Smart Jitney Proposal from Yellow Springs Peak Oil Group

Below is an excerpt from a "Smart Jitney" proposal from a peak oil group in Yellow Springs, Ohio.  While I think they have a point in trying find a way to combine automobile trips in the short term to start saving oil, the document appears to discount rail transit as being part of the solution to peak oil at all.  It seems that the  assumed comparison is to compare autos with trying to make light rail and other transit options fit in auto-centric sprawl settings rather than using them to revitalize existing urban cores and encourage more efficient redevelopment in outlying areas.  A representative of the group asked me for my opinion, but that's about all I have so far (with a toddler in my household my time is limited for providing in-depth analysis-- I've admittedly only skimmed the document).  Besides there are people here with more of the necessary details at their fingertips than me. 

I only ask that we be civilized in our responses.  Firm, constructive, fact based criticism is fine, but let's not bash.  The Peak Oil and Community Solutions group is basically asking for help and opinions, so let's be helpful in return.  They're trying to find solutions to the Peak Oil dilemma that will work on the community level.

Full document at: http://www.communitysolution.org/pdfs/NS12.pdf

Excerpt:

Our urban sprawl has no precedent in history, so the feasibility of a mass transit system has yet to be proven – a true mass transit system for the U.S. today may, in fact, be impossible. In addition, the energy savings of mass transit, in the context of implementing such a system in today’s configuration of cities and urban sprawl, may be highly overrated. Figure 6 shows that existing mass transit systems do not provide significant fuel savings.11 It depicts the Btus of energy per passenger mile (assuming average passenger densities) for each type of transportation.

Figure 6: Mass Transit Overrated

(Btu per passenger mile)

Private Car    3,549

Light Truck (SUV) 7,004

Bus Transit    4,160

Airplane        3,587

Amtrak Train  2,935

Rail Transit    3,228

Mass transit offers only a small improvement

over private vehicles for personal travel, and

is hardly applicable.

As previously noted, it is not obvious that a mass transit system can be implemented on top of our current sprawl. The mantra of “We need light rail” provides no evidence that a light rail system would work. Modeling of this complex system is required but has not been done to date. That leaves us with the private car as

the only option. In spite of its numerous benefits, the many conveniences and the sense of freedom associated with the automobile, it is unlikely that the concept of the private car, as we know it today, is viable for the future. Traffic is worsening all over the world. We can’t continue using a machine that has been so devastating for the planet.  As energy resources deplete and pollution worsens even a 100 to 200 mpg automobile cannot be the main vehicle for billions

of people.

Another option is needed.