Skeptics should go to their local planning board meeting. They will probably be “facilitated” by a jovial person trained in Delphi techniques, manipulating the attendees into a predetermined outcome. The board will want inviting federal grants from HUD, so will be inclined to agree with low income housing injected into prosperous neighborhoods, bike paths (connecting poor areas to prosperous areas), roundabouts, mass transportation schemes, etc.
Our consultant was Sustainable Transportation Systems of Ithaca, NY. I invoked panic in our town supervisor and STS facilitator when I asked if they intended to use eminent domain to acquire the land and rights of way for the proposed bike path. He said the land would be contributed out of good will. He dodged four times on the proposed route of the path.
Our supervisor was quoted in the paper as saying there was no discussion about the bike path. At our meeting, the supervisor referred to the HUD grant money, and answered detractors with “this is going through,
regardless.”
Kinda like bullying huh? LOL! “They” will get their way despite your best efforts.