New Light Rail systems in Cincinnati and LA have experienced opposition from the NAACP and other groups such as the Bus Riders Union. The policy of the past 8 years of the Bush administration FTA has been not to allow new light rail on routes that are served by bus routes that carry the same number of people. The idea was that you are not attracting new riders to transit but moving them to the train from the bus.
Citys such as Philly and Detroit have large minority populations that are transit dependent. A ride by bus thru Detroit takes all day to crosstown. Frankly taking the bus in mixed traffic is torture.. It would seem that planners for major metro areas seem to ignore improving inner city transit which is slow and uncomfortable in favor of connecting middle class suburbia to downtown . There are bus routes in Pittsburgh that get 20,000 riders a day yet no light rail in sight. Planners seem only to want light rail when there is a college and sports venue involved to connect to the suburbs. The fact remains that large numbers of people are minorities who live in the city also live in Section 8 public housing and reaceive some form of public assistance. Malcome X and Martin Luther King knew about this and not much has changed from the 1960s It should be self evident that good public transportaion is the road up from poverty and is a equalizing factor in the battle for civil equility
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