Frequent readers will remember that recently, with a broken right leg, I was relying on Whistler's excellent public transit system. Most of the buses can actually be lowered to make access easier, and this made it a lot easier to climb on board with crutches. It makes a huge difference as well to anyone who may have an infirmity, such as an elderly person who is walking with a cane. This got me thinking about what makes a good system, as well as the pro and cons of using it.

There's no question that more people should use buses, trains, car pools and undergrounds in their daily commute. In Los Angeles, during gridlock, if you look around it seems three out of four cars have only one occupant. In crowded conditions, this is a shameful waste of space. Unfortunately L.A. and many other large cities have relatively weak transit systems. The answer here, at least in the short term, would be carpooling.

To make this work requires some planning and cooperation. Out of any group of four people, there's probably one who drives with the finesse of an axe murderer, one who crawls along, another who keeps turning to talk to passengers in the back seat, and the fourth one may have a cell phone addiction. The best plan here is to hold a pre-pooling driver's meeting, just as we do at the racetrack, and establish several ground rules. It's an exercise in socialization, and more than likely a healthy thing.

The rules would include what is acceptable by way of speed, both hands on the wheel for the driver, seat belts on all-round, things of that nature. Whatever works for the group, and of course this means a degree of compromise. The payoff is a reduction in tooth grinding, and a generally calm travel environment.

A good transit system requires enough feeder lines, into a main system, to actually get people from close to home to their destination. A bit of shoe leather takes care of the rest. It needs to be clean, safe and run on time. Tokyo is an excellent example, despite the incredible crowding at peak times, as is London. While living there, in either city, I rarely used a car. The trains were simply more efficient and less aggravating than struggling through traffic. The jury is still out on New York. Natives of the city use it regularly, and yes, the trains are a lot safer of late, but the general atmosphere takes a bit of getting used to.

Calgary's system is expanding nicely, and soon will be partially driven by power from the windmill grid, which is a great idea. Paris works well, though it helps to speak French. By far the best way to get around Montreal Grand Prix is on the Metro. Vancouver's SkyTrain on the other hand demonstrates a classic planning mistake, which will have to be fixed for any serious Olympic bid. A train to the airport, as in London, would take a lot of heat off of city traffic. All the tourists in rental cars, struggling to find their way towards Whistler, are hardly an aid to traffic flow. A SkyTrain connecting to the railway station would also ease the crowding and confusion of our Sea to Sky highway, which can be a fairly dangerous stretch of road.

We should be lobbying for good public transit wherever we live. Safe bike paths would be nice too. There will always be a need for personal transport, and a good road trip is a fine thing. Still, especially for city commuters, there should be alternatives. Look, I drive for a living, but it doesn't mean I'm wedded to my car. A jockey, after all, doesn't hop on a horse to get home after a race.