🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <maoNuB2w164w@ham.almanac.bc.ca>, emd@ham.almanac.bc.ca writes:

|> It does, however, seem to be a general fact that almost everyone who can 
|> afford to do so will opt for the personal convenience, safety (from other 
|> passengers), comfort and reliability of their own car over the public 
|> transit system. Doesn't that tell you something?
|> 
|> Namely, that public transit is generally regarded as the least desirable 
|> way of getting somewhere by most people?

The attitude which people have towards public transit is strongly
correlated to the system's utility.  When I lived in Toronto I owned
a car.  However, except for weekend trips out of the city I used
public transit.  Why would I waste time in traffic clogged streets
when the subway can deliver me to my destination more quickly.  
Currently, I live in Richmond and commute to UBC.  If there were a
SkyTrain link between the two, I would use it.  Even for trips downtown
I often go to the 29th street station, park my car, and then take
the SkyTrain downtown.

Make the transit system more convenient (a principle consideration of
which is speed) than automobiles and people will CHOOSE to use it.

-- 
Terry Coatta (coatta@cs.ubc.ca)
Dept. of Computer Science, UBC, Vancouver BC, Canada

`What I lack in intelligence, I more than compensate for with stupidity'