I think the crux of the car discussion really does come down to this: because we don't provide many places where it's possible to be car *free*, and relatedly since we never put any real focus into making options for people to fill their occasional trips without going through virtually all of the hassle and expense of owning a car (full …
I think the crux of the car discussion really does come down to this: because we don't provide many places where it's possible to be car *free*, and relatedly since we never put any real focus into making options for people to fill their occasional trips without going through virtually all of the hassle and expense of owning a car (full purchase costs, full insurance costs, dealing with parking, maintenance, etc. Really the only use cost that changes significantly is gas prices and mileage-based maintenance) we've gotten to the point where you basically have to pay full price so of course you're going to try to get as much usage out of that car as possible.
The issue is of course that there *are* significant "per mile/per ride" costs to cars, too, we just impose most of them on everyone else, so Tragedy of the Commons makes it hard to break into a healthier equilibrium. You can opt out of imposing those costs on other people, but it's generally at pretty significant personal cost and it makes little difference in the grand scheme of things unless we can solve the Collective Action problem. A better form of Car Share probably solves many Car Lite edge cases, but it's hard to make that economical when the incentives remain that everyone who can manage it has their own car: most users of your cars are the ones who *can't* get their own, and they're probably not ideal customers.
Car ownership means the vehicle stands by awaiting your next mobility request. There's no "trying to make it work" as there is when dependent on other means of transport. And as for cost, modern techno aficionados will spend almost any amount for that beloved make and model.
I think the crux of the car discussion really does come down to this: because we don't provide many places where it's possible to be car *free*, and relatedly since we never put any real focus into making options for people to fill their occasional trips without going through virtually all of the hassle and expense of owning a car (full purchase costs, full insurance costs, dealing with parking, maintenance, etc. Really the only use cost that changes significantly is gas prices and mileage-based maintenance) we've gotten to the point where you basically have to pay full price so of course you're going to try to get as much usage out of that car as possible.
The issue is of course that there *are* significant "per mile/per ride" costs to cars, too, we just impose most of them on everyone else, so Tragedy of the Commons makes it hard to break into a healthier equilibrium. You can opt out of imposing those costs on other people, but it's generally at pretty significant personal cost and it makes little difference in the grand scheme of things unless we can solve the Collective Action problem. A better form of Car Share probably solves many Car Lite edge cases, but it's hard to make that economical when the incentives remain that everyone who can manage it has their own car: most users of your cars are the ones who *can't* get their own, and they're probably not ideal customers.
Car ownership means the vehicle stands by awaiting your next mobility request. There's no "trying to make it work" as there is when dependent on other means of transport. And as for cost, modern techno aficionados will spend almost any amount for that beloved make and model.