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As the great Jane Jacobs says, “Automobiles are often conveniently tagged as the villains responsible for the ills of cities and the disappointments and futilities of city planning. But the destructive effects of automobiles are much less a cause than a symptom of our incompetence at city building.” As usual, Jacobs makes a great point. Automobiles and cities can work together, it is just that city planners do not know what to do with automobiles in cities. Since most cities have recognized the mistake of planning the city around the automobile and not the person, many have sought solutions to manage the growing problem of traffic congestion and the social, economic and environmental questions presented by continued urban sprawl due to auto dependence. One solution many cities have adopted is a rise in public support for increased public transit as a practical strategy to alleviate environmental concerns, reduce transportation infrastructure costs and ensure fair, affordable, and reliable transportation choices for individuals. However, not all cities have taken this route in mitigating transportation concerns, take for instance Wilmington, NC. (Read More)