[sustran] Is park-and-ride a bad idea for Asian cities?

[Eric Britton]

Re: well intentioned sub-optimization

Hmm.

All this is well and good, and I applaud the overall direction in which this
appears to be going. But I don't see enough of this (if I may) . . . 

The discussion is highly particularistic. It would appear, from what I am
seeing here, that the car/transit parking/pricing conundrum can be isolated
to the immediate area around the transit facility, as if one could make
calculations about this or that "optimality", without sufficient
consideration to the greater whole -- that is the entire mobility fabric of
the city and its surrounding areas.  This is one of the old old traps of old
mobility, i.e., well intentioned sub-optimization. 

Without a firm global strategy, what one accomplishes well or otherwise in
or around this or that transit facility re cars and parking will not be much
of a deal. Our goal, is it not?, is to facilitate fair and efficient
transport in and around and to our cities -- and private car-based mobility
solutions for cities in peak hours at least are just not fair (nor are they
efficient, sustainable nor even decent economics, but let's deal with that
another day).. 

This suggests -- to me -- that we don't try to get fancy and try to find
pricing arrangements that car owner-drivers are going to find "acceptable"
or a "good enough deal" to leave their car at home or next to the station
during peak travel hours. Our goal is the greater whole, and for that we
need to offer the car drivers (a) at least FULL cost pricing in any P&R we
put in here or there and of course (b) the possibility of taking their car
into the center but (c) with the onus of strategic congestion (i.e., a
slower that PT trip) plus (d) hard hammer full cost plus cross-subsidizing
(for PT) pricing for the privilege leaving their BMW for the day once they
reach the center. 

Then within this broader context, and only then, can we really be useful for
providing guidelines for P&R?

Or, do I have this wrong? 

Eric Britton

PS. And of course doing it this way takes guts, leadership and extraordinary
communication and negotiation skills. All of which helped by discussions and
groups like this.

PPS. For the record, I am an average  car owner/driver and really like my
car. And if I get about 100% during the day on foot, bike and public
transport, it is not because I hate my car. It's just that the leadership in
Paris has figured the above out and put it into action -- with the result
that I would have to be quite mad (or terribly rich) to take my car, at
least from 07:00 to 20:00 on any week day.  


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