Conservatives and public transportation; join us for an upcoming debate
November 18, 2009By Sean Barry
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UPDATED: This session has been rescheduled for 12/14. If you already signed up with the link below, you won’t need to do a thing, and should get an email from us about the change.
Everyone has to get from point A to point B at some point each day. Though most people don’t rate it as one of their most important issues, transportation is something that affects everyone, whether we realize it or not.
If you are not convinced that the need for transportation reform is an issue that transcends labels and partisanship, you’ll definitely want to join us for what should be an interesting online debate/discussion on Monday, December 7 December 14. A handful of experts from differing perspectives are going to discuss the viewpoints shared in a recent book by William Lind and the late Paul Weyrich called “Moving Minds: Conservatives and Public Transportation.”
William Lind, one of the book’s co-authors, will be expanding on the arguments made in his book; that public transportation is something conservatives should embrace, because it can protect national security, promote economic development, support tight-knit communities and reduce congestion; and how many libertarians and conservatives often ignore the fact that our interstate highway system has been a massively subsidized project, made possible only through heavy government intervention.
Sam Staley, a critic of mass transit who serves as director of urban and land use policy at the libertarian Reason Foundation, will provide an alternative perspective to Lind. We’ll also have John Robert Smith, president and CEO of Reconnecting America and former mayor of Meridian, Mississippi; and Bill Millar, president of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).
Join us online for the debate on Monday, December 7 December 14 at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern)
The tone of the book by Lind and Weyrich, published jointly by the Free Congress Foundation and Reconnecting America, is perhaps best captured by former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, a Republican, who writes in the forward: “why do academic conservatives seem to believe that all transit is bad, when as a real-world conservative, I know it isn’t?”
Weyrich and Lind do a thorough job of knocking down myths peddled by some right-wing groups, like the “decline” of bus and light-rail. Many of these numbers are attributable to policy choices that gave preference or hefty subsidies to the automobile. Building codes and tax policy, for instance, have effectively subsidized auto-oriented growth for decades.
The authors are also unafraid to take a jab or two at some of the libertarian think tanks that regularly oppose funding for public transportation. Many of these critics decry support for light rail and bus systems as “subsidies,” but when offering their own proposals, often ignore the evidence that building more interstates or highways requires massive government support as well.
While critics like to label light rail projects as social engineering, it is hard not to look at our current transportation system without coming to the same conclusion, Weyrich and Lind argue.
“In no other society in history have places to live, places to work and places to shop been separated from one another, separated so widely that you need a car to get from one to another.”
There’s a old argument that transit must be a waste of money, because it carries only a small percentage of all trips. As Lind points out in the Streetfilms video below, the critics are disingenuously comparing apples to oranges. 1/2 of all Americans have no access to transit. And of the half that do, 1/2 of those say that the service is inadequate or unsatisfactory. If you break it down to a corridor where transit is available as a viable option to automobile travel (“transit competitive trips, as Lind calls it”), public transportation may be carrying a number closer to 40% of the total trips.
Weyrich and Lind make a thorough economic case for public transportation, offering superb guidance for making a compelling case to a conservative for supporting public transportation. But they also introduce a cultural element that is equally compelling. To them, reviving downtown streetcars or beefing up bus service does more than bring people to their destination and fuel development. It adds “flavor” and lifeblood to urban centers, spawning community. This may be a conservative sentiment, but it’s one that appeals to a broad audience.
Streetfilms had a chance to interview William Lind at the recent Rail~Volution conference in Boston about his book and produced this terrific short video that is a must-watch.
Stephen Lee Davis contributed to this post.
Seattle opens new light rail system, residents get a new “Link”
July 20, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
Seattle opened a new light rail system this weekend, and it was a smashing success by all accounts. Ridership from the inaugural weekend was over 90,000, and the system is settling into normal revenue service today. Read all about it from fellow Streetsblog Network member Seattle Transit Blog, and check out a huge batch of photos from opening weekend in their Flickr group pool.
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| Big crowd Originally uploaded by Mike Bjork |
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| DSC_5700 Originally uploaded by Seattle Transit Blog |
Regional bus, rail proposal unveiled
September 25, 2008By Andrew Bielak
Detroit residents get their first look at an ambitious plan to connect the city and its suburbs over the next few decades with a network of light rail, commuter rail, and hybrid buses. (Detroit News — Tanveer Ali)
Honolulu primary hinges on rail system issue
September 19, 2008By Andrew Bielak
A proposal to build a $5 billion, 20-mile light-rail line in Honolulu has become the main focus in a primary for the city’s mayorship being held this week. (Associated Press — Mark Niesse)
Speaker touts perks of mass-transit line
September 18, 2008By Andrew Bielak
The Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority is promoting a proposal to build a light-rail line in Indianapolis that could connect people to work, help reduce carbon emissions, and save a whole lot of gas money. (Indianapolis Star — Chris Sikich)
Woodward transit line takes step to reality
September 12, 2008By Andrew Bielak
With more details rising to the surface about a proposal to build a light-rail line through downtown Detroit, it’s looking like the motor city could soon become a whole lot friendlier to its car-less residents. (Detroit Free Press — Editorial Board)
Some cities find trollies draw life into target areas
August 25, 2008By Andrew Bielak
With streetcars helping to bring new life to downtowns in Portland, Little Rock and Kenosha, city leaders are taking a second look at using transit to spur community development. (Augusta Chronicle — Tim Rausch)
Leaping into Light Rail
July 31, 2008By Andrew Bielak
Some cities across the southwest are increasingly looking at light rail as a way to spur transit-oriented development and respond to demands for more urban-style living. (Governing — Zach Patton)
10 lame reasons to delay mass transit
July 23, 2008By Andrew Bielak
While some have found plenty of reasons to oppose Seattle’s plan to expand its light rail system and improve bus service, the city’s mayor, Greg Nickels, isn’t buying what the naysayers are selling. (Seattle Times)
Light rail proposal moves forward
July 16, 2008By Andrew Bielak
Long lacking in viable transportation options, the city of Detroit is now on its way to approving a light rail system that would provide service on an eight-mile stretch to and from downtown. (Detroit News)
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