Transportation Overhaul, Oberstar's Star 0f a Plan
Image via MinnPost
Today I realized how utterly dependent we as a country are on our vehicles for transportation. This observation was not made as I sat in a traffic jam or as I waited for a red light to change but rather as I reached into the back seat of my car to grab my gym shoes so that I could go work out. Ok so that doesn't seem so bad right? You are likely saying big deal lots of us drive to the gym...Well the gym in less than a mile from my house and I was going there to run!
It was in that brief moment that I realized not only am I way too dependent on my car but that due in large part to our nation's aging and inefficient transportation system millions of Americans are dependent on theirs as well. While LEED certified buildings place an certain amount of emphasis on public transportation and low or no emission vehicles perhaps it is time for us to urge our leaders to overhaul the American transportation system not only to make it more efficient but to reduce our dependency on cars in the future, to reconnect us with our community through use of public transportation (yes its ok to remove the Ipod, drop the newspaper and actually talk to the people you meet on planes, trains, and buses). and to reduce our carbon footprint.
Rep. Jim Oberstar has proposed a complete transportation overhaul which I will attempt to summarize in several brief bullet points. While this program might seem outlandish at first glance I believe in the big picture it would have a far greater and more lasting impact than wasting billions of dollars on Cash for Clunkers and other such trivial efforts to improve the environment and stimulate the economy. Oberstar's plan is briefly summarized below:
- Terminate more than 75 federal transportation programs
- Boost funding for public transit
- Set aside approximately $50 billion for high speed intercity rail
- Impose annual reporting guidelines and project benchmarks on the states for accountability purposes.
- Eliminate the stop gap injections of cash into the Highway Trust Fund and provide stability and guarantees to states so that longer term projects can be undertaken.
