Comments on: Finding Effective Arguments for Funding Mass Transit http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/05/12/finding-effective-arguments-for-funding-mass-transit/ Covering San Francisco's livable streets movement Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:15:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: DaveO http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/05/12/finding-effective-arguments-for-funding-mass-transit/comment-page-1/#comment-5420 DaveO Tue, 12 May 2009 16:41:35 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2131#comment-5420 The economic development arguments are the strongest reason to support mass transit; easy accessibility to goods, services, etc for a wide swathe of the local population and ease of movement for visitors. Note that this is an argument not just for mass transit, but for the right kind of mass transit - grade separated train-based network that stop at a moderate number of easily identifiable stations over a wide (yet dense) geographic area. Easy wayfinding that doesn't necessitate using multiple tickets. If the transit is not fairly simple to use, it will be useless to visitors. If it does not carry people efficiently and quickly over a larger geographic area, it will not be useful to promote local economic activity. If it does not meet minimum quality standards it is essentially an extension of the welfare system. You can argue for it on those merits. The economic development arguments are the strongest reason to support mass transit; easy accessibility to goods, services, etc for a wide swathe of the local population and ease of movement for visitors.

Note that this is an argument not just for mass transit, but for the right kind of mass transit – grade separated train-based network that stop at a moderate number of easily identifiable stations over a wide (yet dense) geographic area. Easy wayfinding that doesn’t necessitate using multiple tickets.

If the transit is not fairly simple to use, it will be useless to visitors. If it does not carry people efficiently and quickly over a larger geographic area, it will not be useful to promote local economic activity.

If it does not meet minimum quality standards it is essentially an extension of the welfare system. You can argue for it on those merits.

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