Private vehicles are getting a free ride

Re. “Transit Advisers Pitch Gondola as Safe and Green Option for City,” May 31

According to the Edmonton Transit System Advisory Board, public transport in Edmonton “is heavily subsidized” compared to gondola systems. If that’s the case, then private-vehicle transportation is off-the-chart subsidized.

What we pay for gas and oil does not cover the cost of the roads we use when we drive. Nor does what we pay for parking cover all the costs associated with parking our vehicles. Then there are the externalities associated with driving that are not accounted for: the costs to our health, environment and climate.

So my suggestion to the Edmonton Transit System Advisory Board is this: when making transportation comparisons, don’t overlook the elephant in the room — private-vehicle subsidies. Take these subsidies into account, and by all comparisons, public transport in Edmonton is a bargain.

Peter Adamski, Edmonton