Car Clowns

The Journal Sentinel reports, Rail Opponents Rally Suburbs.

Fine. We'll route rail around these communities. No charges, no more questions asked. When communities along the route are booming, and then these anti-rail suburbs want in, too bad, so sad.

But, city-dwellers and would-be rail-users would like to have our money back. The tax dollars which allowed the continued expansion of the highways (to the detriment of cities), and thus these anti-rail suburbs. But seriously...

Plenty of viable citizens didn't want highways dissecting their neighborhoods. But the U.S. marched forward building roads everywhere, transplanting homeowners and businesses. Supposedly this was in our best interest. Highways were a magical route to cheaper land (and environmental degradation). Never mind the problems with water availability, wetland destruction, sewer runoff, and pollution.

Well, we've learned something since then. Continued highway expansion is unsustainable and environmentally destructive. This isn't an all-or-none dilemma. The automobile and rail need to coexist. Most other communities realize this. Milwaukee is one of the last few metro areas to begin implementing a rail plan or system.

City folk have been forced to support (tax dollars) highways. Now the shoe is on the other foot. Suburbanites it's time to reciprocate; and rejoice in the positive consequences.