[lbo-talk] NY blocks mayor's congestion plan

[James Heartfield]

A sense of proportion helps in transport discussions. In 2005 US passenger 
miles by transit were 49,680 million; by highway 4,884,557 million, about 
one hundred times as many. Even if transit were to double in size that would 
only reduce highway passenger miles by one per cent. Specific local 
conditions might make transit preferable to the car (such as a dense city 
like NY), but seen in the round, transit and highway are apples and pears, 
not equivalents.

http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_01_37.html