the issue?

1. Misguided Routing

The way routes are chosen is not by looking at what important areas, neighborhoods, and landmarks would benefit from and use a transit line. Instead, commuting corridors are chosen, and routing studies ultimately choose a path of least resistance that will be the cheapest to build and least likely to receive opposition.

While affordability and agreeability are important in any public desicion, neglecting a thoughtful and useful application is a tragedy.

The Southwest Light Rail extension of the Green Line is a prime example. The project is projected to cost upwards of $160 million and it will bypass Uptown entirely and head straight for the suburbs where it will meander through business parks and past strip malls: places that are easier to drive to, and places that only people with cars go to (for the most part).

2. Focus on Suburbs/Commuters

Big transit projects are touted to reduce congestion and ease the morning stop and go headache of commuting. This doesn't happen. Why is it said? It is said simply because it sounds great and will get people and funding on board (no pun intended).

Furthermore, commuter lines are an outdated idea.

Just as the the car and the freeway did before, commuter transit encourages suburban sprawl, and car oriented communities that actually deter future transit developement!

The solution is to strive for communities where people work, shop, and go to school near where they live. Of course, travel between communities should be readily available to engage creative and occupational collaboration. The new idea is to enable equality of oppurtuniy and diverse culture. Outdated ideas like the suburban/commuter/freeway complex only perpetuate segregation of wealth to the outer rings (and inner business core) and poverty to inner rings, while at the same time homogenizing culture and thus reducing creativity and economic prowess.

lines that shouldn't exist

Red Line BRT

This bizzare $100 million + bus rapid transit commuter line has been said to have "strong...solid" ridership. How many people ride it a day? ...not even 1000. For a line running along the main route for the hundreds of thousands of people living south of the river to get north, this number is pathetic.

Northstar Commuter Rail

This commuter rail line does little to ease congestion as promised, and it does it at an 83% subsidy per ticket.

Orange Line BRT

Still under development, this is bound to be as dismal of an investment as the former two examples. This money should be spent elsewhere.