Why Does This Detroit Man Have to Walk 21 Miles to Get Back and Forth from Work Everyday? Because the Government Runs the Buses.
11th February 2015
The real cause of Robertson’s plight is more straightforward: The government does a terrible job of getting federal transit dollars to those who need them most, while at the same time constraining private initiatives that could make Detroit far more commutable without costing taxpayers a dime.
Robertson used to own a car, but after it broke down he didn’t replace it primarily because he couldn’t afford insurance. That’s no surprise, given that Detroit’s car insurance premiums are 165 percent the U.S. average, or the highest in the nation.
Why is basic liability coverage so costly? Michigan is the only state that doesn’t cap personal injury claims related to car accidents, and its no-fault insurance law means that drivers are responsible for their passengers’ medical costs whether they’re to blame for an accident or not.