Perils of Sustainability Madness

Sometimes, the sustainability purist in me just wants to limit all travel to bikes and walking. I recognize it the impulse for what it is (pure madness).  For a large segment of the urban environment (and the population) walking and biking simply aren't real options, even for short distances. But it does mean I have a bit of blindspot when it comes to vehicular solutions. I like the lifestyle vehicular travel affords--makes it possible for me to get places. And it's certainly lovely to be alone in the car, with the stereo blaring. 

I don't want anyone to live in a gulag. I certainly don't believe there is a one-size all solution for all places, or that top-down management is the appropriate way to fix things. 

I would like to see the gas tax high enough to actually fund the Highway Trust fund, rather than relying on transfers from the General Fund. I'm alarmed at the build-up of future liabilities that massive investment in urban highways create. 

If you live in a rural setting, cars are the way to go, no questions asked. But at a hundred units per acre, everyone can't have cars (where would you park them all?). But there are a lot of benefits to living at such densities, and a lot of people who enjoy that lifestyle. So I think it should be an option, even if not something you would choose for yourself.