Tim Cavanaugh writes at the Reason Blog: Golden State Off the Rails as Mass Transit Ridership Plummets.
What do people in the world's tenth largest economy do in a severe recession? They stop taking the bus, fill up their tanks, and start driving. It's happening all over California.
Ridership is falling sharply in LA, Sacramento and Orange County. San Diego transit ridership is down 15 percent from 2008 to 2009.
One of AB32 strategies for reducing CO2 emissions is to increase transit ridership by encouraging development along light rail routes and encourage expanded use of transit by all citizen. It appears that strategy is in trouble. The cost of light rail ridership is going up as the service declines and the riders are returning to their cars. Not a good strategy for reducing CO2 emissions.
If CARB's transit strategy is not currently work, will CARB have to seek other solution to reducing CO2 to meet their 2020 and 2050 goals? Perhaps CARB will have to restrict more vehicle use though social engineering, by raising the cost of driving to force more people out of their cars and back on public transit?
Raising the cost of driving and the cost of vehicle ownership could have an impact on our local economy, especially that is dependent on tourism. Repeal AB32, it is bad for business.
