3 ms·

I like what Montpellier (France) is doing, which is a phased approach towards all public transportation free. For now it's for under 18 yo and 65+ yo, and all w

I like what Montpellier (France) is doing, which is a phased approach towards all public transportation free. For now it's for under 18 yo and 65+ yo, and all weekends for everyone, with a phase 3 total gratuity in 2023. I prefer to choose and accordingly pay for my long distance travels, but in the city trips consume a lot of money, on a personal / family level, which is nice to see reduced. And who doesn't want to travel with the nicest tram in France and for free??

rcMgD2BwE72F 5y ago
>but in the city trips consume a lot of money I'm a big proponent of affordable public transport, but I don't understand the benefit of gratuity. As far as I know, the threats of the ongoing biodiversity collapse are bigger threat than that of climate change (see https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/10/climate/biodiversity-collapse-climate-change.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/10/climate/biodiversity-coll...). It's crucial to both increase density (to limit urban sprawl, which requires that people travel less) and leave the individual ICE car area. Gratuity of public transport incentivizes taking the bus/train, but it also removes the cost barrier of long-distance transport when deciding where to live and work. If it costs the same to commute: 1. 15 min by foot from work if you live in a small flat 2. 40 min by public transport if you enjoy in a nice little home We may get more people in buses but we'll eat the Earth faster. Destroying/framgmenting natural habitats will have to bear a market cost, or we must put a hard limit to urban sprawling (which ends up having the same impact on people's finance as it will increase the cost of living far from city center).
mellavora 5y ago
I like what Luxembourg is doing, which is all public transport free for everyone, across the whole country. No phased approach, they just did it.

rcMgD2BwE72F 5y ago

>but in the city trips consume a lot of money I'm a big proponent of affordable public transport, but I don't understand the benefit of gratuity. As far as I know, the threats of the ongoing biodiversity collapse are bigger threat than that of climate change (see https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/10/climate/biodiversity-collapse-climate-change.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/10/climate/biodiversity-coll...). It's crucial to both increase density (to limit urban sprawl, which requires that people travel less) and leave the individual ICE car area. Gratuity of public transport incentivizes taking the bus/train, but it also removes the cost barrier of long-distance transport when deciding where to live and work. If it costs the same to commute: 1. 15 min by foot from work if you live in a small flat 2. 40 min by public transport if you enjoy in a nice little home We may get more people in buses but we'll eat the Earth faster. Destroying/framgmenting natural habitats will have to bear a market cost, or we must put a hard limit to urban sprawling (which ends up having the same impact on people's finance as it will increase the cost of living far from city center).

mellavora 5y ago

I like what Luxembourg is doing, which is all public transport free for everyone, across the whole country. No phased approach, they just did it.