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My original question was "How do we disincentivize the purchase of pickup trucks/SUVs" but then I thought it would be better to approach the larger problem of car dependency and car ownership. One option is, of course, to create public transit infrastructure and improve it where it already exist. This, however, doesn't change the fact that some will still choose to drive. What would be the best ways to discourage people from owning personal cars?

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[-] ASeriesOfPoorChoices@lemmy.world 62 points 1 week ago

don't discourage people from owning personal cars. most of the time this mentality is just a tax on the poor.

Flip the idea. Encourage people to not use cars instead.

  • not just bike lanes, but bike storage & lockers
  • not just public transport, but better connections between transport modes (buses with bike carriers, train stations with better car parking and bike lockers and bus connections)
  • more small car parking bays with all large truck bays further away from the stores
  • more motorcycle parking bays
  • cheaper motorcycle registration, etc.

it's all about spending money and effort in the areas you want it. Not about being restrictive.

it's a slower method of conversion, but more effective.

[-] Evotech@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago

You have to do both I'm afraid

no, you really, absolutely don't.

more importantly, you missed the part where being anti-car is just a tax on poor people. It's also ableist. We still need cars, and punishing people who need them isn't helpful.

"poor people, like people on disability payments, shouldn't be able to afford to drive, but rich people can do whatever they want" is a horrible dystopia.

[-] Evotech@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

I agree with you, it's not fair, but afaik the research and data shows that in order to get people to use their cars less there has to be more downsides to using it as well as easier alternative transportation.

Otherwise people will just keep driving

[-] Ookami38@sh.itjust.works 3 points 6 days ago

You can own your car and drive it from time to time, ideally not in the city. Those aren't what we want to discourage. Discourage driving daily, driving in the city. Make those things simply easier, faster, and cheaper to do than using a car, and, while it won't KILL cars completely, it'll reduce them enough to make a noticeable difference.

After that's successful, and the working class hasn't completely shit themselves, we can start with making cars less desirable than they are right now. Once only the enthusiasts and most stubborn own a car, we can add some kinds of taxes, so that at the end, we're left with only the enthusiasts, which I think is a perfectly reasonable goal.

[-] Evotech@lemmy.world 0 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Yes, but you must also do things like add tolls, rush surcharges, etc to actually get the car usage down.

Simply making the alternative better alone won't make the majority drop the comfort of their own car because it will never be as good as driving yourself.

[-] Ookami38@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 days ago

Pretty sure my second paragraph, starting with the word "after" (that word does a LOT of lifting) addresses that aspect.

[-] Evotech@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago

It usually happens at the same time, you increase cost. Then you use that cost directly to build and maintain the public infrastructure required.

[-] Ookami38@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 days ago

I'm aware of that being how it usually happens. The problem is, relying on that leaves a lot of people out to dry. Spend a bit now, so that we can make the transition smoother and more likely to happen at all.

[-] Evotech@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago

I agree, I'm also colored by living in Norway where we are way ahead of America in this process. It's been very gradual indeed.

But it is fair that people using the roads pay for them

[-] Ookami38@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 days ago

Sure, I can agree with the people using them paying for the roads. I just don't want to see it go from what we have currently to something much MUCH worse for your average individual, which if we do these things without setting up safety nets first, they will be.

[-] ASeriesOfPoorChoices@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

no, you don't. that's all a poor tax, again.

and remember: most of the people who need cars (for mobility reasons) are among the poorest.

So taxing people through tolls and such is just punishing the disabled. ie ableist.

[-] Evotech@lemmy.world 0 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

You do if you actually want the traffic to go down and you want to afford the public transportation infrastructure that will be required.

in short, you're not good at math and have no idea the cost of public works if you think they're on the same scale.

(also, it doesn't address the ableism)

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this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2024
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