1997 FWOC Resolution
No. 7
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SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT
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The automobile is both a
wonderfully convenient and a very destructive machine. So
tremendous has been its impact on every aspect of our daily lives and
our environment, that it is difficult to believe that it was invented
only 100 years ago. Now, at the end of this "automobile
century." It is useful to take a harder look at this machine and
assess what it has done to our lives and our environment. It is
now important to evaluate the adverse impacts of the automobile to both
ourselves and the planet and make recommendations for the next century.
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The price we pay in
endless gridlock, breathing polluted air and being threatened by
accidents, is matched by the toll the automobile takes on the American
landscape in the form of urban and suburban sprawl, noise pollution,
disappearance of scenic vistas and the decimation of habitat for
wildlife. The increasing dependence on cars and trucks results in
increased pressure for enlarge highways and parking lots.
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The fact is that people
will use alternative modes of transportation if they are readily
available, convenient and affordable.
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The FWOC recommends the
following actions to its members as small, but positive steps they can
take to help make the automobile a more compatible part of our daily
lives and lessens its impact on the environment we love:
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1. Urge your elected
officials to provide more funds for improved public transit and rapid
transit.
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2. Insist that
greater percentage of gas taxes be used for public transportation
instead of for more highways.
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3. Oppose new
development projects that are not accessible to non-motorists.
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4. Urge officials to
plan to make better use of under-utilized rail lines for new passenger
services, and shift major portions of long-haul freight traffic from
highways to the much more efficient railroads.
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5. Plan club
activities with the use of public transportation.
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