I think this 'buy in' idea is elitist and flat out in opposition to the
concepts of responsible growth. Dozens of transportation studies have
shown that the provision of additional freeway lanes serves to increase the
volume of traffic. Basically, more lanes means more urban fringe growth,
more cars, longer distance commutes, and the need for additional
infrastructure to support urban fringe communities Exhibit A: the
exponential growth of the western suburbs in the last twenty years,
following the upgrades to highway 12 into 394. And now they're planning to
extend 394, gutting the town of Long Lake and accommodating the further
push west. The monies used for this aren't being paid for by the people
choosing to live there. They are paid by state and federal transportation
dollars, distributing the cost amongst us all for the benefit of a select
few.
Allowing people to 'buy in' doesn't solve the problem of wasteful commuting
practices. Why don't we work on a toll system? The technology is
available to track number of miles driven on certain roads. The tracking
can determine number of miles, whether it was peak travel times, etc. The
more miles you drive, and when you drive them, determines how much you owe
to support the infrastructure you're using (the freeway). When you hit
people in the pocketbook, it will start to affect their choices.
Melissa Wyatt
Minneapolis
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Twin Cities Metropolitan Issues Forum
http://www.e-democracy.org/tcmetro
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