Slog

News & Arts

Line Out

Music & the City
at Night

« Why Do Men Wear Socks In Porn? | The Hits Keep Coming »

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

News Mass Transit Wins One

Posted by Dan Savage on Wed, Jan 28, 2009 at 2:40 PM

TPM:

Great news from the House floor, where members are debating the $825 billion stimulus bill. An amendment from Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), and Keith Ellison (D-MN)—restoring $3 billion in mass transit funding to an initial $10 billion pot that looked distressingly low to many urban-planning folks—just passed by voice vote.

This brings the infrastructure portion of the stimulus a large step closer to the level of investment that has a genuine chance of expanding the nation's green transportation options. Amtrak, Metro, and subway riders, rejoice.

Comments (15) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Fabulous.

Posted by Balt-O-Matt on January 28, 2009 at 2:59 PM

Glad I'm represented by such a forward-minded man like Keith.

Posted by In MN on January 28, 2009 at 3:05 PM

Funding upgrade!

As long as they promise not to buoy that miserable knot of steel known as St. Louis Metrolink, I'm a happy camper.

Posted by AJ on January 28, 2009 at 3:39 PM

Our legislators need to hear from transit supporters about now. And to those sitting on the fence, don't forget gas isn't going to stay under $3 for very long.

Go here to find contact info for your representative and senator:

http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bi…

Posted by rider on January 28, 2009 at 3:39 PM

Hey, you're blogging with copy-paste, and hardly any typing, just like I said, huh?

Posted by elenchos on January 28, 2009 at 3:42 PM

I heard that in order to get this concession the dems had to promise the republicans they would buy everyone in the country an SUV and their first tank of gas.

Posted by boxofbirds on January 28, 2009 at 3:46 PM

So instead of spending the $3 billion where millions would use it; on roads; they gave it up to light rail, where only hundreds will use it.

Nice going on the democracy thing there...

Posted by Count Basie And His Orchestra on January 28, 2009 at 3:50 PM

(psst... @7, they're still spending far more on roads than rail, despite the fact we're running out of oil)

Posted by Matt the Engineer on January 28, 2009 at 3:58 PM

"only hundreds"?

You're smoking something, Count.

Posted by Daniel K on January 28, 2009 at 3:59 PM

@7: The republican mantra has rarely been to suffocate unproven or underutilized technologies, it's to suffocate technologies that have been consistently funded and still fall short in adequacy and ability to be self-sustaining.

Roads, obviously, have failed in every respect, but are on life-support because they had the benefit of being en vogue for long enough to create a cotton industry with enough largesse to have political sway.

Ironically, it was the railroads before this that had sway, and they had a good 50-60 year run. Now roads, being an unsustainable business model that is tantamount to welfare, are facing the chopping block.

Posted by AJ on January 28, 2009 at 4:02 PM

so that's about $200 million for WA

Posted by McG on January 28, 2009 at 4:11 PM

3 billion ain't shit. that won't even get light rail to northgate. spread out over the whole nation, 10 billion is only a new articulated bus for every city.

so yippee skippee.

Posted by maxsolomon on January 28, 2009 at 4:37 PM

13 billion isn't enough to do mass transit right in just seattle, let alone across the entire fucking country. it's better than nothing, but it still sucks.

Posted by Judith on January 28, 2009 at 5:01 PM

Meanwhile most of our cash goes to military no-bid subcontractors in Iraq ...

Posted by Will in Seattle on January 28, 2009 at 5:32 PM

We can use the money to pay for fighting off anti-light rail lawsuits and such. Also.

Posted by Jesse JB on January 28, 2009 at 6:14 PM