Why our transportation planning is so dysfunctional

[John Gear]

Basically our planning enforces an institutional "autism for autos" whereby people only matter if they're encased in a expensive carapace of glass and steel, fueled by a hidden river of subsidies and by taxes that are paid invisibly and carefully disguised so as to remain unquestioned.

6. Why you spend so much on transportation
It's no secret that conventional city planning emphasizes the automobile. The focus placed on metrics like car level-of-service lead to decisions that remove any obstacles to automotive speed and mobility, even a crosswalk can slow down traffic too much for a planner's liking. The upshot of this approach, of course, can be seen on any of America's congested city roads. But traffic isn't the only impact to car-centered planning: it also creates transport inequity for a region.
Atlantic Cities, March 05