John McCain hates transit, round two

October 15, 12:44 PMDC Transportation ExaminerKatherine M. Hill

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            The last round of the presidential debates is tonight, and realistically, I’m not sure I can handle it. I know I’ll catch up tomorrow morning through transcripts, but I don’t know if my mid-week slump can shoulder the frustration of sitting through more unbearable pandering.

            Last time I ended up railing at the television, and eventually, yelling that Senator John McCain hates transit. (Because, you know, he does.)

I want transit to become a discussion during these debates; Senator Barack Obama has outlined a detailed plan for transit in all its forms, while McCain only addresses oil. When it comes to mass transit, McCain has no plan because he’s a hater. 

Let’s look at the records, starting with the Vice Presidents, who will hold less sway in office: 

            Senator Joe Biden is inarguably a transit fan. The man rides Amtrak from Wilmington to DC. (There are, I guess, two ways to look at that: his administration spends too much on his commute or transit should be more affordable. I’ll let you guess where I stand on that issue.) In an interview with The Examiner in Missouri, he promised that the administration plans to invest in mass transit:

We propose spending $60 billion over the next 10 years on infrastructure. We’re going to be investing in everything from light rail to highways to bridges and everything else. Mass transit is an integral part of our energy program.  

Yet strangely when H.R. 2095, the Federal Railroad Improvement Act, which provided approval for federal funding to Metro, was on the floor, Biden did not vote. (Obama voted YEA and McCain voted NAY.) 

Biden’s opponent appears just as transit friendly but I have serious doubts. Wasilla, Alaska doesn’t have appear to have a realized transit system, despite state governor Sarah Palin spending $1.9 million for a transportation hub and several earmarks to rehab bus stations and start several projects (and let us not forget that outside of building racism, McCain’s big pull in his campaign is that he is opposed to earmarks). Wasilla is served by the Mat-Su Community Transit (MASCOT), a non-profit community run bus service. In short, MASCOT has one purpose for Wasilla: operating as a commuter bus so Wasilla residents can leave town with stops at the library and schools. MASCOT does not shuttle residents to and fro like a city bus would and it operates from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. So it’s not an eve option for students participating in after school activities.

            Maybe I’m unfair given Wasilla’s small population, but the projects aren’t completed and aren’t currently recognized by Wasilla. So where are they? The funds for the rail and the bus network were received in 2000. Understandably these projects take time, but Wasilla has its expensive sport complex.  

Look at CTA’s overhaul of its stations and rails: CTA is meeting its deadlines and steadily confirming more progress. A new rail and bus line sounds like something that warrants a mention on the town’s website.

            And by comparison to a smaller area: my ridiculously small hometown has its own shuttle service to its neighboring city. Its bus bridges begin earlier than six and end as late as seven. From the bridge’s end a person can reach Amtrak and connect to Baltimore or DC and reach a complex network of commuter and city buses.

The official plan is to support better highways, enforce stricter policies within airline safety, make Amtrak more efficient (“In many parts of the country, Amtrak is the only form of reliable transportation”), alternative energy, and boost public transit. But best of all is accessibility. From Obama’s website (pdf): 

Three-quarters of welfare recipients live in areas that are poorly served by public transportation and low-income workers spend up to 36 percent of their incomes on transportation. Barack Obama has spent years working to improve transportation access for low-income Americans. As an Illinois state senator, he was the chief sponsor of the bill that created the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Transportation, a body that was charged with building public-private partnerships to help connect low-income Americans with jobs. As president, Obama will work to eliminate transportation disparities so that all Americans can lead meaningful and productive lives.

I’d like to see Obama overhaul the FTA in this blog’s favor and examine the Urban Mass Transit Acts closely.

            In addition to 2008 and 2007’s NAYs, McCain killed a 2000 bill as the chairman of the Senate Science, Commerce, and Transportation committee. (With Arizona’s dismal record I wonder how he filled that position.) He said that it was not a viable option in the Midwest, despite the growing systems in major Midwest cities and the successes of large transit grids in Midwest states. He also called it government waste.

            Senator McCain, Amtrak and public transportation are clearly beneath you. Are the people using these services also beneath you? Please explain. …Preferably within the first fifteen minutes, my stamina for pandering has dwindled.