Federal Gravy Train

It's often the federal government that's giving out money for transportation. Well they aren't really giving it out, we paid them taxes and they give it back to us. In places like the Bay Area we get back less than we pay in. Why is it that regions who pay the most money act as welfare areas to the other parts of the state or country. I certainly don't want my money going to build Don Young's Alaska bridge to no-where. But how much extra money would there be if there was a regional system instead of a state system? It's an interesting question that might get an interesting answer if i had the data.

So yesterday two bay area congressional members, one of them is my Gramma's congresswoman, asked the congressional transportation overlord for more money back. I think its great but I'm wondering what types of projects it would go to. Freeway expansion? I don't care about that since i don't use the freeway often, and if i do, it's on Wednesday night when no one is on it and I still pay the bridge toll, which brings me to my next point...freeway o holics love to say that highways are paid for by user fees. But what about those of us who pay gas taxes but don't drive on the freeway, or drive on the freeway that doesn't get any of that money. I hardly call that a user fee. It sounds like subsidy to me given that none of my gas tax money goes to my street.

I think M1ek touched on this at one point but when are suburbanites gonna realize they are just freeloading off the people who use surface streets? I'm all for tolls and perhaps if people had to pay the true cost of suburbanization, they might realize, well of course we should build more transit and collectively ride it, it would save us a ton of money. I know i know, wishful thinking.

Anyways, perhaps we shouldn't have a federal gravy train at all. Transportation monies should go to regional entities rather than national ones. Then we'll get the money the region needs and it will be spent on regional problems. I dunno. Thoughts?

Border Towns Looking at Light Rail

I was interested to see this article this morning discussing a possible light rail line in the Valley. The Valley is what Texans call the Rio Grande Valley just across the border from Mexico. Now I don't doubt that it will turn into a BRT bonanza after the consultants come in due to cost effectiveness criteria, but hopefully that will change.

Did You Know?

The city of Vancouver has barely a freeway touching its edge. A book i've been reading called Dream City discusses Vancouver's transit and its interesting to see how that city's streetcar lines weren't quite radial. The city grew up with the car, but the car didn't quite have the same pull as in American cities .

A Good Charlotte Kick in the....

The knuckle draggers in Charlotte trying to redo the 1998 referendum should be paying attention to whats said in other cities. Basically they're trying to ruin Charlotte rumors (whether true or false) that they are going to pull business away from Atlanta. Say it enough times and it becomes true, just like Austin being the Live Music Capital of the World. Charlotte's version is that they are going to take Atlanta's biz because they are being progressive about transport, too bad the Reason foundation type folks don't get it.

From the AJC...

Moreover, as Atlanta ignores mass transit planning, it will be outpaced by other urban areas that have the foresight to put a brake on road-driven growth. Charlotte, with its ambitious inter-modal transit planning, stands poised to seize business opportunities from us, its chief rival as the Southeast's principal business and banking center. Even the Denver region, itself no model of sound mass-transit planning, last year demonstrated its commitment to pursue a new path when voters approved a bond issue for an innovative light rail system.

And the Transit Space Race moves along.

Or Regular Property Owner

Apparently they still have to pay taxes.

Houston Metro: Property Owner

I'm not sure what i think of this move by Metro to buy a developer's land then sell back when they are ready. I'm guessing this is to give the developer time to come up with a TOD plan without incurring the costs of holding land year to year. Perhaps the city should have come up with a way to do this without having Metro purchase the land and make it available for all properties that are going to develop TOD. In that sense they would be able to provide more density and community benefits with the money they saved. Heck perhaps this is a way to fund new light rail lines? Buy the land along a corridor and sell it back to pay for the infrastructure. It could work right? It would be a LIF. Land Increment Financing.

TGV Rivals Maglev

The Fench TGV made by Alstom has broken its own record. It almost broke the record held by Maglev technology. So why are we spending tons of money on maglev development went current rail lines could go as fast and perhaps for cheaper.

New Features

Google News is integrated into the blog now. If you click on a topic down on the bottom right it will give you the headlines for it. Pretty cool huh?

Tampa Close to Space Race Entrance

The mayor has pledged her second term to transit. Let's hope it doesn't turn into BRT. More from David Pinero.

Crashing Hard Drives

In case folks were wondering why no updates, my laptop died. It's still dead so until it is resurrected there will be limited posting.