Toward a Theology of Mass Transit

The dominance of personal passenger vehicles in many regions and cities causes serious ecological and social problems. This paper proposes a theology of mass transit that grapples with the ethical dilemmas around this issue. In proposing this theology, the paper builds on fragmentary and limited engagements that have existed so far to focus on two ethical imperatives: 1) The ecological impacts of automobile dominance on climate change and air quality are disproportionately suffered by poor and marginalized communities. 2) The social externalities of the costs and dangers of personal passenger vehicles are also overwhelmingly inflicted on poor residents. To respond to these issues, the paper proposes the need to account for them in terms of social or structural sin that calls for political solidarity in the development of adequate mass transit, as opposed to a focus on individual choice that would be appropriate in a context of wrongful individual behavior.