I've heard this proposal made here too, from Chamber of Commerce types, not just "ecofascists". They are concerned because downtown retailers are losing business because it is such a pain in the butt for suburbanites to shop in the central business district (congestion, parking, expensive gas, etc). The idea is to have satellite parking areas in the suburbs and "people movers", like monorails and dedicated bus lines, to shuttle shoppers and commuters into the CBDs. All of it would be funded with tax dollars, of course. The downtown areas would then be revitalized for commerce and and become pleasant pedestrian malls instead of decaying slums. I'm sure you've heard the rhetoric, "Business and government working together !"

It may not be a bad idea, after all, that's how it used to be before the motor car took over. There is a precedent for this, too. There used to be a viable and healthy public transportation industry in America; buses, trains, trolleys, etc, (as there is in Europe to this day)that was allowed to decay here so the auto and oil companies could fill in the void. It wasn't just consumer choice, studies have shown how the motor and oil industries deliberately brought this about by clever lobbying and marketing.

Maybe if this proposal is marketed in this way, our TB might find it more palatable. But my first instinct would be to reach for my wallet and make sure it was well secured.