We’re anxious to get right into the thick of things after a week off – hopefully, you managed without us. But first, we haven’t yet had a chance to say: huzzah!
Okay, so it’s not the be-all, end-all. Does Metro need more financial help than this recently signed influx of funding? Absolutely. (In fact, check after the jump for a slightly-woeful story of the agency’s financial prioritization.) Is it true that, spread over ten years, this funding is kind of like trying to water a garden with an eyedropper? Yeah, in a way. Is it also true that a large chunk of this funding depends on the notoriously-backwards Virginia legislature? Sure is.
But hey, it feels good to finally type it: a fairly large chunk of change for Metro got through the process. Nothing wrong with just posting something positive once in a while. Don’t worry, your usual slate of negative news resumes after the jump.
Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the funding story that lit up the transit blogosphere this last week. The end date for the largest piece of legislation concerning transportation in America (Rob Goodspeed has a nice concise history of the law, for the uninitiated) is next year. This means that you should expect to see a lot of bickering between the highway and transit lobbies over the next year or so. Transportation for America, which falls on the transit side of the lobby, is pumping a ton of money into a campaign to influence lawmakers to push a little more money transit’s way. Most of the new urban bloggers seem to agree concur with the “Build for America” five-point plan (PDF), but agree that lots more work is needed to change the national mindset.
That said, it seems like as pertinent a time as ever to remind you of where the two candidates for President stand on the issue of transportation. Although it’s something that’s been rarely discussed on the campaign trail (why aren’t we asking if Joe the Plumber supports high-speed rail?), it’s certainly something to think about as you enter the booths two Tuesdays from now.
Photo by philliefan99
