Our dependency on the car has created other problems, particularly social inequalities. Those with a car enjoy a much higher level of mobility than those without. Many proposals, such as road pricing, intended to reduce congestion, and other social ills associated with car use, have the potential to further exacerbate these inequalities. While passenger transport can go some way to meet our mobility needs, our car orientated cities are not able to support the type of passenger transport system needed to provide anywhere near the level of service offered by the car. This paper discusses some social impact issues associated with car orientated cities. Noting that the NZ Transport Strategy clearly identifies social impacts as an important issue to be considered in developing sustainable transport solutions, the paper draws on work undertaken by the author in developing large NZ urban roading projects, particularly the debate about the future role of passenger transport and the car. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E212706.
Abstract