From: utzoo!decvax!ittvax!swatt
Newsgroups: net.auto,net.politics
Title: Re: cars versus mass transit
Article-I.D.: ittvax.530
Posted: Fri Dec  3 08:57:18 1982
Received: Sat Dec  4 07:56:26 1982
References: ihnss.889

DISCLAIMER:
	The views reported here are not necessarily my own.


I remember hearing about a book that made such an anylsis, but I
never read it.  I think the author was Ivan Illych (sp?).  The gist
of the analysis is that cars require:

	gas, oil, maint.
	insurance companies
	expensive roads
	traffic laws
	police to write traffic tickets
	counts to process traffic tickets

and so on.  His point is that the TOTAL cost of operating a car is
quite a bit larger than what any individual owner sees.  He carried out
this calculation for other forms of transportation as well.

Now each form of transportation has a TRUE cost, and an effective
speed.  The greater the effective speed, the less time involved.  If
the $$ savings in less time are equal or greater than the true cost,
you're ahead; otherwise you're behind.

If I remember the reported conclusion right, he figured you were LOSING
as soon as your effective speed got over what you could achieve on a
bicycle.

	- Alan S. Watt