In an effort to counter the CATS pro-light rail PR blitz that is popping up in nearly every publication distributed in the area, we note this comment from a mass transit supporter:
There was a feeling back when the rail was decided that we were this up-and-coming area and we needed to be like these other cities with rail. That just became the focus, and it was hard to get attention for other ideas.
That’s Mike Luger, a UNC-Chapel Hill professor and past chairman of the Durham Area Transit Authority, talking about thoroughly absurd light rail plans for the Triangle, but the same obviously applies to the garden-variety mad light rail plans for Charlotte.
The South Blvd. line is nuts, but a done deal. Now the madness is under advanced discussion for the Independence Blvd. corridor with many under the impression that rail is better than bus lanes or high-occupancy lanes for moving people around.
The poor folks of Matthews, for example, are saddled with leaders who really think rail is the answer for traffic woes. Let’s chalk that up to Stumptown’s history as a rail town and not any kind of modern analysis of sane development and transportation policy.
PS – You are paying for those CATS ads. Now continue working and paying your taxes.