The Seattle transit system is excellent and there are lessons for the UK. The frequent buses in the city centre all take bikes – on the front which would never be allowed in London because health and safety would beworriedaboutimpaling passengers – and are wheelchair accessible. I saw wheelchair users getting on and off without any helpers because the device, which does not involve the bus kneeling but rather is a lift in the main passenger entrance operated by the driver without having to move.
Moreover, people use these facilities.I travelled on half a dozen buses during a weekendand there were three wheelchair users and two cyclists. – lazy bastards! Moreover, the bus service is free in the downtown area between 6am and 7pm which encourages people to park their cars on the outskirts and travel round by public transport. The car park charges are high, often $2 per hour or in the case of the car parks next to the sports stadiums, a staggering $30 for the event. That shows the extent to which America’s dependency on cars is a con. The people have been sucked into car dependence and then have been fleeced, but sadly they will probably never realise unless, of course, petrol prices start soaring again.