A Transit Advocate Speaks Her Mind

Linda, a local transit advocate, shared the following with me recently via email:

"We link so much of community development to economic development.  We should also link our community design and resources to health, civic engagement and culture.  Our society pushes people to rush through life, and to have the vehicles to get them places "fast and furious". Fortunately young people have begun to absorb the message that it is better to have resources for health, recreation, entertainment and work close by so that you have more time to enjoy them.  The old adage is true: "Time is Money".  This unfortunately often translates into the gentrification of communities near mass transit. However, buses and trains should be available and usable by all people.  The message of the value of "taking your time to get where you want to go" but having the means (efficient and effective bus and train services) to get there needs to be framed so that it can be easily embraced.  Bus and train services need to be faster, cheaper and easier to access than the now traditional method, the single-individual car, if we want to convince the traditionalists!"