ALTERNATIVES TO THE AUTOMOBILE: TRANSPORT FOR LIVABLE CITIES

The problems created by overreliance on the automobile are outweighing its benefits. These problems are numerous and widespread. Traffic congestion and air pollution plague all major cities, and oil dependence makes economies vulverable. Metropolises with streets designed for cars instead of people are increasingly unlivable. In developing countries, automobiles serve only a small elite and leave the vast majority with inadequate transport. In Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, recent reforms could add the problems of automobile dependence to already overwhelming economic and environmental crises. Automobile dominance creates a set of problems so relentless that societies in coming decades will have no choice but to seek transport alternatives. A new, more rational approach to transportation is needed, one that puts the automobile in its rightful place as one among many options for travel. Buses and trains are more appropriate than private cars as the centerpieces of transportation systems. At reasonable occupancy rates, public transport uses space and energy many times more efficiently than cars, and creates much less pollution. Walking and bicycling also have important roles to play, complementing public transport with the convenience of individual mobility. Making drivers pay more of the true costs of automobile use would hasten the shift to alternatives. In both industrial and developing countries, careful urban planning can help meet future transportation needs by minimizing the demand for travel. Although cities that have maintained their public transport systems and avoided sprawled development during the automobile era are now better positioned to ease their dependence on cars, it is not too late for any city to diversify its system. But creating sustainable transportation requires bold policy moves. However challenging such a shift may be, it is preferable to being caught unprepared by a series of environmental and economic crises in the decades ahead. These issues are discussed in this Worldwatch Paper under the following headings: From Servant to Master; Getting on Track; Cities for People; The Road Not Taken; and A Policy Overhaul.