Arizona Rail Passenger Association
"Conservatives and Mass Transit: Is It Time for a New Look?" is the name of a new study prepared for the American Public Transit Association by the Free Congress Research and Education Foundation, written by William S. Lind and former Amtrak Board member Paul M. Weyrich.
RailPAC member Bob Stevens forwarded a copy to RailPAC to review, and we agree with him that "it may help diffuse some of the animosity toward transit." The study begins by saying, "Traditionally, mass transit has not been of much interest to conservatives. Their lack of interest stems from three perceptions:
They go on to point out that each of these perceptions has some truth, but are open to question on conservative grounds. "The dominance of the automobile is not a free-market outcome, but the result of massive government intervention on [its] behalf. That intervention came at the expense of privately owned, privately funded, tax paying public transit system." They say that conservative constituencies are turning to mass transit; "that usually means rail transit or bus on high speed busways," and mass transit can "serve some important conservative goals, including economic development, moving people off welfare and into productive employment, and strengthening feelings of community."
But, it must be quality mass transit. Weyrich and Line call for an informed dialogue between conservatives and transit authorities and advocates: "Together they may find ways to provide better transit service that is also more efficient." This study should be given wide distribution.
Source:
Free Congress Foundation
717 Second St. NE
Washington, DC
20002
Phone 202/546-3000
From APTA: Full text of "Conservatives and Mass Transit: Is It Time for a New Look?"
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