portland biking video can be found here:
http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=FRdamp227251
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/us/05bike.html?ex=1352005200&en=99713bea4de6f6b5&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Also an article.
During my last visit to Portland, I was intrigued to read an article in the Oregonian about how downtown clothing retailers were enjoying an uptick of sales due to commuting cyclists who had forgotten to pack an office garment with them (a belt, for example). Shows you how far that city has come as far as cycling is concerned.
I did now know about the $2,500 car, but if that were to come to fruition in North America, it could have massive implications for our transportation corridors.
You can also buy cars in Canada for $2,500 – they just aren’t new cars.
You can get a fairly decent Toyota or Honda for $2500 that requires fairly minimal maintenance and upkeep.
A fully-warrantied, right-off-the-lot $2500 vehicle — complete with “new car smell” is a different animal than a beat-up Toyota with a cassette player and zero security features.
I believe the $2500 (new) car would have a big impact, because they would suddenly become like a household appliance: everyone can afford to buy one — or two, or three. Leasing one would be cheaper than a car sharing membership.
Where would the economic incentive be for families to sell that second-car in favour of public transit when a new car is cheaper than a bus pass?
So yeah, I stand by my comment.
Just a small note to add…
A Total Gridlock – Thatz what we are heading for here in the cities of the new India, once the $2500 car comes into the market. It’s $2500 because at today’s exchange rate, that adds upto around 99000 Indian Rupees…! Something like the prices at a Christmas Sale at Walmart…!
And one more crazy lil’ thing – Recently, a parking slot for a car in the upmarket area of Mumbai (nee Bombay) sold for around 2500000 (25 lacs) Indian Rupees…!!! (That is around $62500)
Thatz dirt cheap money to pay when you are parking your BMW under your 80000000 (8 crores) Indian Rupees apartment. (Around a cool $2 Million)
But, but, but… Imagine thinking of parking that $2500 car in a parking lot which costs around 25 times the value of the car itself…!!! All these cars will be parked on the roads…!
Gridlock it is… Unless…