# Transportation, Land Use, and Freedom **URL:** **By** Randal O'Toole, Tom Clougherty, Trevor Burrus **Published:** February 26, 2016 --- Randal O'Toole joins us for a discussion on land usage, urban planning, public transit, transportation, and driverless cars. Henry Ford's mass production of the automobile ushered in a new era of human mobility, one that public planners always seem to be attempting to steer the American public away from. How is transportation important to human freedom and flourishing? How much are we spending on public transit? When, if ever, does public transportation make sense? What will driverless cars do for traffic congestion? Are driverless cars going to cause people to drive more? Less? Are there any potential roadblocks to driverless cars? **Show Notes and Further Reading** O'Toole's books on various topics: [_The Vanishing Automobile and Other Urban Myths: How Smart Growth Will Harm American Cities_](http://www.amazon.com/dp/097064390X/) (2001), [_The Best-Laid Plans: How Government Planning Harms Your Quality of Life, Your Pocketbook, and Your Future_](http://www.amazon.com/The-Best-Laid-Plans-Government-Pocketbook/dp/1933995076) (2007), and [_American Nightmare: How Government Undermines the Dream of Homeownership_](https://store.cato.org/book/american-nightmare) (2012). Randal O'Toole blogs at [The Antiplanner](http://ti.org/antiplanner/). Trevor mentions this article from The Onion (satire): "[Report: 98 Percent Of U.S. Commuters Favor Public Transportation For Others.](http://www.theonion.com/article/report-98-percent-of-us-commuters-favor-public-tra-1434)"