Public Transit Vital For Future Of The U.S.

"So how about public transit - new streetcar lines, regional heavy- and light-rail commuter lines? Polls show people strongly in favor - to get to work or to reach entertainment and stadiums - at least to ease other drivers off the roads. More than two-thirds of transit-related measures were approved by voters in last month's elections. Kansas City suggested the shifting public sentiment - after earlier rejections, voters approved a ballot measure authorizing a three-eighths of a cent sales tax for a 27-mile light-rail system.

Yet, as expensive as new and expanded transit may be, the ultimate question isn't money (indeed the federal government's "New Starts" fund is swamped with 200 applications and shrinking dollars). Rather, it's whether we have the will to reshape urban America in more compact, livable, energy-conscious ways. That means organizing regionally on multiple fronts:

Champion transit-oriented development; Make transit stops beacons of living for America's new millions; Do away with mandatory parking slots for new buildings - let the market decide; Focus on reducing auto trips for errands - they're much more numerous than commute trips, studies show. To keep the cars parked, make "erranding" by foot or cycling much easier.

Finally, and critically, we need fresh vision to associate compactness with lively and resilient towns, combating climate change and making us less dependent on foreign oil. We owe it to ourselves and our children - a new, highly relevant 21st century patriotism."