Leave Transit Projects to Transit Experts, Not Politicians

Stephen Smith sheds light on the problems of leadership holding back Obama's dream of high-speed rail.

2 minute read

November 21, 2012, 9:00 AM PST

By Ryan Lue


President Obama, Vice President Biden, & Ray LaHood

Center for Neighborhood Technology / Flickr

When President Barack Obama first set goals for his federal transportation legacy, he aimed high: access to high-speed rail for 80 percent of Americans within 25 years. Now, at the close of his first term, California is the only state with an HSR system scheduled for completion on-time. As Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood likely prepares to step down next year, Smith argues, it may be prudent for the President to reevaluate the leadership platform of the Transportation Department.

Smith writes, "David Gunn, the president of Amtrak from 2002 to 2005, cited a lack of technical knowledge as the biggest problem at the Transportation Department, which he said has devolved into 'an agency that just distributes money.' " In California, for example, the development and operation of HSR was entrusted to the "California High-Speed Rail Authority, which has little operational experience and a barebones staff." In the process, federal authorities effectively shut out freight rail and Amtrak California, whose collective expertise is critical to the success of the system, according to Gunn.

And it's not merely new projects that suffer from such leadership decisions. "Right now, air, highway and rail interests frequently compete against one another to fill the same need. The government often finances projects to widen and build new highways parallel to new rail routes, depressing ridership and limiting the cost-effectiveness of transit."

Smith concludes, "Other transit analysts, such as Joshua Schank of the Eno Center for Transportation, a research group, agreed that it might be time for a transportation secretary from a technical rather than political background. (The office is sometimes used for bipartisan gestures: LaHood, Obama’s first-term transportation secretary, was a Republican U.S. representative from Illinois, and Norman Mineta, who served under George W. Bush for five years, was a Democratic congressman.) "

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 in Bloomberg

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Floor-to-ceiling rotating gates at Fairmount subway station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Crime Continues to Drop on Philly, San Francisco Transit Systems

SEPTA and BART both saw significant declines in violent crime in the first quarter of 2025.

1 hour ago - Mass Transit

South LA Wetlands Park in Los Angeles, California.

How South LA Green Spaces Power Community Health and Hope

Green spaces like South L.A. Wetlands Park are helping South Los Angeles residents promote healthy lifestyles, build community, and advocate for improvements that reflect local needs in historically underserved neighborhoods.

2 hours ago - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

Intersection in downtown Sacramento, California with neoclassical building with columns on left.

Sacramento Plans ‘Quick-Build’ Road Safety Projects

The city wants to accelerate small-scale safety improvements that use low-cost equipment to make an impact at dangerous intersections.

3 hours ago - The Sacramento Bee