Comments on: Transit Ridership Setting Records Nationwide…So Why the Transit Cuts? http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/06/03/transit-ridership-setting-records-nationwideso-why-the-transit-cuts/ Covering Los Angeles's livable streets movement Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:35:52 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Dana Gabbard http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/06/03/transit-ridership-setting-records-nationwideso-why-the-transit-cuts/comment-page-1/#comment-1053 Dana Gabbard Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:17:03 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/06/03/transit-ridership-setting-records-nationwideso-why-the-transit-cuts/#comment-1053 It is woefully naive to speak of "A few small technical changes to CA Code." I have walked the halls of Sacramento and done my share of advocacy. Newcomers are wecome to look down their noses at folks like me and wonder why if we knew this day would come that we were unable to prevent the persistent robbery of transit funds, etc. First, bear in mind the old dictum of Winston Chirchill: The Americans will always do the right thing... after they've exhausted all the alternatives. In the 70s during the fuel crisis all sort of things were started to provde alternative sources. Only to be allowed to wilt when prices declined. And now we reap the whirlwind of our shortsighted selfishness. Frankly the most practical thing is to get behind AB 2321 and write the Governor et al to support it. Our best chance is to bite the bullet and solve our problems out of our own pocket (however daunting the 2/3 requirement will prove to surmount). Handwringing is a waste of time. Forward, always! It is woefully naive to speak of "A few small technical changes to CA Code." I have walked the halls of Sacramento and done my share of advocacy. Newcomers are wecome to look down their noses at folks like me and wonder why if we knew this day would come that we were unable to prevent the persistent robbery of transit funds, etc.

First, bear in mind the old dictum of Winston Chirchill: The Americans will always do the right thing... after they've exhausted all the alternatives.

In the 70s during the fuel crisis all sort of things were started to provde alternative sources. Only to be allowed to wilt when prices declined. And now we reap the whirlwind of our shortsighted selfishness.

Frankly the most practical thing is to get behind AB 2321 and write the Governor et al to support it. Our best chance is to bite the bullet and solve our problems out of our own pocket (however daunting the 2/3 requirement will prove to surmount).

Handwringing is a waste of time. Forward, always!

]]> By: ubrayj02 http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/06/03/transit-ridership-setting-records-nationwideso-why-the-transit-cuts/comment-page-1/#comment-1046 ubrayj02 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:36:55 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/06/03/transit-ridership-setting-records-nationwideso-why-the-transit-cuts/#comment-1046 I don't think we need a mass movement. We just need to make car projects visible to policy makers and the public alike. Automobile-only projects are masked behind traffic engineering practice and the neutral term "transportation". If an advocacy group can squeak through a change in state law that makes transportation agency officials identify projects based on mode, it would be trivial for policy makers to ask questions about the amount of money being spent on private automobile projects vs. public transit, pedestrian facilities, and bicycle projects. Right now, a policy maker needs to spend months or years digging through bond measures and budgets to figure out how much gets allocated to build car facilities vs. other modal facilities. This would allow the press to have an easy hook in their articles about transportation funding: they would have analysis of transportation budgets that show the modal split in spending. Right now there are pie charts for general transportation funds that show "Bicycle", "Other", "Transit Services", and "Transportation" as pieces of the pie. "Transportation" is a code word for car-only projects, but you only find that out by digging into the language of each bond or funding measure. A few small technical changes to CA Code, and we'd have a political tool to ask for more equitable funding for transit and other modes. I don't think we need a mass movement.

We just need to make car projects visible to policy makers and the public alike.

Automobile-only projects are masked behind traffic engineering practice and the neutral term "transportation".

If an advocacy group can squeak through a change in state law that makes transportation agency officials identify projects based on mode, it would be trivial for policy makers to ask questions about the amount of money being spent on private automobile projects vs. public transit, pedestrian facilities, and bicycle projects.

Right now, a policy maker needs to spend months or years digging through bond measures and budgets to figure out how much gets allocated to build car facilities vs. other modal facilities.

This would allow the press to have an easy hook in their articles about transportation funding: they would have analysis of transportation budgets that show the modal split in spending. Right now there are pie charts for general transportation funds that show "Bicycle", "Other", "Transit Services", and "Transportation" as pieces of the pie.

"Transportation" is a code word for car-only projects, but you only find that out by digging into the language of each bond or funding measure.

A few small technical changes to CA Code, and we'd have a political tool to ask for more equitable funding for transit and other modes.

]]> By: fpteditors http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/06/03/transit-ridership-setting-records-nationwideso-why-the-transit-cuts/comment-page-1/#comment-1045 fpteditors Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:59:29 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/06/03/transit-ridership-setting-records-nationwideso-why-the-transit-cuts/#comment-1045 Do not depend on "leaders". The carbon-auto industry has trillions tied up in refineries, pipelines, and tankers. Public transportation is the biggest threat to their need to return shareholder value. They don't care about destroying the biosphere. It is up to us to build a mass movement for transit. We should start by mobilizing against their market distorting subisidies. The biggest one is the deterrent tariff [fare] on public transit. Do not depend on "leaders". The carbon-auto industry has trillions tied up in refineries, pipelines, and tankers. Public transportation is the biggest threat to their need to return shareholder value. They don't care about destroying the biosphere. It is up to us to build a mass movement for transit. We should start by mobilizing against their market distorting subisidies. The biggest one is the deterrent tariff [fare] on public transit.

]]>