Keep in mind these are the same folks who brought you this editorial: http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php? ref=wsj:2002:11:13:37340:OPINION
Get Commuters On The Bus We Love Our Cars, But The Fact Is, More Roadbuilding Won't Solve Future Traffic Congestion Problems As Well As A Sensible Mass Transit Plan. Wisconsin State Journal :: OPINION :: A10 Wednesday, November 13, 2002 If you see an odd little self-propelled train car trundling along the rail line between Madison and Middleton this morning, you're witness to the latest dry run of an option for Dane County commuter rail service. Then again, if you're waiting for that cute combine to cross the road, you'll experience the main shortcoming of proposed local rail service: It creates traffic congestion even as it tries to relieve it. Congestion at the crossbucks might not much bother the anti-car crowd, but it reminds the rest of us that there's more than one way to reduce growing traffic snarls. Commuter rail would hold promise if it could generate enough traffic to be economically feasible. But a better idea wouldn't involve much capital investment at all: Let's extend Madison Metro service to the suburbs. Dane County traffic growth projections show that our relatively short commutes are coming to an end. Regional bus service would be an affordable first step toward getting some cars off the main commuter routes. Express buses running from outlying communities to downtown Madison could be put into service at far less capital cost than trains because the Madison Metro bus service already has the buses. Buses also could serve communities without existing rail lines, and they may be more convenient for commuters who don't want to drive to a rail station and wait for a train. Such a system would not sidetrack commuter rail: It would lay the groundwork for it, in the unlikely event it proves feasible. In the meantime, surrounding communities could move ahead, as Monona may do, by striking up partnerships with Madison. Madison Metro already has service agreements with a few suburbs, and Monona, which is having trouble affording its own commuter service, the Monona Express, may rejoin that group. We love our cars, but the fact is, more roadbuilding won't solve the coming congestion problems as well as a mass transit plan -- unless folks are willing to turn the Isthmus into one big freeway. With sensible routing and savvy marketing, truly metropolitan bus service could better serve commuting workers and taxpayers alike, paving the way for less clogged roads, faster economic growth, a cleaner environment and greater government efficiency. Everyone wins if a regional bus system works. Riders save time and parking expense; Metro reduces its reliance on government subsidies; and suburban communities get a transit option that meets the specific needs of resident commuters. Madison Metro should become a regional transit service, sooner rather than later. _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
