Is good public transit becoming more politically viable in Texas?
October 16th, 2019
October 7, 2019 - dmagazine.com -
For years, voters have been skeptical of funding big public transit investments. Two upcoming bond elections in Texas suggest the political tides may be shifting.
In Texas, the stars at night are big and bright, the Alamo is never forgotten, and Texas’ state government wants nothing to do with public transit. State funding of transportation has always vastly favored highways and roads over buses and trains. Historically, federal government funding hasn’t fared much better, and the regional agency that directs federal transportation investment in North Texas has spent vastly more on the highway infrastructure that incentives sprawl over transit projects that amplify equitable mobility.
That leaves Texas’ urban metros in a bind. How do you provide the urban amenities that help cities thrive when state and federal policies work directly against urban interests? With regards to public transit, Austin and Houston hope to provide an answer by taking matters into their own hands and issuing billions in city bonds to fund new transportation projects.
Read more: https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2019/10/is-good-public-transit-becoming-more-politically-viable-in-texas/
For years, voters have been skeptical of funding big public transit investments. Two upcoming bond elections in Texas suggest the political tides may be shifting.
In Texas, the stars at night are big and bright, the Alamo is never forgotten, and Texas’ state government wants nothing to do with public transit. State funding of transportation has always vastly favored highways and roads over buses and trains. Historically, federal government funding hasn’t fared much better, and the regional agency that directs federal transportation investment in North Texas has spent vastly more on the highway infrastructure that incentives sprawl over transit projects that amplify equitable mobility.
That leaves Texas’ urban metros in a bind. How do you provide the urban amenities that help cities thrive when state and federal policies work directly against urban interests? With regards to public transit, Austin and Houston hope to provide an answer by taking matters into their own hands and issuing billions in city bonds to fund new transportation projects.
Read more: https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2019/10/is-good-public-transit-becoming-more-politically-viable-in-texas/