An Orange County commissioner is speaking out against the idea of building — and funding — a light rail system. Yes, you read that right. I can only imagine the looks on the faces of the progressives who dominate Orange politics when Commissioner Earl McKee said this during a discussion about expanded bus service, rail, and a half-cent sales tax hike to help pay for it. (emphasis is mine in this News & Observer story excerpt)
Three commissioners, including McKee, and Pam Hemminger and Steve Yuhasz, said they would not support a half-cent sales tax to fund the project on this November’s ballot.
Hemminger and McKee said they see a need for more bus service, but a large light rail project would be too hard to fund during a recession and wouldn’t be effective in the Triangle.
“We don’t have the population center, we don’t have the urbanization to make it work ,” McKee said.
A pat on the back to Commissioner McKee, who is speaking the truth. Rail, in and of itself, is not bad. Rail is simply a transportation tool and it would be ineffective — not to mention astronomically expensive — for an area such as the Triangle, which enjoys a suburban-urban lifestyle. The key to effective transportation is roads and flexible bus service.
You’ll find the facts about public transit here, and facts about highways and interstates here.
