In this episode we’re grinding our gears on my favorite topic - transportation.
On the last episode, Davante Lewis talked about various forms of the debt trap and how it’s keeping roughly half of all Louisiana residents in poverty. One example he used over and over was cars issues.
A car is one of the many ways Americans are forced into debt. According to the Bureau of Labor and statistics, transportation is the second highest expenditure for a household. That’s second only to housing!
In this episode, I talk to bicycle advocate Mark Martin about car culture. He explains why the choice of avoiding the personal vehicle debt trap is not one easily made because of car culture.
“All of the infrastructure is designed for one mode of transportation, and that’s the personal-private vehicle,” he explains. “Our bus system doesn’t really work and that goes back to an integration issue back in the 50s, that gets tied into white flight and real estate developments moving further and further out of the city.”
This idealized way of living has created urban sprawl, which has put increased pressure on the road systems. Often, the solution is met with demands for more roadways, but studies show the major flaw with that system.
“Induced demand. Came out of economics. Was applied to road design, traffic engineers discovered it. The more space you have for cars, the more cars you get to use the space,” he says. “It takes two to three years to get the congestion levels back up to where they were and exceed them from where you started before the capacity project.”
It becomes an endless loop and it’s one that creates a debt trap for cities as well.
“Between 2000 and 2017, the city-parish and the state has spent over $2 billion in the parish or on the edges of it from the sprawl, on capacity projects, meaning there’s more room to put a car. Every year congestion has increased. It’s demonstrable, it’s proven, and it happens all the time. Not just here, this is a thing.”
In this version of the podcast, Mark and I discuss the ways riding a bike is a way out of the cycle and all of the positive benefits it has that surpass transportation needs.
THE WALLS TEAM
In this episode we highlight one of the members of the Walls Project community. His name is Marcus Toussaint and he is the owner of Toussaint Customs and Collisions. He spoke at the unveiling of our new transportation mural, which is located on the side of his business.
WATCH: Mural Unveiling Highlights Need for Reliable, Affordable Transportation
The transportation mural was completed by artist Bryson Boyd. You’ll hear more from him in our next episode.
ACTION ITEMS
The best step you can take to be part of the effort to improve transportation for all is to get out of your car and try commuting some other way. Of course, Mark suggests riding your bike more, especially as a family activity.
When you get out of your car and try a different mode of transportation, you’ll start to see the city and your part in it very differently. The next time you want to go to the mall, try doing it on the bus. Or when you need to pick up an item from the grocery store, take your bike.
Being part of the decision making process is the only true way to make a change once you begin to notice what needs to change. So, if you can, attend public input meetings and most importantly, VOTE!
Mark suggests getting a subscription to your local newspaper to keep up with public notices. You can also follow along online. For example, DOTD has a listing for all projects happening in the state.
And finally, support transportation advocacy groups. Mark is the founder of Bike Baton Rouge, which advocates for bicycling. But there are plenty of other organizations out there devoted to various different forms of transportation issues. Find the one that represents your area and support what’s important to you.
Share this post