Transportation - a victim of America's cultural wars

In light of the recent discussion surrounding the Highway Bill, Robert Atkinson posted an interesting editorial in The Washington Post entitled "How transportation became the latest victim of America's culture wars." Atkinson's discusses the implications of the inability of Congress to implement transportation policy in the United States due to the polarization of cultural beliefs related to federal transportation legislation. He characterizes the polarization of beliefs into two categories: the "congestion caucus" and the "liberty caucus."

On one hand, the congestion caucus recognizing the need for infrastructure funding, but only supports it for what they deem to be the "right kind" of infrastructure. The congestion caucus do not necessarily believe in supporting mobility or even infrastructure, but rather believe in getting people out of the suburbans and into multiethnic communities, trading SUV's for light rails and supporting the urban disadvantaged instead of the privileged suburbans. Funding highway expansion result in more single-family homes, more vehicles and more suburbs. Primarily, this group believes that infrastructure funding should be allocated to developing alternative transportation systems, rather than being allocated to roads.

On the other hand, the liberty caucus recognizes the need to support infrastructure funding, but only supports if it is for road improvement and the federal government role in determining funding allocation shrinks given their wastefulness. This group's primary goal is to devolve funding to the state to control funding allocation rather than the feds.

Personally, I find this article quite interesting because it really makes apparent what the polarizing nature of politics does to something that everyone recognizes as a great need. I can't help but imagine how our infrastructure might be, especially here in Tucson, if people worked towards achieving common ground rather than one side being right. Would it be possible to establish a transportation policy that adequately addresses improvements to current infrastructure and explored alternative modes that is a reasonable amount? I can't help but wonder what a world without out polarization might be and what might be achieved.

Check the article out here.