Friday Quote: Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on livable communities
Many transit advocates we're initially concerned with the pick of Ray LaHood as the Secretary Of The Department Of Transportation. Aaron Naparstek on Streetsblog wrote "The selection of a downstate Illinois Republican with close ties to highway lobby stalward Catepillar Inc., is being taken by many as a clear sign that progressive transportation policy is, for now, nowhere near the top of the Obama's agenda." Ha. Now they're singing a different tune - La Hood is a rockstar who shows bike love and, yes, isn't afraid to dance on top of a table. Check this excerpt from an interview with Grist on Livable Communities.
Q. But politically, it's been a little bit of a tough sell. There are a lot of people, especially on the Republican side of the aisle, who seem to think that encouraging density and more walkable communities is, in effect, forcing people to live in the kinds of places that they don't want to live in.
A. I think when politicians begin to listen to their constituents, what they find is that their constituents are way ahead of them on livability and sustainability, on having cleaner, greener communities, on having walking and biking paths, on having streetcar systems. I think when politicians who are elected by the people begin to listen to their constituents, they begin to get with this kind of livable, sustainable community program.
Q. Do you think in the current political climate, there are a certain number of people in Congress who are just invested in opposing whatever the president comes up with?
A. I think there are some traditional people in Congress who like the idea that we continue to build roads and bridges and things like that. I think we've sent a pretty loud message that one of our signature transportation programs will be livable and sustainable communities. One of our signature transportation programs will be connecting America with high-speed intercity rail, so people can get out of their cars. They can take a train ride to see Grandma rather than doing it in a car.
I just think these are signature programs now. They're not going to go away, not because of Ray LaHood or because of Barack Obama, but because this is what people want. Once politicians begin to learn that, they begin to adopt the idea that these are good opportunities for their constituents and for Americans
