Our friend Kristina over at the Make It Better blog points us to an excellent column in the Gristmill environmental news & commentary blog by Ryan Avent (Mass Transit in D.C. is a Triumph, November 19, 2007) that extols the virtues of our Metro system, saying "Metro at its worst is still pretty good for commuters." Agreed. Mr. Avent, who we use to follow when he was a columnist at DCist.com is an economist and now a regular contributor to the Economist's Free Exchange blog, concludes:
"Let's be honest. Increased ridership has placed a strain on Metro, as it has on public transit systems around the country. Fuel costs and carbon abatement measures, along with congestion, will continue to drive new riders onto mass transit. This can only be seen as a great thing for the economy and the environment, but it heightens the need for more capacity and more funding for public transit. System maintenance, to say nothing of expansion, will become difficult if transit continues to absorb $1 of government spending for every $40 allocated to roads.
That's why it's vital for those who care about climate change to recognize what a success transit has been in this country. Even when funded poorly, transit systems have meaningfully reduced congestion and carbon emissions where they exist as transportation options."
The column is well worth a read. Enjoy.
Chris Hamilton is the Commuter Services Chief for Arlington County, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a biking/Metro commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria
Your third-hand blog citation erroneously states:
"...transit continues to absorb $1 of government spending for every $40 allocated to roads".
Repeating such absurd and undocumented assertions does not enhance your advocacy for much-needed investment in better public transportation. In the 6-year Transportation Improvement Program for our region, transit (including rider fares) consumes about 50% of the total spending yet accounts for roughly 3% of total trips.
Moreover, our region seeks to squander billions of transportation expansion funds on rather dubious transit boondoogles such as a $5+ Billion extension of Metrorail into Loudoun County (which will worsen the overcrowding on the Orange Line in Arlington) and $140 million to replace just 11 Metrobuses on Columbia Pike with 11 equally slow trolleys.
As long as transit expansions are primarily based on political whims rather than objective and strategic planning, our transit system will always be chronically underfunded.
Posted by: Allen Muchnick | November 28, 2007 at 06:14 PM