What if every state, or even the federal government, decided to take x% of oil company proceeds, and stick it into a Universal Basic Income, just like Alaska has done?
So gas prices skyrocket in Vermont and primarily the consumer is hurt, right?
Maybe it will encourage public transit. Less driving is good for the planet.
Vermont is mostly rural, with a few small towns. It’s a poster child for there being a few places that will still need cars
Wikipedia says
There are no major urban areas in Vermont, which is not surprising given its small overall population. Vermont has only 9 incorporated cities, and only three of them have a population of more than 10,000. Burlington is the state’s largest city, home to just over 42,000 people
Chittenden county is moderately dense. It has about 25% of the state’s population. There’s public transit in the form of buses and it seems moderately used. It’s a rural state, but not nearly as rural as you seem to think.
In contrast I grew up in a significantly more densely populated suburbs in the greater Boston area. People might use the commuter rail, but I’m not even sure what other public transit even existed. If it’s there I’ve never heard of anyone interacting with it.
Over the last couple of decades, the greater Boston area has put a lot of money into expanding buses, walkability, denser town cores. Two recent significant changes are setting aside dedicated bus lanes so the busiest routes aren’t stuck in traffic, and a state zoning rule requiring “as of right” higher density housing near transit.
I live in one of those suburbs and it is certainly more car centric than I’d like. However it does have a walkable town center, it does have a transit hub centered on a commuter rail stop, and it does have a newly built rail trail. I live in a single family housing area but can walk to the center, where there is lots of shops, restaurants, larger apartments buildings. If I didn’t want to walk, there’s regular bus service going past my block. If I worked in one of the nearby corporate office parks, there is an entire shuttle system could choose to use. We have lots more to do, but are doing it
Personally I’m excited by the planned new train station! The plan is to move a small quiet station from a nearby town, that few people use, to just off the highway as a huge park-n-ride. I’ll never use it, but it should take a huge number of cars off the roads
