As a lover of public transit, and trains especially, this is disheartening.
Oh Republicans. You wanted small government, you got it. Now don't bitch when you don't get what you want.
I can understand the criticism of rail, I really can. I can understand why folks would be frustrated at money going to rail, rather than to highway infrastructure or the like. Hell, you use the roads, I use the roads, we all use the roads.
I disagree with that prioritization though. It seems to me, as someone who has had the opportunity to live in environments with plentiful mass transit options and rail connections, that we should encourage the development of mass transit and rail here in Minnesota. It's more environmentally friendly, more efficient, helps reduce congestion, and maybe best of all, you don't need to scrape off the windshield of a train after it snows.
Bottom line, if all we ever do is throw our tax dollars at roads and road infrastructure, we'll never develop a more sustainable mass transit infrastructure. Especially in the Twin Cities, I think that should be a major priority.
I mean, I gotta say....
ReplyDeleteYou can do a ton of things on your ride into town on a train- check email, write a paper, read the paper, watch netflix, drink coffee, listen to music, check FB, blog, and even- maybe if your lucky, talk to a friend. That is sooooo much better than sitting in traffic getting pissed off... why doesn't everyone want that?