Some Transportation Planners More Dangerous Than Terrorists
RECEIVED Wed., Oct. 27, 2004
Dear Editor, In his response to my letter, Mike Clark-Madison dismissed my concerns about the CTRMA toll road plan by opining that I "don't like roads" ["Postmarks," Oct. 15]. This is absolutely correct, although largely irrelevant. Allowing a basically private entity with no accountability to the public like the CTRMA to borrow huge sums of money to build roads willy-nilly with only a vague plan, based on wishful thinking, for paying back this money is bad fiscal and public policy regardless of how one feels about roads. But in point of fact, the current roadway plan is a recipe for economic disaster, never mind environmental or quality-of-life concerns, which is why I "don't like roads." New highways encourage urban sprawl – can there be any doubt about this? Austin already ranks fourth in the nation for number of miles driven on average per capita per day (www.rrc.state.tx.us/tepc/092404presentations/billbarker.pdf). At the same time, Houston Republican oilman Matthew Simmons is telling us that we are probably already at or near the peak of world oil production (www.simmonsco-intl.com/files/SPE%202004%20Annual%20Conference.pdf). If true, this means that the supply of oil will decrease from now on, resulting in dramatically increasing prices. Even the most optimistic Pollyannas agree that oil will start to run out within 30 years, and these folks are a distinct minority, similar to the scientists who claim that global warming is a myth. There is considerable consensus that peak oil will occur before 2010 – see the documentary The End of Suburbia (www.endofsuburbia.com) for a plethora of expert opinion. Meanwhile, if we begin to focus our efforts now, reversing our dependence on oil will still take decades. If this is true, why do we have a transportation plan which can only serve to increase our consumption of oil over the next 25 years? The people promoting this plan are more dangerous to us than terrorists and should be treated accordingly.