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<br />BERG from AA1 <br />Transit: an investment to prevent ~ridlock <br /> <br />Two recent University of <br />Minnesota reports on conges- <br />tion bolster that conclusion. <br />By continuing to ignore the <br />best available evidence, the <br />Taxpayers League is quickly <br />slipping back to fringe status. <br />Pragmatic Hepublicans and <br />the state's business leaders are <br />losing patience with an ideal. <br />ogy of public disinvestment <br />that has begun to smother the <br />state's competitive chances. <br />On the bl1s strike, Strom's as- <br />sertion that transit is a bad deal <br />for taxpayers is, as the above data <br />suggest, false. His p,u-aphrase of <br />Marie Antoinette (Let them drive <br />cars) is hurtflll and misleading. <br /> <br />Metro Transit estimates 40,lYJO <br />of ils riders might respond to the <br />league's offer of state help to buy <br />cars for them. <br />Ler's see: At 5 grand a pop, <br />thar's $200 million. Strom's <br />further suggestion that tmnsit's <br />$300 million operating budget <br />be shifted to roads comes up <br />well short of the $1 billion extra <br />per year needed to build all the <br />roads required to prevent grid- <br />lock in 2025. And, remember. <br />all this must happen without <br />new taxes. It's simple, just pop <br />the hood. <br />So why hasn't the bus strike <br />caused major traffic jams'/ <br />Not every bus rider simply <br /> <br />got into a car and drove to work <br />last week. A third don't have cars. <br />Most others probably got rides. <br />Those who drove slipped into <br />the usual tide almost unnoticed. <br />Traffic is getting worse fast, <br />faster than almost anywhere <br />else. But we've not yet reached <br />meltdown. The congestion <br />question has never been about <br />now It's about investing now <br />to prevent future b'lidlock. <br />Remember, the Taxpayers <br />League isn't about solving prob- <br />lems. It's about fmding excuses <br />not to pay for solving problems. <br /> <br />Steve Berg is at <br />sberg@startrlbune.com. <br /> <br />co <br /> <br />Ways to move <br />130 commuters during <br />rush hour <br /> <br />:l.3!l commuters in :l. rail car <br /> <br />o.:~.~~~ <br /> <br />:I.3!l commuters In 3.25 bUses <br /> <br />'iT"~. IT''~ ,,{/"~... l"'l>~;'C"~.1.{~.'("';C"" -(''''''~ <br />t7'.... -t7' ~ ~l.-9'~lT"~trl> {T"~. t7'~ ~~ 17'~ <br />~t~'~l '~~ ij'~~ '~:j j(~~ ~.... ~~;?' .{~ .~ -(l' ~'> t7'~ <br />V"~ 1T"";rt7'~ ~, t7'l'r~~jJ(T'"'j> r~t7'~~l. <br />'~~'ii '(~.,{"J"';j ~'~t""'... ~Ii> Ji{/',:. .i.~~ jj~..;JlP'. <br />t7'lJ.~~,00'1T""i.r ."-{T"Ijit7'~, 0: -~ ~ <br />Ji{~~ r{T'c-,,;. ~" {"".; ~.~.. -{"J".;_ (J'~', -(l""":;. i1'''''~ tT'lj. <br />.'t~~ ~.' V"~iP'~;{ (~~ L{~';: (~;:0;"'~, .~~ <br />{"J";i' 1T"";. ~ ~-~, 'IT":: 'IT";'{""~, i""~ 1fT"o,.. -9'1 <br />~~"1T""'.j'i(T~:,,; jJr~ j{T'~ t7'-.- !"-r.~ IT'"~{7'. ~, <br />:1.30 commuters In 100 automolllles <br /> <br />Source: Mancopa Association of Governments, Phoenix <br />