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I have a theory. It is this: cities with viable public transportation are wealthier. Someday I'll do some statistical analysis and see if there's any truth to it, but let me describe my theory.
In a city like mine, where there is no public transportation (I'm sorry, Raleigh, but your busses do NOT count), and where there are roughly two major commuter roads, it is possible, as happened this morning, for two car accidents to cripple about half the commerce in the city for most of the morning. Two accidents on Highway 40 caused me to get 5 miles in 40 minutes, give up in desperation, and take a two-lane alternate road which, while slow, wasn't as slow as the main road.
I can only think of the tens of thousands of people on that road and how many commercial enterprises had been slowed by those two traffic accidents, and as we all know, time is money, and in this day and age, the amount of money time is worth is ever increasing.
A good commuter rail system, while it would hardly solve the problem (just look at the traffic into Manhattan), would greatly reduce it, and give people a much-needed alternate route into work. At the moment, there are probably over 100,000 people who really can't use any route other than Hwy 40 into work. When Hwy 40 breaks down, it's like a major artery for the city getting clogged.
I hope Raleigh city officials are watching the news and hearing the traffic reports, and that at least oa few of them are yet again calling for a faster start to the building of the commuter rail system. We're supposed to have one by 2008 but I don't see any work even thinking of starting, so chances are we won't get one until 2012...or later...
C'mon Raleigh, RAIL! Or something! Sheesh.
In a city like mine, where there is no public transportation (I'm sorry, Raleigh, but your busses do NOT count), and where there are roughly two major commuter roads, it is possible, as happened this morning, for two car accidents to cripple about half the commerce in the city for most of the morning. Two accidents on Highway 40 caused me to get 5 miles in 40 minutes, give up in desperation, and take a two-lane alternate road which, while slow, wasn't as slow as the main road.
I can only think of the tens of thousands of people on that road and how many commercial enterprises had been slowed by those two traffic accidents, and as we all know, time is money, and in this day and age, the amount of money time is worth is ever increasing.
A good commuter rail system, while it would hardly solve the problem (just look at the traffic into Manhattan), would greatly reduce it, and give people a much-needed alternate route into work. At the moment, there are probably over 100,000 people who really can't use any route other than Hwy 40 into work. When Hwy 40 breaks down, it's like a major artery for the city getting clogged.
I hope Raleigh city officials are watching the news and hearing the traffic reports, and that at least oa few of them are yet again calling for a faster start to the building of the commuter rail system. We're supposed to have one by 2008 but I don't see any work even thinking of starting, so chances are we won't get one until 2012...or later...
C'mon Raleigh, RAIL! Or something! Sheesh.
