Anti-Transit Bias Revealed in Museum Exhibit

Conrad DeFebre of Minnesota 2020 went to an exhibit about transportation at the Minnesota History Center titled "Going Places: The Mystique of Mobility" and found an overt bias against transit.

1 minute read

June 19, 2009, 6:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


In addition to a sign that says "Light rail is an expensive investment without return except as an exercise in chest-thumping to make a city feel like it's in the big leagues," the exhibit includes a sizable pro-PRT component.

"Minneapolis artist, activist and blogger Ken Avidor tipped me off to this weird imbalance in a museum installation funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and private foundations. "Shouldn't we expect more from a publicly funded institution to educate citizens about an important subject such as transportation?" he said.

The exhibit has been up since 2004, the year Minnesota's first light-rail line opened for business. Since then, the Hiawatha line has shattered projections for both ridership and economic development again and again."

Thursday, June 18, 2009 in Minnesota 2020

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