On the road with the Middle-Class Task Force

Yesterday, as Bob von Sternberg put it in today's Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Vice President Biden and I took the President's plan for the middle class "to the people."

Really, it was 400 people. They had gathered for a town hall session at the New Flyer of America company in St. Cloud, Minnesota. New Flyer makes innovative, low-emissions, alternative-fueled transit buses, and they are actually adding jobs. Also, as financial reporter Tara Perkins points out, New Flyer makes a great example for the stimulus because "money that's put into the company will flow through to the economy quickly." That's exactly what we want in stimulus spending.

My part of the message—I was there with the Vice President as well as Secretaries Duncan of Education, Vilsack of Agriculture, and Donovan of HUD—was about how the stimulus and middle-class task force give us an opportunity to transform the way transportation serves the American people. As I've said before, we need to promote strong and connected communities that provide safe and affordable access to work, medical services, schools, shopping, recreation, and other essential activities.

This is important stuff. Someone commented on these pages the other day about how owning a car was practically a requirement for success in this country—to get to work, to a doctor, to a grocery—and how that becomes a disproportionate burden to the poor. Well, we don't want to take anyone's car away; that's for sure, but we also don't want a transportation system where not owning a car threatens one's ability to get by. If we want to improve the quality of life for middle-class Americans, we have to affect them where they spend, and one of the biggest bites out of a household's budget is transportation costs. I want to do something about that.

Plus, if we make it easier for people to move around publicly, either by walking or biking or taking transit, then we build communities where folks see each other and interact with each other and learn to know their neighbors. That's how we get stronger communities.

The folks at St. Cloud know this. When it was time for questions, the most direct ones came from people who wanted to know when we were going to increase their transit options. How about now?

Comments

[ben]

I live in Maricopa AZ it will be autocentric for decades. Bicycles are the preferred non auto method. I often quote "Maricopa will house the last of the motorists refugee camps." Victims in the transportation wars. Where independence and mobility won over gluttony and laziness.

[Sylvia Y.]

It's great that improving public transportation is getting more attention now. I live in a stereotypical suburban neighborhood in the Midwest where every family owns on average 3 cars, at least one of which is a mini-van or SUV. When gas prices hit $4.50 last summer, it really took a toll on everyone's budget. There is only one bus route that serves the entire suburban community of 40,000. A good number of people created ad hoc carpooling groups with neighbors and co-workers, which worked out, but definitely highlighted the need for improved public transportation in suburbs.

[Jamie F.]

In response to your post, I believe it is absolutely crucial we see some of the economic stimulus money go to rebuilding infrastructure across the country. By making transportation more accessible in communities throughout the country, it will allow us to become more energy efficient by eliminating the “requirement” for families to own a car. Currently, I live in Washington D.C. where public transportation is used by many of the people who live in the city or who live in surrounding towns. Since being in D.C., I have found it amazing that I can get practically anywhere by using public transportation.
Equally as important, the stimulus money given to public transportation and infrastructure will create valuable jobs that are greatly needed in the county. In my opinion, improving and reconstructing the country’s infrastructure will be an important investment to “stimulate” our economy.