The Hard Reality of Transportation

The fact is, ladies and gentlemen, there are far, far too many people on this planet for us all, humankind, to keep driving our own, individual cars to and from our destinations.

We need public transportation.

And we need it all over our cities and states and nations. We need it across the world.

We have to stop pretending it's--what?--the 1940's? and there aren't that many of us and we can continue this expensive, very polluting insanity.

As just one example, look at traffic in Los Angeles.






Keep in mind, too, this is daily. Sure, it's Los Angeles but it's not just them, not just that one city and again, it's not just a one day occurrence. It's repeated all through the year and in far too many cities across the globe.

It's getting worse, too.

It's Not Your Imagination, 

Los Angeles County is Getting More Crowded

Not only is it Los Angeles, but it's only growing worldwide. With more and more people in our cities, states and nations, across the globe, this only becomes more apparent and real and necessary.

Number of People in the World to Rise 

to 8 Billion by 2023, U.N. Says

This is crazy. This is no way to live.

Think about it. Los Angeles. San Diego. San Francisco. Houston, Dallas, Austin. Heck, traffic is so bad on the other side of the country, we just give up and call it the "Northeast corridor."

As usual, Germany and Europe are far ahead of us here in the US on this, too.

German cities to trial free public transport 

to cut pollution 

Not only is this a good idea, we need to take it steps further.

We will need to actually further tax cars so we can accomplish three big goals:

--Cut down on all that traffic

--Reduce the pollution and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

--And, yes, increase those of us on public transportation

Public transportation can no longer be only for the less affluent or even thought to be only for them.

We have to realize all the benefits we'd reap from this, too. We can't only think of it as what we would lose. Herewith, just some of those benefits.

--Again, less pollution

--Repeating, less traffic

--Cleaner air

--Less irritated asthma and respiratory ailments for hundreds of millions across the planet

--Less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere so...

--Less increased global warming and

--Slower human-caused climate change

--Less time wasted sitting in traffic

--Maintaining public transportation is far less expensive than having to maintain all the more singular roads required to keep all this traffic going

We have to learn to live together, we have to learn to work together and yes, we all, all of us, need to learn to travel together. Lots of people across the world have done this.

Now, we all need to.

Links:

Public Transportation Benefits

Why Public Transit Is Important

Why We All Need Public Transportation

Why We Need Public Transportation, 

Not More Self-Driving Cars

10 reasons why you should use public transport 

Local Mechanic Hits the National News

The Atlantic Magazine has a story this week on a local mechanic and the evolution of automobiles.

A Mechanic Faces the Age of the Self-Driving Car

Joe Sevart, an auto technician turned business owner in Kansas City, Missouri, talks about the future of servicing more advanced vehicles.

Joe Sevart owns an auto-service business in Kansas City, Missouri, that specializes in computer diagnostics. I spoke with Sevart about his transition from technician to business owner, why he hired a business coach, and how electric and driverless cars are changing the traditional auto industry.

Mr. Sevart is out East at I-70 Auto. I used to be a patron, for what it's worth.

An electric car and the differences it can make for you

A friend of mine on Facebook wrote a bit yesterday about his Chevrolet Volt electric car.  What he says was rather eye opening to me and I think it may well be to lots of Americans who may not be familiar with what's possible here:

When I first got my Chevy Volt at the end of 2013, Keith Reynolds asked if I could give a one month update. With how obviously it behaved differently in the cold than warmer temperatures, I decided to wait until I had more info on different conditions to give a review. I'd say after a 75 degree day I'm now due.

The first thing I should say is it is an absolute joy to drive. It's like a silent hovercraft with instant acceleration and good (not killer) cornering. And the low drive setting engine brakes really hard so I rarely touch the brake, and just absorb whatever speed I was doing back into battery storage as I slow into braking traffic or lights, or down hills. I can come to a stop just taking my foot off the accelerator even on a downhill upwards of 10%.

I've driven it a bit over 5500 miles in four months, just over half of it electric and the rest on long trips out to NY state (230 miles each way). In the depth of winter I was getting only about 32 miles on a 10+ kWh charge (which costs me around $1.20), and low 30s mpg on gas. Its biggest weakness is heating the inside without the engine running, so it was using gas partly for heat, partly for locomotion. Today I got over 49 miles on the same 10+ kWh charge. Around 40 mpg with the gas engine charging the battery, which drives the wheels. I've used almost 76 gallons of gas in almost 2600 miles on gas, and about 2960 on electricity from my outdoor outlet and free public parking charges, probably about $80-90 in electricity.

So under 7 cents a mile to drive, and way more fun than any car I've ever had or driven, stick shifts or not. I swore I would never drive an automatic, but this car has totally changed my thinking. I would never buy anything but an electric car again. It's effectively getting well over 120 mpg on days I drive under 50 miles locally, I can go wherever I want, and I look forward to zipping around in it every morning. Among the hadfull of best purchases I've ever made.

