There is an internal contradiction in thinking among Republicans who are anti-train and anti-transit while at the same time being anti-tax.
It is more costly to provide municipal services to spread out, auto-only, oriented development than it is to provide services to compact, transit-oriented development. It costs more to provide for roads, emergency service, snow plowing, school transport, trash collection, and utilities when the city is spread out over a large area.
Compact development provides much more efficiency in providing for the infrastructure, public services, and transportation needed in a city in order for it’s people, businesses, and institutions to thrive.
In addition, transit investments will lead to compact development that will provide profit, jobs, a vibrant city, economic growth, and increased tax revenue. With transit, less parking is needed and more density is possible, which lowers costs and increases profitability of development.
Some Republicans still doubt that global warming is real. If not for the environment, then why not invest in trains and transit for economic reasons? It makes sense, and thinking otherwise ignores reality and will not lead to prosperity in our state.
Speaking of reality, a reality that is ignored by anti-train and anti-transit Republicans is that we are becoming more urban as a society. Dane County has grown in population from 77,435 in 1910, to 222,095 in 1960, and to 488,073 in 2010. Madison’s population was 208,054 in 2000 and 233,209 in 2010.
Transit is an important part of a prosperous urban area. Transit allows people to move through the area efficiently, in particular to get to their jobs. It is a good idea to study how cities work and understand that transit is vital to prosperous cities.
So why is it that Republicans are anti-train and anti-transit? Is it for political gain or is it because of the influence of the highway builders, oil companies, and car companies? They aren’t saying, but for whatever reason, it is a short-sighted way of thinking.
