Today’s Headlines

  • Council on Foreign Relations Tracks Underinvestment in U.S. Infrastructure
  • At APTA Expo in Houston, Foxx and Others Urge Action From Congress (Metro Mag, Houston Chron)
  • Cato Institute: Driverless Cars Will Replace Transit (Roll Call)
  • North Carolina Advances Plans for 17-Mile Light Rail (Progressive Railroading)
  • Experts Chat About America’s Streetcar Trend (NPR)
  • Maryland Could Vote to Keep Transpo Money in “Lockbox” (GGW)
  • Seattle Emerges as Micro-Housing Pioneer (Politico)
  • What Are the Most Dangerous Intersections in Chicago? (Chicago Biz)
  • Atlanta Steps Up Transit-Oriented Development (Atlanta Biz Journal)
  • West Michigan’s Second BRT Could Start Rolling in 2018 (M Live) 
  • Bolwerk

    Why even bother linking to a Randall O’Toole rant? That entire thing about driverless cars is just a series of unsupported assertions from the fevered mind of a delusional, authoritarian ideologue.

  • G1991

    What is terrifying is that many politicians have the same windshield-view opinions as O’Toole does and truly take him to be an expert (his lack of a professional education, claims to be a “free market” thinker, and CATO’s direct ties to multiple oil and asphalt executives should throw his credibility out the window instantly. But you know…pesky facts).

    Driverless cars may be able to replace local bus lines in lower density areas, but they will never reach the capacity in terms of overall use of space of a rail, BRT, or metro line. What O’Toole fails to account for is congestion pricing. Congestion will not magically disappear with driverless cars; it may be relieved for a few decades and increase slower, but it won’t just go away. Cities will likely establish some form of congestion pricing system for the roads in order to recover more of their costs, making even autonomous driving less attractive than high-capacity transit, cycling, or walking. However, I think that’s why he claims that the driving infrastructure should be kept “dumb,” so it can’t do that.

    What’s even more infuriating is that O’Toole suggests that we should “do away with traffic lights, stop signs, and speed limits.” In essence, force people into autonomous cars because it will be physically impossible to walk or bike anywhere.