Oregon Congressman Touts Benefits of Light Rail March 15th, 2008
Casey Newton, a reporter covering Phoenix City Hall (as the “Hall Pass blog”) for The Arizona Republic, recently interviewed [full article link] Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a Democratic congressman from Oregon. A few highlights:
Hall Pass: You’ve advocated for light rail in Phoenix for years. What do you make of what you see?
Blumenauer: The thing I’ve heard is that there’s like $6 billion in investment, and the line’s not even open. It’s been a fascinating evolution for me to watch. Look at the challenges that you faced. There is some very entrenched, almost theological opposition to transit. And then look at the changes that are taking place. I find it encouraging.
It’s underway. It’s already influencing development patterns. And it’s coming at just the right time…
…communities that are invested in rail are consistently showing not just new development, but new development that is located in a way that doesn’t put a strain on the community. That the investments that are being made enhance transportation choices for people. These are people that aren’t going to have to burn a gallon of gas to buy a gallon of milk. That they can walk to theaters and walk to work or walk to restaurants or take a short trip. It helps you with a modest air quality problem you’ve got here. It deals with congestion. And something that is very important, it puts more money in people’s pockets. For most American families, transportation is the No. 2 expenditure. And if you do a rigorous accounting, for a number of folks it’s actually the top expenditure.
