Spend Transportation Money on Real Transportation Problem

By Art Webb July 9, 2007

Here’s a novel idea: how about if we start spending our transportation tax dollars on projects that will actually improve transportation in the Madison area? Although that seems like an obvious statement, it’s not happening. Our elected officials want to use your hard-earned tax dollars for projects that have nothing to do with the real transportation problem, congestion. In fact, they want to use your taxes for things that will increase congestion. Want examples?

Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz wants to spend $20 million per mile for a trolley in Madison that will run at six miles per hour, in the traffic lanes. What do you think that will do to congestion? This system will never pay for itself, and will require massive subsidies. More transportation tax dollars.

How does he justify the cost? He says it will lead to increased property values and development investments downtown. What does that have to do with transportation? In addition to the added congestion, this will also cause high-density developments, which will bring in more commuters, and guess what, more traffic.

A Transport 2020 study showed that an enhanced bus system would generate more ridership than a rail system, at one-fourth the cost. However, they released their final report without even listing the bus alternative, and now use the report to claim we need a rail system. The study also stated, “Adding passenger trains is projected to intensify the traffic delays.” In other words, they will increase congestion.

Now they want to spend 240 million of your transportation dollars on the first phase of a rail system that will attract less new riders then a $60 million bus enhancement. This system will also require over $22 million a year to operate.

How do they justify this cost? According to the report, the first goal is to “Promote Efficient Land Use/Development Patterns in Madison and Dane County,” with objectives like “Concentrate employment,” and “Maintain and promote Madison, and especially the Isthmus, as the region’s main activity center.” What does that have to do with transportation?

Rail advocates say there is no room for more roads on the isthmus, yet they want to “concentrate employment” there. Does that make sense? Considering nine out of ten new employees will drive their car to work, think what that will do to congestion. No transit system in the country, except New York City, carries more than 16% of the commuters.

Now the Mayor and the County Executive want to create a Regional Transit Authority (RTA) with taxing ability, to raise even more transportation dollars. How will they spend this money? According to the press release, almost 75% would be spent on transit, even though Transport 2020’s study stated, “public transit’s share of trips in the region is projected to decrease slightly, from 2.4% to 2.2% of all trips (even with improvements to transit service).”

One of Kathleen Falk’s first actions as the new County Executive was to kill the north-beltline project. Mayor Cieslewicz recently killed the Verona Road interchange project, which the state was going to pay for. We can’t get anyone to even discuss a south bypass along the county M corridor. All of these projects would help relieve congestion on area roads. Why aren’t we spending our transportation dollars on these projects?

According to a report just released by the University of North Carolina, almost 52% of the nation's urban interstate highways were regularly congested in 2005, even though road conditions have improved. David T. Hartgen, Ph.D., the study's lead author said, "States are going to have to prioritize and direct their transportation money to projects specifically designed to reduce congestion if we are going to reverse this troubling trend." Yet our elected officials are directing our transportation money to projects they admit will increase congestion.

Between the Mayor’s trolley, the County Executive’s commuter rail, and the Governor robbing the transportation fund of over a billion dollars for his pet projects, we certainly can’t expect any solutions to our real transportation issues anytime soon.

The citizens of Dane County must stand up and tell their elected officials that they want transportation tax dollars spent on solving real transportation issues, not building toy trains to further their agenda. Don’t be fooled by the claims of “you can’t build your way out of congestion with more roads,” and “if you build them they will just fill up in five years.” These are the same tactics used 30 years ago when the south-beltline expansion was proposed. Imagine life in Dane County today with the old two-lane beltline.

Contact your state representative and tell them not to support the development of a Regional Transit Authority, and stop allowing the transportation fund to be raided. Contact your county supervisor and tell them not to support the RTA, and start building and expanding roads that will relieve congestion. Contact your city officials and tell them you don’t want increased densities that will only increase commuters and traffic congestion.

Our regional economy is dependent on a good transportation system of roads, not trains and trolleys.