Transit usage needs help from local government

Linda Koelling, a Foster City Councilperson, says “It is vital for us to implement a new wave of conservation effort and meet the challenge of getting people out of their cars in order to preserve our environment.” She makes the following points in appealing for people to use transit- The Bay Area is now one big city stitched together by urban sprawl. As a conseqence congestion impacts quality of life everywhere.

Her solution is for us try public transit in the model developed by Peninsula Traffic Relief Alliance. www.commute.org/ However Mz Kolling readily admits that congestion continues to be real despite PTRA having “pretty much covered all the bases.”

Asking people to try transit hasn't worked for good reasons. Bay Area Cities are giving away vital resources like curb side space and streets for free while bankrupting public coffers. People drive because there is no cost to pollute and endanger the public commons, there is no downside to behavior that disrupts public life and endangers public health. Similarly walkers and cyclist, who could relieve congestion, decide not risk their lives on the attention spans of drivers.

So if she really wants people to use transit Foster City should put in place measures that encourage people to use transit like charging for parking and roads. Foster City should especially look at commute times so that transit use is competive with auto usage and not designed to unfairly compete with transit.

She can be reached at lkoelling@fostercity.org.