I bet it would increase use of public transportation if we had consistent, reliable, wide-spread public transportation. For example, look at Europe. The railways and buses run like clockwork, and make it easy to get just about anywhere.
Where I live, my choice is either drive or walk. And believe me, there isn't anything within walking distance of my house. The nearest thing I could walk to would be a gas station, and that would take like.. an hour. In Concord, the city closest to me, there is the CAT.. Concord Area Transit. It's not worth it to use it though.

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