On: Why America can’t build

[noahmasur]

The problem is that "inducing demand" for people who would otherwise take public transit doesn't actually increase efficiency. Putting more cars on the road is not necessarily a net benefit.

See this video from CityNerd for more details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za56H2BGamQ

[maccolgan → noahmasur]

You are making the assumption that deliberately causing an undersupply of road space so that people are forced to use public transit is a net virtue, while in reality it's just acting against the market.

[tashi → maccolgan]

Not to say they've found a good strategy(!), but when the market fails to price in externalities like pollution from cars, acting against the market would be the right thing to do, wouldn't it?

[aporetics → tashi]

Yes. The market is not a good in itself. Nor is it a perfect system.

[sagarm → maccolgan]

Publicly funded road infrastructure is has nothing to do with the "market."

[chronometry888 → maccolgan]

And you are making the assumption that acting in accordance with the market is automatically a net virtue.