We all know the effect that levels of federal funding have on transit around here (and, obviously, around the country). One only has to look to the way that the Federal Transit Administration has handled the development of the proposed Purple and Silver Lines to see it - public services toyed with by the fickle madam that is federal appropriations. Without the cash from the Feds (however small that apportionment may be), not much seems to get done in the world of mass transit - it's sad, but true.

That said, with Tuesday night's conclusion of the Democratic primary season, we thought it might be a good idea to see where the two presumptive major party presidential candidates stand on federal priorities for transit.

Let's start with Barack Obama. Sen. Obama has been quietly hailed as the candidate with the most forward positions on mass transportation. Of course, this really shouldn't come as any surprise, as the Illinois lawmaker has been interested in the topic for years - he petitioned for more efficient transit through low-income areas of Chicago in 2003, and mentioned in May of this year that he's had interest in copying the efficiency of the Northeast Corridor system in the Midwest: "One of the things I have been talking bout for awhile is high speed rail connecting all of these Midwest cities -- Indianapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, St. Louis." Speaking of Amtrak, Obama is a big supporter. He was a backer of the Lautenberg-Lott Amtrak bill in 2007, which would provide about $11.6 billion to Amtrak over the next six years. Obama's energy and climate stance includes promises to "reform the tax code to make benefits for driving and public transit or ridesharing equal," and to change the "transportation funding process to ensure that smart growth considerations are taken into account." Obama also opposes a federal gas tax holiday - instead, he believes that high prices of gasoline should "give individuals much more of an incentive to look at trains and mass transit as an alternative."

Of course, most of the recent Obama love from transit-types has come from his remarks in Portland, Oregon:

"It’s time that the entire country learn from what’s happening right here in Portland with mass transit and bicycle lanes and funding alternative means of transportation. That’s the kind of solution that we need for America. That’s the kind of truth telling that we are going to do in this campaign and when I am President of the United States of America. We don’t need gimmicks.”

Photo by albinoflea.

Then there's John McCain. Well, Sen. McCain doesn't have too much to say when it comes to national transit objectives (we suppose it's a case of 'if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all'). But if there's one thing that we do know, it's that McCain hates Amtrak - at least in its current state. The Arizona Senator has been attempting for years to dissolve Amtrak and create small, privately owned rail companies. In fact, McCain has sworn that if elected, the shuttering of Amtrak would be a "a non-negotiable issue."

We'd also imagine that if McCain were to be elected president, current Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters would either remain at her post or handpick a successor. While Peters does favor congestion pricing, she also shows no signs of wanting to change the ratio of mass transit and highway spending from current levels.

McCain's web site does have a Climate Change issues section, but doesn't mention anything regarding transit's potential to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. He is in favor of the gas tax holiday that was so lambasted earlier in the primary season - but on the other hand, he found trouble in Michigan's primaries for failing to pander (to put it kindly) to American automobile makers. McCain on transit is anonymous at best, regularly quixotic, and could likely be a downright killer of projects like future Metro expansion.

Obviously, there are plenty of other pressing issues to vote on in this election cycle, but one that is so widely linked with economic growth and the ability of Americans to get to work should be close to the top of the list.

A Look-See At The New Columbia Pike Streetcar: With a hat-tip to Ryan Avent, we'd like to point all of you Virginians to devo blog DCmud, which has a peek at the new Columbia Pike streetcars, and how they'll be used as a perfect storm of transportation and urging business development. According to the blog:

Because Columbia Pike is so narrow, the trolley would run on either side of the street with inlaid rails that allow cars to coexist with the tracks. "This is not seen as a cutsie idea the way some places have done it. It is not for tourists, these modern light rails are intended for efficiency. This will attract businesses," [Managing Director of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization Pamela] Holcomb said.

Engines and Cabooses: Virginia's controversial and delayed transit funding bill just keeps getting stickier by the day...Forbes rates America's most "Time-Draining Airports" - Dulles #16, National #20, BWI #26...Metro set another ridership record Tuesday (St. Louis Cardinals' fans travel well, as this writer witnessed firsthand)...National Harbor hotel requests more transit options for workers...After incidents of trains with 12 cars and multiple instances of doors opening in tunnels, Metro's advice to operators? "Remind yourself, 'This is an eight-car'"...MARC apparently tripped all over itself on Monday...Metro will open at 5 a.m. on Saturday to accommodate Race for the Cure participants.