Stage 3 - Jump on Board with Public Transportation

Public transportation in Texas is necessary, or so William S. Lind and Glen D. Bottoms, director and executive director of the American Conservative Center for Public Transportation, respectively, think so in this article from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. As conservatives, they “find it odd that many people expect [them] to oppose public transportation, especially rail.” They believe that public transportation, specifically referring to rail, spurs development and business which conservatives generally favor. They point to examples such as Dallas, which has the country’s largest light rail system with more than 100,000 riders each day, and Fort Worth, which is “moving forward with a second commuter rail line,” and El Paso, which will “begin construction on a downtown streetcar system.” They criticize so-called conservatives (whom Lind and Bottoms think are really libertarians) for thinking that these systems would fail because of the lack of riders. They censure Libertarians for disagreeing with rail because of the fact that it’s subsidized. They defend rail by stating that “user fees cover only 47.5 percent of the cost of highways” and “rail transit covers 50 percent of its operating costs from fares.” Another benefit of rail is that it reduces traffic congestion. Last year, Austin voters rejected a light rail proposal that would help alleviate traffic.

Both Lind and Bottoms target this article towards conservative Texans or even anyone who doesn’t support public transportation. The two authors are extremely credible, both being directors of a center for public transportation. The fact that they’re both conservative allows conservative readers to identify with them. This is what Lind and Bottom are hoping would resonate with the readers. They’re basically saying, “you and I have the same beliefs in government, believe me, this is a good idea,” and they provide extensive evidence, as noted above. 

The idea of extensive public transportation and rail in Texas is good one! With the potential expansion of public rail here Austin, congestion would greatly be alleviated. This is something that most Texans should get on board with.