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Voters Support Mass Transit Paul Weyrich Conservative commentators have made the point that America is basically a conservative country despite the Democrats' taking over the Congress. What is the proof? In Michigan, affirmative action was abolished. In seven out of eight states in which marriage amendments were on the ballot, stating that marriage is between one man and one woman, those amendments passed.
Property-rights advocates scored many victories to reduce state or local private takings of property for reasons other than traditional public purposes. There were other economic measures which failed, demonstrating that the American public does not like profligate spending.
At the same time that conservatives were winning with all sorts of state initiatives, voters approved almost every significant referendum for transit. In California a huge bond issue backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, $4 billion, is strictly for transit needs. Story Continues Below
In Minnesota, a transportation bond issue for $300 million was passed. Voters in the Seattle area imposed upon themselves a sales tax increase to support transit. In Salt Lake City, voters voted a sales tax increase for transit. Near Fort Worth, Texas — Grapevine, to be exact — a sales tax increase dedicated to rail was passed by a decisive margin. Almost every public-transportation proposition won, with only a couple of minor defeats. The transportation bond issue in California, backed by the Republican governor, had even more spending for roads and other infrastructure issues.
Although Republicans lost the gubernatorial and senatorial races in Missouri, an anti-affirmative action ballot initiative was approved. In Kansas City, voters had voted down light rail eight times.
This time a 27-mile starter line was approved by a 53 percent to 47 percent margin. Some local officials were so upset that it passed they threatened not to construct the line. Others said the voters had spoken and they are obligated to follow their lead. One of the Kansas City newspapers called the passage of the light-rail initiative "a huge upset."
I mention these because while the Democrats won control of the Congress, conservatives prevailed as to most of the ideological issues on the ballot.
Salt Lake City voters needed additional local matching funds to build more light-rail lines. Since the opening of the two existing lines voters have demanded more. The sales tax increase there will enable voters to fulfill that demand. In Grapevine, the call was for more commuter rail. A line operates between Dallas and Fort Worth. Now voters want trains which go beyond Fort Worth. Seattle is far along in building its first light-rail line from downtown to SeaTac Airport. There has been demand for more light rail and already the Transit Authority there is working on an extension from downtown to the University. They needed additional sales tax authority to come up with matching funds. I mention all of this because my colleague William S. Lind and I have written several monographs in cooperation with APTA (the American Public Transportation Association), making the conservative case for rail transit, including streetcars.
It seems the public agrees with us because while in State after State conservatives have won ballot initiatives, in many of these same States transit initiatives also have won. The libertarians have made the case that money for public transit is a waste. They want more roads. That is a form of subsidized transportation as well. But they don't see it that way because individuals can drive. However, in city after city where light rail was adopted, an overflow crowd has elected to use it as opposed to driving. The point we try to make is that under the right circumstances rail works. No matter how fancy the bus, people don't care to ride a bus. Buses serve Manassas, Va.; Fredericksburg, Va.; and Baltimore, Md. Yet competing commuter rail lines carry many more passengers than do the bus lines. That is true even though busses are in some cases more convenient. People like to ride rail. For years, conservatives were made to feel guilty if they rode rail lines to work. Then we came along and have made the case among conservatives for rail. Many of our readers have thanked us. Public transit should be viewed as a utility. No one looks down upon you because you get water from the city processing plants. As a water department makes water flow through the city, so rail transit makes people flow through the city. Just about every light-rail system is a success. Most far exceeded their planned ridership. The one exception is Buffalo, N.Y. The eight-mile line there goes from downtown on the surface to the South Campus of the University. Transit only works when it goes where people want to go. Even in Buffalo, however, that little line carries 27,000 people. In St. Louis, a new eight-mile branch to Shrewsbury just opened.
Immediately ridership exceeded expectations. Minneapolis has only one line about 12 miles long. But it goes from downtown through the Airport to the gigantic Mall of America. It is carrying two and a half times its projected number of passengers. In city after city this is happening. Portland is in the final engineering and design phase of its fourth light-rail line. As each branch has been added, ridership has far exceeded the projected number of passengers. That is why different communities around Portland are clamoring for light rail. Even in Lake Oswego, Ore., the mayor has made it a priority to build an interurban line which would connect with the Portland streetcar. Portland has both a light-rail system which now is called an interurban and a streetcar line which has caused $2.5 billion of development along the line since it began operating only a few years ago. Developers have certified that they only invested in that area because of the streetcar. In addition to the light-rail line discussed above, Seattle is working on two streetcar lines — one modern car line similar to the system in Portland and Tacoma, Wash., and one heritage car line similar to that in Dallas.
The voter approval of bond issues and of increased taxes demonstrates that conservatives, too, support rail transit. In 2004 the huge transit program in Denver, promising 118 miles of new rail lines, passed with support from Republican counties. The Democratic counties in the transit district voted no. Before any more propaganda is put forth by libertarians on the issue of support for public transit, folks ought to look at the facts. Who has voted for transit? And who is riding it once it is built? When those facts are evaluated, the libertarian arguments go up in smoke.
Paul M. Weyrich is chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation.
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