An occasional update on items from Motordom – the world of auto dominance.
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NO MORE ROADS
When touring a wholly redundant, $200 million bridge project funded largely by Federal transfer payments (something that won’t be there when this expensive, redundant bridge needs to be maintained), I was told this amazing fact: The Florida DOT is required, by statute, to design for a 2% annual increase in traffic on all state highways. Even where there is a documented decline in traffic, they must overengineer for enormous growth. This is a system hard wired to fail.
We need to start getting used to a world where there will be no new streets. What you see on Google Maps today is what is going to be there fifty years from now, if not fewer as many streets will be abandoned. The fact that we don’t have the money to even maintain a fraction of what we have already built is a powerful constraint that we don’t fully appreciate.
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PEAK CAR IN OREGON
Despite the economy showing signs of life, people appear determined to spend less and less time behind the wheel. For the ninth time in 10 years, vehicle miles traveled by Oregonians dropped in 2011, according to preliminary state numbers. Nationally, meanwhile, driving hasn’t recovered since taking a big dip in 2007.
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PORTLAND’S EVIL TWIN: SUV RIGHTS
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More from Vancouvria – the satire based on a satire:
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