It’s the integral tie between where we live, work, play, and how we get around. Choice (or lack thereof) either integrates or isolates people and communities.
Think of the regional transportation network as a circulatory system. Just as in humans, blood circulates throughout the body, connecting and feeding muscles, organs, the skeletal system…to and from both the core and extremities. Free flowing conditions create optimum health and vitality.
Likewise, the transportation network, comprised of trains, buses, ride-share services, single-occupant cars, bikes and pedestrian modes, needs to ‘flow’ between core areas and the region’s extremities efficiently for communities to thrive.
It’s time to re-think this essential network and how it relates to the health of the regional Bay Area. My thoughts:
1. Do away with planning, funding, and operational silos between transit agencies and various modes, and replace competition with cooperation.
2. Reframe region-wide priorities to focus on safety, connectivity, and infrastructure that supports multiple choices (modes) for the spectrum of consumers throughout the region, for all types of trips.
3. Financing for stability, sustainability and efficiency. Make sure all modes are easy to use, access and affordable throughout the network. With multiple modes working together, there should be few, if any, gaps.
4. Bring other ‘cores’ into the planning: business, health care, education.
It’ a ‘big tent’ approach and there’s plenty of room and a role for all in it.
