[ericmay]

Another blow against the "cars = freedom" mantra we have so wrongly pursued for 50+ years. Now that prices are up and highway maintenance costs are continuing to increase you have no alternative but to open your wallet for the automakers and state departments of roads and highways bureaucrats because guess what, they've legislated your density and your sidewalks and bike lanes away and stopped you from taking the train.

[yamtaddle]

When I ran the numbers for "am I, high-paid for my city and only at a medium-distance from the city center by local commuter standards, benefitting from the existence of cars?" over a decade ago, I was at break-even (except that I'd be healthier in a bike-and-walking-centric version of my city). Now? Haha. Hahaha. If I still had to commute, the numbers would surely be way into the "cars are a net-cost" side. And I've got a far better situation for that than most do....