It also encouraged public participation by giving decision-making power to local and regional authorities. The bill authorized funding for six years and is up for re-authorization right now. Not surprisingly, it is being fought by conservative groups interested in maintaining automotive dominance, not to mention the campaign cash flow coming from Motor City. In addition to being environmentally short-sighted, the continued reliance on highway construction as a method of solving our transportation problems ignores contemporary transit reality. As long ago as 1988, a study in Los Angeles concluded that no amount of new highway construction would reduce automotive congestion here.
Roads just breed more cars.
Rather than more miles of asphalt, what is needed is fewer cars. Even the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the most powerful transit board in California and architect of our current system, says it sucks here. A worthy cause, but perhaps we should examine what happens to that money once it gets here. Local concern with expanding alternative transportation really took off in 1980 with the passage of municipal Proposition A, which added a half-penny to the city sales tax to fund transportation projects. The Los Angeles Transportation Commission was formed to oversee administration of those funds and to explore long-range options such as light rail and new bus lines.