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20/20 - Bailouts & Bullshit
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Originally aired on March 13, 2009, the documentary Bailouts and Bullshit (by John Stossel) exposes the incompetent US government. This segment (part 2) is about traffic hell.
Apr 22, 2009 1:04 PM
Re: 20/20 - Bailouts & Bullshit
Would handing out building and maintaining road to private companies really solve things? Would they really build better roads when they have competition? Where would they cut costs? How much would a company exploit their most popular roads and would that really solve the congestion problem?
The issue seems to me that there are too many cars on the road. More practical solutions in my view would be providing better residence near commercial and industrial areas shortening the commutes. Another option is to improve public transportation or to get people to use alternative transportation methods like bicycles and facilitate those options.
The issue seems to me that there are too many cars on the road. More practical solutions in my view would be providing better residence near commercial and industrial areas shortening the commutes. Another option is to improve public transportation or to get people to use alternative transportation methods like bicycles and facilitate those options.
Re: 20/20 - Bailouts & Bullshit
Privately operated toll roads do not solve traffic problems.
Here in Ontario Canada we have the 407, which is a privately run toll highway that 'rings' around the Greater Toronto Area. It was originally built with taxpayer dollars, then leased to a private company to run and administer tolls on. So the entire purpose of the road was to releive congestion in the inner core of toronto, now punishes you for avoiding the higher traffic areas by charging about $17 to bypass the worst traffic areas in the city.
Because of the toll cost being outrageously high, evertime I drive thought Toronto, I am pretty much forced into adding to the overall congestion level as I do not find nearly enough value in toll cost/time saved.
This peice really should have been on how the billions of dollars in infrastructure spending should be spent on designing all new public transit facilities so commuters could get from point A to B with less hassle and cost then driving on packed highways.
Lets be honest. The guy who has 'the worst commute' in LA. 16 miles? thats freakin it? Get out of your car and get on your bike lazy ass. 16mph should be no problem to cover in a city setting on a bike. Shaving off a nice 1/2 hour in his commute and he would be healthier for it.
Here in Ontario Canada we have the 407, which is a privately run toll highway that 'rings' around the Greater Toronto Area. It was originally built with taxpayer dollars, then leased to a private company to run and administer tolls on. So the entire purpose of the road was to releive congestion in the inner core of toronto, now punishes you for avoiding the higher traffic areas by charging about $17 to bypass the worst traffic areas in the city.
Because of the toll cost being outrageously high, evertime I drive thought Toronto, I am pretty much forced into adding to the overall congestion level as I do not find nearly enough value in toll cost/time saved.
This peice really should have been on how the billions of dollars in infrastructure spending should be spent on designing all new public transit facilities so commuters could get from point A to B with less hassle and cost then driving on packed highways.
Lets be honest. The guy who has 'the worst commute' in LA. 16 miles? thats freakin it? Get out of your car and get on your bike lazy ass. 16mph should be no problem to cover in a city setting on a bike. Shaving off a nice 1/2 hour in his commute and he would be healthier for it.
By: SubliminalKID
Re: 20/20 - Bailouts & Bullshit
This segment is a bunch of Bullshit.
As someone already said, the issue has more to do with the amount of cars and the logistics of civil engineering around an already overdeveloped urban environment like Atlanta and L.A.
Privatizing roads does nothing to solve the fundamental problems. It just excludes the less fortunate (people unable to pay tolls) from the otherwise common roadway.
As someone already said, the issue has more to do with the amount of cars and the logistics of civil engineering around an already overdeveloped urban environment like Atlanta and L.A.
Privatizing roads does nothing to solve the fundamental problems. It just excludes the less fortunate (people unable to pay tolls) from the otherwise common roadway.
By: psyjax
