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It's more than economics macro or micro. It's about culture, geography, and one's view of the world. It's about who and what we believe to be true. It's about how we see ourselves and what we believe others think of us. Some decisions we make are rational in terms of time and money. Others are made based on how we feel and what intagibles we value. Most of us are fortunate enough to have a choice between driving a car, taking public transit, riding a bicycle or motorcycle, or walking. I am amused that people drive to the mall to power walk or gym to spin on an exercise bike.
We pay for convenience when we drive a car and for a variety of reasons having a car available to us is nearly a necessity in North America. I would like to have a streamlined motorcycle that gets 500 mpg or a bicycle that I can ride at 30 mph and carry on a bus or train. I would like to weigh 50 lbs less than I do today. Most likely I will be able to make a fairing for my city bike and use it enough to lose the weight. My cars might be modified to improve fuel mileage by 20%. Riding a bike is arguably the most efficient means of transportation in terms of energy conversion. The cost of obtaining that energy is a matter of energy accounting and varies with supply and demand. To make moral judgments is to examine ones values concerning good and evil. Good is best defined by the wisdom and mercies of God. Evil is pure selfishness.
In the economic analysis I made for my former 60 mile commute I figured average annual costs including my time for a small car, scooter, 250cc motorcycle, and a streamlined bicycle. My car cost over 50 cents/mile and the motorcycle tied with the bike at 35 cents a mile. I settled on keeping the car and modifying my current bicycle then looked for a job closer to home.
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