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Americans still love their automobiles, for better or worse.
what a self serving survey. Of course 80 % love ? their vehicles as they have no choice but to own one. Yes, they love to pay $500 a month for their ownership or lease and their insurance! It is the high density urban areas in the Northeast, Chicago and Northwest that they move to which allows them not to choose to have a vehicle. Mass transit, and uber or lyft, fills their needs and more millennials are moving to these urban cores. If you are in Texas or California (outside of Sanfran) what choice do you have but to own a vehicle. But those urban areas are slowly moving toward more transit use. Maybe there is some hope for Atlanta also.
Like religion, freedom of car should also include freedom from car if one so chooses. No one says you can't drive downtown, but if you don't want to at least the option is there. Instead, the new campus is 1.6 miles from the nearest bus stop, with no plans that I know of to extend service to Citizens.
what a self serving survey. Of course 80 % love ? their vehicles as they have no choice but to own one. Yes, they love to pay $500 a month for their ownership or lease and their insurance! It is the high density urban areas in the Northeast, Chicago and Northwest that they move to which allows them not to choose to have a vehicle. Mass transit, and uber or lyft, fills their needs and more millennials are moving to these urban cores. If you are in Texas or California (outside of Sanfran) what choice do you have but to own a vehicle. But those urban areas are slowly moving toward more transit use. Maybe there is some hope for Atlanta also.
But what about all the people living in dense urban areas that forgo having a vehicle not because they don't want one, but due to the economics and other hassles not making sense? I also know plenty of people who ride mass transit to their job in Boston, only because their employer doesn't offer parking. If they could easily drive to work and not have to put up with the MBTA especially in the middle of the winter, they would so in a heartbeat. Most do own a vehicle anyway, because life would just be too restricted without one.
IDK perhaps Citizens made a mistake, but I would guess they know their employees and did their research beforehand. RI is not Boston, very few professional people ride the bus.
Having that car in my driveway represents freedom. There are so many more reasons to own a car than being dependent on other sources for that freedom.
Independence is key.
I guess it depends on the individual how they define "independence." I live in Somerville, MA. My neighbor doesn't own a car and walks 10 minutes to his office. When he wants to get away, he rents one. It's far less expensive than "owning" a car (because let's face it... if you lease or are still financing, you don't technically own the car) and his mobility isn't restricted. You could argue that he's more free because he's not making car payments, insurance payments, repairs, fuel, registration fees, etc.
On the other hand, there are plenty of people all across the region who are scrambling to make ends meet to pay for a car and the associated costs just so they can get from home to work. That's not freedom either. That's the opposite of freedom; it's dependence and a financial burden. If you have to have something to get by, it sure is funny to call it a symbol of independence and freedom.
FWIW, I live in an urban area and commute by subway to work. I own a car too. But I've finally reached a point where I'm not struggling to stay afloat and I can afford my car payment and the associated costs. But it sure is nice not to have to use it.
I guess it depends on the individual how they define "independence." I live in Somerville, MA. My neighbor doesn't own a car and walks 10 minutes to his office. When he wants to get away, he rents one. It's far less expensive than "owning" a car (because let's face it... if you lease or are still financing, you don't technically own the car) and his mobility isn't restricted. You could argue that he's more free because he's not making car payments, insurance payments, repairs, fuel, registration fees, etc.
On the other hand, there are plenty of people all across the region who are scrambling to make ends meet to pay for a car and the associated costs just so they can get from home to work. That's not freedom either. That's the opposite of freedom; it's dependence and a financial burden. If you have to have something to get by, it sure is funny to call it a symbol of independence and freedom.
FWIW, I live in an urban area and commute by subway to work. I own a car too. But I've finally reached a point where I'm not struggling to stay afloat and I can afford my car payment and the associated costs. But it sure is nice not to have to use it.
You're the smart one. Many of us choose to live in areas where public transportation or renting a car isn't a viable option. We have to have a car to leave the house.
As if anything would be built without decades of tax abatement...
That's the way the game is played. And when you're on a last-place team, it's the only way the game CAN be played.
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