Comments on: Why Won’t the Feds Encourage People to Go Car-Free? http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/05/07/why-won%e2%80%99t-the-feds-encourage-people-to-go-car-free/ Covering Los Angeles's livable streets movement Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:06:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dominic Ford http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/05/07/why-won%e2%80%99t-the-feds-encourage-people-to-go-car-free/comment-page-1/#comment-5724 Dominic Ford Thu, 14 May 2009 14:04:09 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=2112#comment-5724 Hey, thanks for the shoutout! Some reasons for dumping a car are philosophical, or environmental, but one of the easiest to explain is the economic one. Even if you include Airplanes in "Mass Transit," the yearly amount spent is far less than those who drive. Hey, thanks for the shoutout!

Some reasons for dumping a car are philosophical, or environmental, but one of the easiest to explain is the economic one.

Even if you include Airplanes in “Mass Transit,” the yearly amount spent is far less than those who drive.

]]> By: James Mancuso http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/05/07/why-won%e2%80%99t-the-feds-encourage-people-to-go-car-free/comment-page-1/#comment-5714 James Mancuso Wed, 13 May 2009 19:51:18 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=2112#comment-5714 I think that there are some major cities that should give thought to BANNING the use of private automobiles within their city limits and these include San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Boston to name a few. If not an outright ban on autos within these cities, those about to enter with just one person in them. Get rid of the low occupancy vehicles would be a great place to start and making parking as hard to find as possible could drive people to transit. Why keep subsidizing such a wasteful form of transportation. Especially when the oil companies are returning to their price gouging ways at the pump. By getting rid of the autos in cities, we can reduce our dependency on these corporate gangsters and their oil products. I think that there are some major cities that should give thought to BANNING the use of private automobiles within their city limits and these include San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Boston to name a few. If not an outright ban on autos within these cities, those about to enter with just one person in them. Get rid of the low occupancy vehicles would be a great place to start and making parking as hard to find as possible could drive people to transit. Why keep subsidizing such a wasteful form of transportation. Especially when the oil companies are returning to their price gouging ways at the pump. By getting rid of the autos in cities, we can reduce our dependency on these corporate gangsters and their oil products.

]]> By: calwatch http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/05/07/why-won%e2%80%99t-the-feds-encourage-people-to-go-car-free/comment-page-1/#comment-5666 calwatch Sat, 09 May 2009 08:16:28 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=2112#comment-5666 At the risk of further complicating the tax code, I propose the following transit/bicycling tax credit, which would be, say, 20% of the first $1000 in transit fare spent per year, or bicycling expenses (to be submitted to Third Party Administrators similar to flexible spending accounts). No double dipping with the new employer-side bicycling tax credit or other employer transit benefits. Only prepaid fare products purchased by the taxpayer on some form of identified payment, such as a credit card, would qualify, such as stored value cards, tokens, and monthly passes, to allow for easier accounting and eliminate people scrounging up for receipts to get the tax deduction. Personally, I'm all for tax simplification, and junking most of all of these deductions tossed on tax forms. But if we're going to give benefits for hybrids and for buying vehicles, then it's fair to add a transit benefit, that is not tied to employers. At the risk of further complicating the tax code, I propose the following transit/bicycling tax credit, which would be, say, 20% of the first $1000 in transit fare spent per year, or bicycling expenses (to be submitted to Third Party Administrators similar to flexible spending accounts). No double dipping with the new employer-side bicycling tax credit or other employer transit benefits. Only prepaid fare products purchased by the taxpayer on some form of identified payment, such as a credit card, would qualify, such as stored value cards, tokens, and monthly passes, to allow for easier accounting and eliminate people scrounging up for receipts to get the tax deduction.

Personally, I’m all for tax simplification, and junking most of all of these deductions tossed on tax forms. But if we’re going to give benefits for hybrids and for buying vehicles, then it’s fair to add a transit benefit, that is not tied to employers.

]]> By: Alek F http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/05/07/why-won%e2%80%99t-the-feds-encourage-people-to-go-car-free/comment-page-1/#comment-5661 Alek F Sat, 09 May 2009 00:21:55 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=2112#comment-5661 Way to go, M (Commenter #1). Good job! And, totally agree. Yeah, ever since I (almost completely!) quit driving, I've been saving thousands and thousands each year! Normally I use the EZ Pass (70 bucks a month), which is nothing comparing to all the car expenses (fuel, parking, monthly lease/finance, car repairs & maintenance, insurance costs parking fines, speeding tickets, etc., etc.). And that's besides the fact that without the car we have a healthier lifestyle (since we ought to walk to the bus/train stop, which adds up to quite a bit of walking!), we have a greater peace of mind, etc. The more people do it, the better. I hope one day Los Angeles will have a well-developed subway system like other normal cities do. Alek Way to go, M (Commenter #1).
Good job!
And, totally agree.
Yeah,
ever since I (almost completely!) quit driving,
I’ve been saving thousands and thousands each year!
Normally I use the EZ Pass (70 bucks a month), which is nothing comparing to all the car expenses (fuel, parking, monthly lease/finance, car repairs & maintenance, insurance costs parking fines, speeding tickets, etc., etc.).
And that’s besides the fact that without the car we have a healthier lifestyle (since we ought to walk to the bus/train stop, which adds up to quite a bit of walking!), we have a greater peace of mind, etc.
The more people do it, the better.
I hope one day Los Angeles will have a well-developed subway system like other normal cities do.
Alek

]]> By: M http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/05/07/why-won%e2%80%99t-the-feds-encourage-people-to-go-car-free/comment-page-1/#comment-5619 M Thu, 07 May 2009 17:15:37 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=2112#comment-5619 I completely agree with this. I had gradually been moving to less car focused transportation and finally got rid of my car last year. Now unless I need to do some bicycle maintenance or go on a longer road trip, my transportation costs are $0 a month, in LA! So many people are amazed to hear this. My work pays for my Metro pass and my bike and all of the components were paid off in a couple of months of equivalent car related payments. I completely agree with this. I had gradually been moving to less car focused transportation and finally got rid of my car last year. Now unless I need to do some bicycle maintenance or go on a longer road trip, my transportation costs are $0 a month, in LA! So many people are amazed to hear this. My work pays for my Metro pass and my bike and all of the components were paid off in a couple of months of equivalent car related payments.

]]>