[sustran] Re: urban rail and transport problems in KL

[Milnor H. Senior, III]

Dear J.H. Crawford,
    The problem with public transit today is that it is too expensive and
too technically complicated especially for developing countries.  What
will work is an approach which lowers costs while providing for less high
tech approaches.  Lowering capital and operating costs can make public
transit a profit making venture.  Inner city bus services stopped making
profits in the U.S. in 1962.  Trolley or now called light rail ridership
peaked in the U.S. in 1917.  The National Personal Transportation Surveys
done by the Federal Highway Administration show light rail is losing
market share.  New approaches are needed.  You may wish to see my web
site at www.biketrans.com to see one new answer.
    Sincerely,
    Milnor H. Senior, III

J.H. Crawford wrote:

> ....snip...
>
> >Any comments ,  views , especially the pro-Keynesian advocates ??
>
> The problem is that Keynes only knew about money. Many externalized
> costs of transport cannot be reckoned in money, and as it now stands,
> most of these costs are simply ignored. Examples are noise, loss of
> congenial public spaces, air pollution, etc. As long as any system
> of economics fails to account for these real, although non-monetary,
> costs, it cannot yield a truly correct accounting. Private transport
> by automobile fares very poorly on non-monetary external costs.
>
>                       ###
>
> J.H. Crawford    joel at xs4all.nl    http://www.carfree.com/