Most big-city transit systems are in deep financial trouble these days. This may be a good time to step back and ask the larger question: Why doesn't transit work better in the U.S.? Consider transit's advantages: In densely populated areas, it's a cheaper way of moving people than requiring that families buy cars and governments build roads. It's more easily scalable--that is, you can add cars to a train more easily than lanes to a road. It's kinder to the environment. And voters consistently support transit, particularly when the alternative is more roads. So what's wrong with transit? Libertarians say it's that Americans love their cars and won't be herded onto buses or trains. Maybe, but here's another explanation: We've so divided responsibility for decisions affecting transit that, in reality, nobody's in charge. Think about how it works in your city. Very likely you have a transit system that's run by a regional board, highways that are built by the state, and land-use decisions that are made by the city--all operating independently of one another. The result is all kinds of crazy decisions: regional rail systems extending lines alongside brand-new state-built roads; cities and counties approving new subdivisions that can't be served by transit and will require new roads in the future; and (surprise!) transit systems that are underutilized and broke. What's the answer? Some sort of system that combines land-use and transportation decisions. Don't be surprised if such a system produces more support for trains.
Ever thought about what happens to people whose houses straddle the border between two cities? Sounds like a joke, but it happens all the time--and life can be tricky for these homeowners. Take the 128 houses situated on the line between the Boston suburbs of Cambridge and Somerville. (Local officials call them "border properties.") City services are easy. Only one city picks up your trash. But nearly every other thing is complicated. Take where you vote. The rule of thumb is that you vote where you sleep--literally, which city your bedroom happens to be in. One border property resident, who was determined to be a Cambridge voter, said she was prepared to move down the hall in order to stay on the voter rolls there. Another big problem: Where do your children go to school? Again, the rule is which city their bedroom is in, but this leads to the obvious problem: What if the kids' bedrooms are in different cities? (Said the Somerville school superintendent, "We'd work it out.") The real nightmare, though, is home renovations. Depending on the changes, you may have to get building permits from both cities, which means wending your way through two bureaucracies.
While campaigning for Miami-Dade mayor last August, Carlos Alvarez was asked during a debate whether the mayor's office needed greater powers. Nope, he said. The county charter gives the mayor all the authority he needs. Darndest thing, but Alvarez, who won in November, told the Miami Herald recently that he couldn't remember ever saying that. In fact, he's now seeking to do the very thing he thought was unnecessary last summer: strengthen the mayor's office. Alvarez is interested in gaining the ability to hire and fire department heads-- now held by the appointed county manager--and he wants to strip county commissioners of their power to award contracts.