Someone made a decision to divert limited resources to a money losing Liberal Choo Choo Train instead of maintaining substandard bridges that everyday taxpaying schmucks have to use every day to schlep to work.
The bridges are there and need to be maintained. Light rail is a Liberal wet dream. Buses are cheaper and more flexible than any fixed rail system.
Everybody needs the bridge. Nobody needs Light Rail.
TPTB made their choice and they bet wrong.
As a conservative, I want to see accountability.
Bridges just don’t fall from the sky. Somebody screwed up.
Well, actually - infrastructure basically doesn’t pay off, unless tolls are set in place.
Rail and public x can.
And as a rail-lover, I can tell you there are many benefits to trains vs. buses - as I say, the latter have all the cons of all other transportation w/o any of the pros.
Often the problem with rail is in the execution. Half-hearted attempts ARE limited, by their nature. A full smart plan is great though. Baltimore’s subway/light-rail stinks. It is extremely limited in scope, that’s why. It’s not at all well-planned. Someone was really stupid - in this city, not a shock.
But DC’s subways are fantastic, and extremely popular - because they cover maximum area and are very efficient.
Same is true of NY and Boston, etc - although those are much older. I had to use new examples, though.