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We are so, so, so lucky to have moved away from the U.S. where you had to drive everywhere. We walk now. Have no car. Do take trains and buses for traveling. Frank Lloyd Wright had a vision. I wish it had been embraced, but the oil companies tore up the cable car tracks in LA and made the city and country dependent upon cars and gas.

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Yes, not my generation but in the 1930's, my Mother could take the "Red Line" from South Pasadena down to Long Beach to sing for a Big Band. A few of the old "Red Line" Right-of-Ways still exist. Another Red Line went out to Santa Monica.

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And my grand parents when they were teenagers.

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It wasn't just the oil companies. The automotive companies were a driving force in buying up the land and tearing out rail lines to force the change to driving. Oil followed. Same thing happened in Denver. 50 years later, the movement began to rebuild those same rail lines, and expand into the metro and suburban area. I grew up primarily in Chicago area, where public transportation flourished. I was astounded when i moved to Denver in the late '70s to find that the local rail lines had been closed down. Short term selfish greed, repackaged and branded as a benefit.

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I'm realizing we can use our car much less. Can walk to a small local grocery for a lot, and then only have to hit the larger store maybe once every 10-12 days. Fortunately, we have a Honda that gets great mileage, so that helps.

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"Carpool for Ukraine!" Divide the cost of gas by the number of people in the car. That's what we are really paying per gallon.

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Also important is the speed at which you drive. Nobody is talking about "Drive 55."

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My 2010 Honda CRV is worth itтАЩs weight in gold! Good gas mileage and has only about 40,000 miles on it. No way am I buying a new car!

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Our Honda is 2015 with bells and whistles, as well as great gas mileage. 50K miles. Wouldn't trade it for the world.

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Where did you move? I see the building in Ukraine that have been hit and think that living in high rise homes would not be safe!

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Jacques Fresco also had a visionтАж https://g.co/kgs/9y2C6v

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I love traveling in Europe, especially Portugal and Spain. The buses and trains are so easy, accessible and take you everywhere. Plus you can walk on the Camino trails for safe walking, too. My parents lived in LA area when the street car tracks were ripped out. The smog and traffic were not considered. I lived in California suburban areas with poor public transportation, also. And high speed trains are often voted down. The auto manufacturers had a great lobby and influence on our transportation choices.

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We lived in LA and near San Diego. My grandfather worked in the oil fields near Long Beach. From childhood to adulthood I watched the changes in the air each time I went back. My mother said they use to ride bikes through orange groves from Long Beach to Culver City. Once Upon a Time SoCal was so beautiful. I miss friends and family, but would never go back.

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Where is this Shangri-la?

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My L.A. husband would second that motion, and heтАЩs still angry about it at the age of 94!

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