Social Costs of a Sad Lack of Public Transportation in Indianapolis

The Indianapolis Star today reports that Indianapolis is the 2nd worst per capita metro area in terms of carbon footprint - one measure of energy waste and pollution that continues to threaten our future.

The study finds that metro areas with bad (or no real) public transportation systems (like Indianapolis) were among the worst carbon emitting cities.

Indeed, business leaders continually have been calling on our city government to start taking a more proactive approach to public transportation, including taking more seriously the ideas of light rail, etc. Officials seems to largely ignore these calls or pander just until after the subsequent election. The only real public transportation in Indy is IndyGo Bus system, which is the saddest most pathetic public transportation system I've ever seen in my life (not to mention scary if you've ever ridden). Why we don't have atleast a T-shaped rail line(s) connecting north to south and east to west, I just don't get. Combined with park-and-ride, that system would surely pay for itself in the long-run, not to mention help Indy get away from it's polluting image problem.