So think about it.

You save money.

You buy less gas.  A LOT less.

You pollute less.

Those are two HUGE wins.

Wins for you. Wins for all of us.

Let's et this party started.

Link:  Three Years Later, Most Consumers Don't Understand

Very cool thing coming out of Cape Girardeau this weekend

An electric car convention? In Cape Girardeau, Missouri?

Believe it:

Convention on electric cars set in Cape Girardeau

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — A convention designed to help people convert cars to run on electricity is scheduled this week in Cape Girardeau.

About 150 people are expected to attend the Electric Vehicle Conversion Convention, which runs Tuesday through Sunday. Organizers say educational sessions and hands-on work will be held at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. The Southeast Missourian reports (http://bit.ly/1en6Kwc ) nearly 45 electric vehicles will be on display for the public.

Co-organizer Jack Rickard says the convention is drawing people from across the country, as well as countries such as Canada and Australia. He says many attendees are coordinating electric car projects with people on other continents, and the convention gives them a chance to meet.

It gets even more unpredictable, too:

The convention also will offer electric-vehicle drag races and autocross Friday afternoon.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/08/05/4390759/convention-on-electric-cars-set.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/08/05/4390759/convention-on-electric-cars-set.html#storylink=cpy

Who knew?

I mean, I've said on here before I'm old but I'm no way this old...

Know how to anger a Kansas Citian?

Drive the speed limit on I-435 on the South part of the city.

Or maybe just drive the speed limit.

KCK/KCMO No. 26 on "Most Dangerous Cities for Pedestrians"

You read correctly and it's out today on Yahoo! News. CarInsurance.com ranks our metropolitan area as the 26th worst city in the nation for pedestrians to get around. Sure, we could be worse and be in the top 25 or 15 or 10 but it still isn't good. We're one spot worse than the Los Angeles metropolitan area and they show 2533 deaths from being a pedestrian so you know something's not good. (Notes: St. Louis is no. 23--yay, at least we're not that bad--and Florida is worst of all with the top four worst places for pedestrians in that state). What did they used to say on the old TV show "Hill Street Blues"? Let's be careful out there. Link: http://www.carinsurance.com/Articles/how-not-to-get-hit-by-a-car.aspx?WT.qs_osrc=fxb-6922510

It was the best of air, it was the worst of air: State of the Air 2011

Who knew?

There is an annual ranking of the air quality of cities and states around the US, done by the American Lung Association.

Makes sense.  I should have known but wasn't aware of it.

To get right to it, there are some interesting developments in it for us, locally.

Topeka, KS is on the list of "Cleanest Cities for Ozone Air Pollution".

Congratulations, Topeka.  (I still don't want to live there but at least it's got good, clean air).

Lincoln, NE ranked 11 on the same list.  Kudos.

But wait!  Our neighbor to the North, St. Joseph, MO-KS (my hometown), ranked 7th (7th!) on the "Cleanest US Cities for short-term particle pollution" while Lincoln, NE showed up 21st on that list, too.


Good on you, St. Joe!


Now for the bad news.


St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL is on the list of "Most polluted cities by year 'round particle pollution at number 17.


Poor ol' St. Lou.  It sucks to be you.  One of the most violent and now, as it turns out, one of the most polluted, too.  Yikes.  The Chamber of Commerce either scrambles on this or just lets it go, unable to do or say anything about it.  (Btw, Detroit, coincidentally, beat them out, too, at the number 16 spot.  Two of the most violent cities are both also have some of the dirtiest air.  Wow.)


The fact is, the list shows that, without doubt, some of the worst, filthiest and most polluted air is, without exception, is in California.  No wonder those people want clean air regulation.  Good for them.  Good for all of us.

The best air in the country?

Honolulu, Hawai'i.

There's a shock, huh?

As for our hometown digs here in KCMO?

Good news, really, overall.

We don't rank on any list of the "cleanest air"...

but we sure aren't on any of the "worst air" lists, either.

Cause for celebration.


Links:  http://www.stateoftheair.org/
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110427/hl_nm/us_air

Europe and Europeans will do what Americans can't and won't

I reported here, earlier this week, that Germany was already making plans to rid themselves of nuclear power, given the already-horrible results from Japan's Fukushima nuclear reactor problems resulting from the earthquakes and tsunami.

More evidence that came out yesterday showing Europeans can and will do what Americans either can't or won't or both:

Report: EU working to ban gas and diesel-powered cars by 2050

According to new reports, the European Union will announce plans to ban all fossil fuel-powered cars in Europe by 2050. The detailed plan will be outlined in the European Union's Roadmap on Transport, which will come out on Monday. By 2030, the EU plans to have reduced fossil fuel traffic by half, particularly in urban areas.

And given that the world is either already beyond, at or close to "peak oil", doesn't it seem prudent to plan for the future so your entire nation isn't caught off guard, so to speak, and without an energy source?  I mean, already the stuff--oil--is getting so bloody expensive at the pump it's threatening, yet again, to wreck any economic recovery we may have going.

