Transportation—welcoming new ideas aboard

BY CURTIS L. KATZ

Transportation in the United States is currently receiving some much-needed attention. The passing of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act by Congress in October 2008, and the subsequent approval of a multitude of public transit initiatives nationwide during the November 2008 election reveal wide popular support for modern mass transportation. Transit ridership is up despite the economic downturn.

All this is important news in a country where the "fly/drive" mentality has dominated transportation policy, while railroads, waterways, and other means of moving people have taken a back seat. Extreme fluctuations in oil and gasoline prices, environmental concerns, danger of terrorism, and the need for safe and economical ways to transport growing numbers of people have led to a major rethinking of national mobility issues.

The question is: how to take the complexities of coordinating a transit strategy and turn it into something that will truly meet people's needs?