Exactly

While more people use public transport, neither frequency nor quality can improve as fast. Our own neoliberal legancy has seen the decline in investment in public goods since 1990s. It takes more time to buy new trains, fix crumbling bridges or reopen closed lines. So this is a long-term effect.

We’ve been living through an interesting experiment since t pandemic years in Germany: with only 49€/month free access to all public transportation - urban & regional. Excludes fast-speed trains (IC and ICE). There is a rise of almost 30% in use of public transport. Unfortunately quality declined.

Yes, agree here. It does not need to be free, but it needs to be affordable and their should be special pricing for certain groups of people. As you said, it‘s reliability and quality that matter at least as much as cost.

Why? Policy is not designed in “10 words or less”.

I think we agree on that. The only thing I want to insist upon is the need to think of it mobility as system instead of just isolated measures.

Not even real “push factors”. I just used ur term. They’re prohibiting factors & useful. But it’s a question of priorities: first create viable alternatives and then move to limit car use. Of course in reality the two go hand in hand (eg you take a lane away from cars and give it to buses).

If you just implement the so-called “push factors” you’ll just be decreasing mobility for people who can’t afford to pay for parking. You’ll be profiting those better off. Spatial justice is a serious issue.

Start by creating excellent quality alternatives: walkable sidewalks, safe bike lanes, good public transportation. If you just make parking expensive, you profit those who can afford it.

Until January 6 (Epiphany) for us in Greece.

I love it. I’m in the thread and it only stopped some hours ago.