And then there are the other, additional costs like pollution, climate change and the fact that we get most all of it from the craziest and most overly emotional and war-torn part of the entire world, the Middle East.

But no, let's not make any plans yet.

We've got plenty of time.

Link:  http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/28/report-eu-working-to-ban-gas-and-diesel-powered-cars-by-2050/
http://www.americablog.com/2011/03/eu-working-on-plans-to-ban-gas-and.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Americablog+%28AMERICAblog%29





Corporate plagiarism

You have to hand it to those Hyundai people.

They couldn't have copied the Mercedes Benz S-Class Sedan any more completely unless they had a transporter from Star Trek do it for them.

First it was the Lexus people.  Now, Hyundai.

Important?  No, surely not.  It just amused me.

(See for yourself here:  http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/vehicles/class/class-S)

Have a great day, y'all.

Good news for the next generations

From the internets yesterday: Generation Y Giving Cars a Pass; The generation gap is a growing, long-term headache for automakers. Selling cars to young adults under 30 is proving to be a real challenge for automakers. Unlike their elders, Generation Yers own fewer cars and don’t drive much. They’re likely to see autos as a source of pollution, not as a sex or status symbol. They’re more apt to ride mass transit to work and use car sharing services... There's more: “This generation focuses its buying on computers, BlackBerrys, music and software and views commuting a few hours by car a huge productivity waste when they can work using PDAs while taking the bus and train,” says Draves. Moreover, in survey after survey, Gen Yers say that they believe cars are damaging to the environment. Even hybrid electric vehicles don’t seem to be changing young consumers’ attitudes much. So good for "Generation Y", or whatever they're called. Buying into that whole "You are what you drive" thing or "Owning such-and-such a car means you're sexy" is such nonsense. If they should take any advice, it's this--don't buy off on that Madison Avenue, advertising crap. Be your own people. Don't believe cars are status symbols. Be better than we were. Link to original story: http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/1523/generation-y-giving-cars-a-pass/

Quote of the day--on nature and what we're doing to it

There are more cars on the roads now, more satellites in the sky. The footpaths up the fells are like stone motorways, there are turbines on the moors and the farmers are being edged out by south-country refugees like me, trying to escape but bringing with us the things we flee from. The new world is online and loving it, the virtual happily edging out the actual. The darkness is shut out and the night grows lighter and nobody is there to see it. --Paul Kingsnorth, "Confessions of a recovering environmentalist", Open Democracy (OpenDemocracy.net) Link to original post: http://www.opendemocracy.net/paul-kingsnorth/confessions-of-recovering-environmentalist

Trends toward mass transit in the US--even Kansas City?

Evidence in the form of statistics, showing America may well be absolutely ready for more mass transit even, one day soon? in Kansas City:

"The U.S. fleet has apparently peaked and started to decline. In 2009, the 14 million cars scrapped exceeded the 10 million new cars sold, shrinking the U.S. fleet by 4 million, or nearly 2 percent in one year."

We've got fewer cars due, at least in part, to the worst recession in seventy years.

More:

"With four out of five Americans now living in cities, the growth in urban car numbers at some point provides just the opposite: immobility. The Texas Transportation Institute reports that U.S. congestion costs, including fuel wasted and time lost, climbed from $17 billion in 1982 to $87 billion in 2007."

"Economic uncertainty makes some consumers reluctant to undertake the long-term debt associated with buying new cars. In tight economic circumstances, families are living with two cars instead of three, or one car instead of two. Some are dispensing with the car altogether. In Washington, D.C., with a well-developed transit system, only 63 percent of households own a car."

So the young people, the next generations of Americans, seem much more likely to share transportation. And if oil goes up as it is expected to do? All the more likely to push them to share even more trips to and from work and around town.

"Perhaps the most fundamental social trend affecting the future of the automobile is the declining interest in cars among young people. For those who grew up a half-century ago in a country that was still heavily rural, getting a driver's license and a car or a pickup was a rite of passage. Getting other teenagers into a car and driving around was a popular pastime."

"In contrast, many of today's young people living in a more urban society learn to live without cars. They socialize on the Internet and on smart phones, not in cars. Many do not even bother to get a driver's license. This helps explain why, despite the largest U.S. teenage population ever, the number of teenagers with licenses, which peaked at 12 million in 1978, is now under 10 million. If this trend continues, the number of potential young car-buyers will continue to decline."

Check this out:

"The United States is entering a new era, evolving from a car-dominated transport system to one that is much more diversified. As noted, this transition is driven by market saturation, economic trends, environmental concerns, and by a cultural shift away from cars that is most pronounced among young people. As this evolution proceeds, it will affect virtually every facet of life."

With all this, it looks much more like Clay Chastain (I loathe to even mention his name) would love this data.

God help us, we may get that clown back still more.