In Search of a City: Transportation Matters
No single decision has a bigger impact on how a city grows than one involving transportation. A decision to build an expressway or highway interchange enables sprawl to occur and often results in urban divestment. By contrast, regional rail encourages dense development and walkable communities and usually benefits downtown areas. Transportation-driven development patterns are powerful and, once unleashed, difficult or impossible to influence.
A state-wide coalition, aptly named Transportation Matters, has been created to monitor transportation planning in Ohio and advocate for balanced transportation investments that include urban transit, intercity rail and bikeways. The president of the coalition board, Bill Habig, is the former head of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission.
Paying attention to transportation decisions is critical for anyone who cares about the health of the central city, which is why Transportation Matters is so important. Its Web site, which is under construction, is www.transportation-matters.org.
