[Speed Gibson,
Friday July 22, 2005 at 12:53am]
Light Rail vs Buses
Policy Guy is an excellent source of information on a number of topics. Tuesday, he passed along a study of how poorly rail-based public transitis working across the country.
After reviewing the high cost and inflexibility of commuter rail, the author notes:
Given so much, why did Governor Tim Pawlenty change his mind, or at least his public position on light rail, specifically the Northstar Corridor? He knows light rail doesn't work. He said as much just two years ago. And he knows much of his GOP base doesn't approve of light rail, either. The Hiawatha Line is undoubtably the biggest boondoggle project in Minnesota history.
Did those construction firms woo Mr. Pawlenty with campaign contributions and support? Did it get him invited to better parties? Whatever brownie points he thought he might receive in the 2005 budget session clearly never arrived.
No, given what's happened this session, and in interviews afterward, I think our Governor is simply being a clever politician. The "success" (and we can't afford much more!) of the Hiawatha line gave him political cover to get in on the next pork project in this series.
More in my next post.
Dozens of cities around the country, including Pennsylvania cities like Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, are building, planning, or considering new or expanded rail systems. But is rail really the best solution for regions looking to provide commuters with an attractive mix of transportation alternatives?
In a word, no. It turns out that transit agencies that rely on buses are more likely to see transit ridership grow as fast or faster than automobile driving than those agencies that build expensive rail lines—and rail’s lack of success should be a lesson for rail aficionados both inside and outside government.
After reviewing the high cost and inflexibility of commuter rail, the author notes:
Rail transit fattens the wallets of rail contractors who can make campaign contributions to powerful elected officials. But if transit agencies truly want to improve mass transit in their regions, they should rely on fast, flexible, and low-cost buses.
Given so much, why did Governor Tim Pawlenty change his mind, or at least his public position on light rail, specifically the Northstar Corridor? He knows light rail doesn't work. He said as much just two years ago. And he knows much of his GOP base doesn't approve of light rail, either. The Hiawatha Line is undoubtably the biggest boondoggle project in Minnesota history.
Did those construction firms woo Mr. Pawlenty with campaign contributions and support? Did it get him invited to better parties? Whatever brownie points he thought he might receive in the 2005 budget session clearly never arrived.
No, given what's happened this session, and in interviews afterward, I think our Governor is simply being a clever politician. The "success" (and we can't afford much more!) of the Hiawatha line gave him political cover to get in on the next pork project in this series.
More in my next post.