high prices are the only thing which will bring about overall positive changes.

it's worked in amsterdam and paris. see below.

Paris:
http://www.commoncurrent.com/notes/2008/06/bike-share-the-future-of-carb...

Ams:
http://www.commoncurrent.com/notes/2008/06/europe-dispatch-eu-green-capi...

Exactly. Europe taxes energy consumption, especially motor fuels, and their per capita energy consumption is half of what it is in the US, and they in general have far better mass transit systems than the US.


From above article on commoncurrent.com