I’m probably more conservative than many of our dear readers. If you’re still reading, good! Because I’m not the only conservative who can see that we need a much better public transportation system.
The Infrastructurist recently interviewed Bill Lind, author of Moving Minds: Conservatives and Public Transportation. As you might have guessed, Mr. Lind is a conservative. But he also believes that a strong public transportation system will help Americans become more productive. As Mr. Lind puts it in his interview, “…conservatives do not enjoy being stuck in traffic any more than liberals.”
[Editor’s note: We strive to make gas 2.0 a forum where ideas are evaluated regardless of ideology. And really, we can place all the labels we want on things, but in the end it’s a varying shade of gray that separates individuals instead of the “with us” or “against us” mentality that has become so popular].
Mr. Lind’s point is simple. Traffic is a time waster, and wasted time is wasted money. He also says that the government has only two legitimate functions in a conservative train of thought; provide for the national defense, and provide an adequate infrastructure. While we’ve got the whole world’s best army part taken care of, our infrastructure is certainly lacking. But Lind argues that many conservatives still use the public transportation that exists today, despite having access to expensive cars. Why? Because they hate wasting time. They don’t ride public transportation because they have to (as opposed to those who can’t afford a car), but because they want to be productive on their way to or from work. Or at the very least, they want to be able to do something other than drive.
And that is the most interesting point in the interview. How many people, given the option, would prefer to take public transportation over driving themselves? I love cars, but if I could hop a train to Hartford, get my drink on, and then get back home without stepping foot in a car, I absolutely would. But as of right now, that option does not exist for me or my farm town.
As far as high-speed trains go, Mr. Lind is not a fan. He says that all the countries that have high-speed trains already had an existing, dense network of commuter trains. America doesn’t have that yet. Depending on where you are located, the nearest train station could be twenty miles away or even further. So until we get to the point that almost everyone has access to commuter trains, he thinks high-speed trains should be on the back burner because A) they cost too much and B) they serve fewer people than lots of “light rail” options, as he calls it. Mr. Lind wants streetcars to make a comeback, which would do double duty of providing jobs and infrastructure at a time when we need both.
Check out the Infrastructurist for yourself and decide if Mr. Lind makes a good case. And try not to hate me too much. I’m a Libertarian, I swear!
Source: The Infrastructurist | Image: Mjobling
