Friday, January 26, 2007

Car-less Streets


When the Capital Times (first among equals socialist) John Nichols writes about Madison taxpayer opposition to street cars, you know the evidence can no longer be ignored. Of course, (government knows best) John Nichols needs to attempt a defense of an expensive limited service area public transit plan. A defense that never once mentions money.

Mayor's foes riding trolley: He has talked too much about streetcars in isolation, or as part of a broader transportation system. That's all well and good. But the only way that Madison is going to get interested in a streetcar scheme is if it is presented as part of a much bolder plan for remaking downtown - a plan that talks about more housing, more retail options, more car-less streets and a lot of other changes that would create a landscape on which people could imagine a smart, modern trolley system running.

Car-less streets! Right there in the vision: car-less streets. Mayoral Challenger Peter Munoz says: "The trolley initiative comes from the mayor's vision. It is not based on any public outcry that we need that form of public transportation. I take issue with the mayor's strong vision." I also take issue with the mayor’s strong vision.

Dave Cieslewicz believes modern human society is a danger to nature. This core belief exists as the starting point for all his decisions. Mayor Dave wants trolleys because this facilitates crowded housing, which theoretically reduces the human footprint on the biosphere. He is administering our city for the benefit of his vision. He needs to be replaced.