"Mass Transit is a Pipe Dream"

I read a lot about oil dependency, traffic congestion and air pollution and I wonder what if anything can be done about these issues.

I found a new blog by Brock Yates who used to write for Car and Driver and also race cars. In his first posting he talks about traffic congestion, oil dependency and America's love of cars. I saw another blog, On Day One, which talks about what the next president should do on his first day in office. Yates thinks that mass transit is a "Pipe Dream" which reminded me of an article I saw last year "Mass transit does not reduce congestion" by Wendell Cox, author of a book titled "War on the Dream: How Anti-Sprawl Policy Threatens the Quality of Life". He claims that congestion and mass transit are completely different subjects. He also claims that "No level of transit investment, anywhere in the world, has materially reduced traffic congestion." If you look at the DC area he would appear to be correct.

Yates' claim that "...Americans continue to lead the way into a dark future of more emissions, oil use and wasted time. And here comes the third world, as India, China and other Tiger nations of the Far East start producing millions of private cars for a wildly eager population." is scary when you think of a billion plus Chinese driving gasoline powered cars. I have no solutions since I admit I am not willing to give up my car. But I really think the On Day One people have a point, American can deal directly with at least one issue, oil dependency, if our leaders have the guts.