Mass Transit Scores Big Win in House Stimulus
Great news from the House floor, where members are debating the $825 billion stimulus bill. An amendment from Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), and Keith Ellison (D-MN) -- restoring $3 billion in mass transit funding to an initial $10 billion pot that looked distressingly low to many urban-planning folks -- just passed by voice vote.
This brings the infrastructure portion of the stimulus a large step closer to the level of investment that has a genuine chance of expanding the nation's green transportation options. Amtrak, Metro, and subway riders, rejoice.
Late Victory Lap Update: Nadler just noted that hundreds of millions of dollars of this newly approved cash would go to often under-funded priorities in the crowded urban areas of New York and California. From his statement:
This amendment is crucial for fair distribution of transportation spending between urban and non-urban parts of the county. ... Investment in transit is a major step toward putting Americans to work right away in green jobs, reducing emissions and improving our transit systems.
Josh
Elana
Matt
Eric
Yeah, however, the mass transit spending is still woefully inadequate. Nonetheless, this is good news.
January 28, 2009 3:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
"...the mass transit spending is still woefully inadequate."
They should spend that much just in New York and California. Especially in California.
January 28, 2009 4:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
What about Chicago?
January 28, 2009 5:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sure, Chicago should get some, but that's just a city while 1-in-10 Americans live in the state of California. There should have been a hi-speed rail running the length of the west coast decades ago. Same for the east coast. And why not one or two running east-west? One of those could run through Chicago.
January 28, 2009 6:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excellent suggestion. Of course the members of congress are way too mentally retarded to ever consider anything that makes this much sense. Buncha dipshits...
January 28, 2009 7:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
We have taken the train twice in the last three years across the country - thru Chicago - and it was slow, old, and absolutely wonderful! No driving, no fast food, just wonderful REAL America.
January 28, 2009 9:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Way to go Nadler (et al)! I think the mass transit total is still way short, but this is a start.
January 28, 2009 3:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excellent.
I guess the Dems are beginning to realize that if the Republicans aren't going to support the stimulus bill no matter what, then there's no point in trying to appease them.
January 28, 2009 4:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yup, their relevance in this issue just went out the window.
January 28, 2009 4:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
I sure hope you are right. Republicans probably thought they sent Pres. Obama a message when not one of their reps voted for the stimulus package. I just hope the president got a message but not the one the Republicans think they've sent.
January 28, 2009 6:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
any of that coming to NYC in order to avoid a fare hike to $3.00? Every year these SOB's raise the fare because waah waah waah....and then the following year it's the same garbage. Prices go up - salary goes down or disappears. I hope these states use this money wisely!!!
January 28, 2009 4:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree about California, but New York has decent mass transit when you compare it to other places. I think that we ought to promote more mass transit in places that don't even consider it in their city planning. The Megalopolis is already on the path to decent transit throughout in my opinion. Here's some places that I think need it:
The Houston corridor for instance--high speed trains linking Houston to Dallas and San Antonio would be a good linkup. Florida would be another good target area. North Carolina's crescent. Phoenix-Mesa-Tempe-Scottsdale-Glendale (otherwise known as L.A. East). Ohio valley (Cincy, Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville).
I may be dreaming here, but I'm just saying that the places in most need of mass transit don't already have it. Yes, this is partially because there is resistance there, but if it is financially viable then that's where we need to be.
January 28, 2009 4:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Foisting a transit system on a political body that doesn't want it sounds about as effective as imposing democracy through the barrel of a gun.
January 28, 2009 6:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
They might not want it, but they need it. Have you ever been to Phoenix or Houston? Besides, if we are truly to fight global warming, transportation methods used everywhere have to be examined. I lived near Phoenix for awhile, and there driving many needless trips is not a choice--you have to do it.
January 28, 2009 7:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nice to have a little bit of good news for once. And thanks to three of our staunch House progressives, with help from progressive activists outside Congress.
January 28, 2009 4:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Will I be getting mass transit in Des Moines?
Answer: No. So instead I get to drive in a car 500 miles to see my family and fiance.
January 28, 2009 4:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Amtrak runs through Osceola, not Des Moines...
Go figure.
