But SF still has cable cars for the simple reason that the city had sense enough not to tear them out when automobiles arrived, unlike Boise, which destroyed the Interurban railroad.

Just out of curiosity, if Team Dave came up with the money for real trolleys, cable cars, railroads or whatever, where would he put them? The streets seem to be owned by Ada County Highway District (which never bought them or anything, just somehow magically owns them). So what if ACHD said, no, you can’t put your toys on our streets!

Hmmm …

Practically, probably not.

I have lived on three continents in 5 countries and have visited at least 50 others. You are right that public transport is the norm IN THE THIRD WORLD and in a very few big cities but in the industrial world outside of those big cities the overwhelming majority of transport is personal. In the USA the VAST majority of transport is personal. In Boise the number of miles traveled by folk in their own vehicles so far outreaches public travel as to make the later insignificant…except as far as cost goes. I do not have the figures but I would bet the cost per passenger in our cities public transport is far higher than the cost per mile per person for private transport.

On another topic…when I speak of ‘paid for’ concerning roads I mean that all road construction about everywhere is paid for with funds set aside for the purpose…gas taxes, registration fees, tolls, etc. It is when those sources of income are raided for other purposes that we have problems.

Put another way…when a politician after the budget as been approved says that we must have more money for roads (or any other project) because roads are our number one priority, what they are really saying is that they made decisions already to underfund roads and use that money for other projects which ARE of a higher priority….Roads are, by the action of the politicians actually the lowest priority as those politicians already voted for all the more important stuff.

‘Revolution, food riots in America by 2012’

The man who predicted the 1987 stock market crash and the fall of the Soviet Union is now forecasting revolution in America, food riots and tax rebellions – all within four years, while cautioning that putting food on the table will be a more pressing concern than buying Christmas gifts by 2012.

Gerald Celente, the CEO of Trends Research Institute, is renowned for his accuracy in predicting future world and economic events, which will send a chill down your spine considering what he told Fox News this week.

Celente says that by 2012 America will become an undeveloped nation, that there will be a revolution marked by food riots, squatter rebellions, tax revolts and job marches, and that holidays will be more about obtaining food, not gifts.

And it’s not just the impoverished; there are places – right here in the ol’ U S of A – where families don’t own a car because 1) they can get everywhere they go on the bus, subway, train, etc., and 2) a car is prohibitively expensive to park, operate, etc.

For people right here in Boise, the public transportation system, as week as it is, is “essential and not a gimmick.” And based on the trends I’ve observed over the last 5 years or so (fuel prices, cost of vehicle ownership, “green” pressure, pollution, economic trends, etc.), I boldly predict a gradual shift in that direction here in Treasure Valley, if the public transportation is there to support it.