Metropolitan Transit Authority CEO George Greanias makes his best case for building expensive light rail systems here. It’s all about investing for what will eventually be a “first-class public transit system.”
But there is also the here and now. And the stark reality is that light rail systems are utterly unsustainable without massive federal subsidies, which are hit and miss, at best.
Metro is in desperate need of leadership that will develop a transit plan for the Houston area based on something other than a strategy of “build as much light rail as possible now and then figure out how to pay for it later.”
Greanias does not appear that he will be providing such leadership.
So it goes with Metro.
It seems more important to George that the public transit system be “first class” than it is to show that such a thing is in fact necessary or desirable.
Even those who wouldn’t directly benefit (financially) from expanding light rail lines will
oppose it if they think that all Houstonians will
have to cough uP a little to pay for it.
Can’t have that. Let them eat cake and chips.