Head of TriMet wants to raise the driving age

George Passadore's column advocating raising the driving age in Oregon
to 18 is interesting.

He makes an excellent point that driving distracts high school
students from schoolwork, and that teen drivers are the most dangerous
on the road.

However, suggesting that Trimet is a good alternative for all of
Oregon is a bit much. (Although not too surprising from the head of
the agency.) While Trimet does provide excellent service to the
Portland metropolitan area, there's a whole lot of Oregon beyond that.

In most of Oregon, our towns and cities are designed around the car.
Our current system of tiered driving does a good job of allowing teens
to get places. I'd support raising the driving age to 18 in Portland,
but it's not a good fit for the rest of the state.