January 28, 2009 4:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Your use of a car is not a significant contributer to climate change because you are one of about 60 cars on the road in that stretch. Plus, you live in Des Moines and richly deserve to be ostracized from the treasure of society. Mwa-ha-ha.
Just kidding.
January 28, 2009 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, baby, you don't wanna be trash-talking Ioway. We'll sic Steve King on you.
January 28, 2009 5:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'd live her for the girls if I was single.
February 12, 2009 1:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't need winter heating fuel subsidies in California, but I support them for Iowa and elsewhere.
Mass transit funds have to be spend primarily where the masses are, right? That'd be within and between large urban areas.
Only half joking here, but if you want to drive less then maybe you should move closer to your relatives. Here in urban CA, I always make sure to reside near mass transit hubs to reduce my "need" to drive as much as possible.
January 28, 2009 6:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
ps. If you were wondering, on federal taxes while California gets back less than a dollar. If you want to know why you don't have (more) mass transit, talk to the folks spending federal tax dollars in your state.
January 28, 2009 6:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Des Moines _should_ be getting mass transit dollars, and not just for buses, but for light rail or trolleys/street cars. (Plus decent connections to Chicago, the Twin Cities, etc.) For both inter-city and intra-city transit, people prefer rail-based to bus-based if given a choice. Plus it's much more fuel-efficient.
Yes there's larger initial infrastructure outlays, but now's the time when we can do such things! Employ people laying rails in medium-sized cities around the country!
January 28, 2009 6:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
And I hope we don't hear too much more about the Republicans, either. What I've been trying to get across in recent comments is the big picture: when people go to the polls for the midterm election in 2010, ALL they will care about is whether the economy has bottomed out and signs of an upswing are apparent. If so, the Dems will romp (and will be well on their way to holding power for a long time); if not, they're in serious trouble. NOBODY will remember or care whether Obama "reached out" to Republicans in the winter of 2009.
So let's hope, for the country's sake and the sakes of all those who are suffering and will suffer from this mess, that this shit works.
January 28, 2009 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
It occurs to me that Obama is setting up the Repugs for a giant fall. He's playing nice, all bipartisan and such, and they're making asses of themselves. If they keep it up, he can use some of that charisma of his and go on TV and explain to everyone how he tried to work with them, he reached out and they didn't cooperate, so now he's going to stick it to them and the Dems will pass the bill he really wants.
Maybe wishful thinking on my part.
January 28, 2009 5:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wish we had mass transit here in KY. In Louisville our alderman/women axed plans about 4 years ago to invest in a transit system. I was stunned! Why, I am not sure. We are backwards as hell! When gas prices soared to about $4.00 a gallon, they all probanly wished tat we ad the transit system.
January 28, 2009 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Every Christmas when I fly back to Louisville, I'm amazed how fast that city is subsuming the countryside. And we aren't talking unproductive desert like where I live now, but the paving over of land with some of the richest soil in the country.
January 28, 2009 5:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Since Mass Transit will take years to do so expect it to be in the Transportation bill this year and not the stimulus bill which is for more quick stimulus.
January 28, 2009 5:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Plenty of transit agencies need to buy subway cars / buses right now.
January 28, 2009 5:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree 1000%. Also, make sure the stuff is manufactured in the us and there you go on creating jobs.
January 28, 2009 5:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Absolutely. And ignore the execs of multinational corporations crying about buy-American provisions. They do NOT have the country's interests at heart.
January 28, 2009 6:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Absolutely correct. The japanese, french, english, italians, etc., etc. all have buy local for government expenditures to pump up their economy and it is totally in compliance with their treaty obligations. We are just fools and succumb to bs nonsense from the corporate conglomerates and their republican lackies in congress.
January 28, 2009 6:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not to mention maintenance costs... Here in Chicago, the CTA is slowly catching up with well over-due general repairs. The Brown Line is undergoing a ginormous upgrade of most of its stations. Some of the renovations did not include platform heaters - the CTA's idea of a cost-saving measure.
January 28, 2009 6:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
High fives to my Rep. Keith Ellison! Woot woot!! Thank you.
I'd like more funding but this is great news! Keith knows how light rail will improve Minneapolis/St. Paul. Great to see him help lead this fight.
January 28, 2009 7:21 PM | Reply | Permalink