• Couplqnd@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Sure! But that’s not a silver bullet.

      Decarbonization is a multi-prong solution and switching everything over to public transportation would take decades. It takes time to create the infrastructure and generations to change minds. Investing in public transportation, bike infrastructure and electrifying our cars are all necessary for our goal to lower green house gasses.

      Perfect is the enemy of good

      • RGB3x3@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        But there is profit in it. Public transit can be a revenue generator that at least pays for itself as opposed to roads that are nothing but a huge cost over its lifetime.

        And then there are the second-order effects of better economic activity in the areas around metro stations, a healthier populace that is less of a burden on the healthcare system, and overall higher happiness, which makes for better workers. It’s just that it can take a decade or two to see these effects come to fruition.

        But politicians rarely see that far out.

        • nexusband@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          That’s not how the calculations for streets work. National economy is pretty darn complex and streets are paying for itself in a lot of countries.

          • Gabu@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Source: Trust me bro.

            Public transit literally pays for itself, no “darn complex” calculation required.

    • Swarfega@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      As a cyclist, COVID lockdown was bliss. No vehicles on the roads, just other cyclists out for their hour of exercise. It was literally mind blowing how different the roads felt.