Asphalt is Republican and mass transit is Democratic
April 28, 2009 at 6:06 pm by Andisheh Nouraee in NewsDavid Schaengold of the Witherspoon Institute published a thought-provoking essay this month titled “Why Conservatives Should Care About Transit.”
Schaengold says ‘mass transit vs. more roads’ became a ‘Democrats vs Republicans’ battle during the 1970s:
This association can be traced to the ’70s, when cities became associated with social dysfunction and suburbs remained bastions of ‘normalcy.’
Schaengold argues that the Republican Party’s love of asphalt undermines core conservative values:
Pro-highway, anti-transit, anti-pedestrian policies work against the core beliefs of American conservatives in another and even more important way: they create social environments that are hostile to real community . . . [d]ense, walkable settlements are not just a pleasant lifestyle choice. They are a precondition of the strong, inter-connected communities that social conservatives desire.
Are you listening, Jerry Keen?
(I would tip my hat to Andrew Sullivan for the link, but someone on MARTA stole it. I’m pressing charges.)
April 28th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Good to hear this – I think the overwhelming majority of people support a balanced transportation system. And, it isn’t the first such essay; there was one a few years ago in the National Review arguing that Smart Growth was consistent with what most conservatives want. Welcome aboard!