Chicago
Bumper-to-bumper gridlock didn't do it. Nowhere-to-park didn't do it. Taxes on city driving didn't do it. But as gas becomes so expensive that filling your tank is an equity position, people are starting to rediscover and appreciate public transit say news reports. It's the economy, stupid.
So many car commuters have converted to bus and train
commuters, cities are reporting an 8 to 34 percent rise in public transit
usage.
Here in Mayor Rahm Emanuel's town, the transit system is good enough that you can get away with not owning a car at all like New York City. Not only can you get to both airports for $2.25, you will get there quicker and save $30.00 or $40.00.
But even though most Chicagoans will take public transit to Cubs and Sox games, Navy Pier, Taste of Chicago and Lolapalooza, when it comes to work they are pretty, well, Angeleno and tend to buckle up for the ride.
During blizzards like the one we had on Groundhog's day, the amount of people who own cars they don't regularly use was revealed dramatically. Car "carcasses" were dug out weeks later in a meteorological version of the barfly whine, "I can't find my car."
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