Urbanism is Good, actually

Written by Shane Miller

Nowadays, many cities across the world are investing heavily in new public transport systems. The best example of this investment is the opening of the REM Metropolitan Light Rail line in Montreal, Canada. The new line on the pre-existing Montreal metro has seen a huge expansion in recent years of service frequency and new rail cars being built. Another example is the new type of NYC Subway car being produced for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) by the Kawasaki group. Currently, only 2 of these trains are operating, both on the A Line in Manhattan and Brooklyn. However, some individuals believe that these new investments in public transportation are inefficient and costly (with some even claiming that the expansion of highways is a necessity being ignored, mostly claimed by state DOT agencies). In this article, I will argue that the expansion and investment of public transit systems is an extremely positive thing, and if done properly, will create more jobs and living spaces for cities across the world.

An R211 Subway Car during its Inaugural test ride. (Photo by Marc A. Hermann/MTA)

To begin this analysis, I need to elaborate on my first example; the Reseau Express Metropolitain (REM) service. This light-rail system has recently been constructed (and opened!) in the Canadian city of Montreal. The service is 20 hours a day, 7 days a week, and serves inner Montreal and Montreal’s suburbs on the Eastern side of the St Lawrence river (specifically Brossard). It has seen high ridership numbers in its first weeks and months of operation, as shown by a Montreal Gazette article which stated that the REM had an estimated 25,000 people riding it to and from Brossard daily. These ridership numbers are what has defined the REM, showing it as a modern, 21st century light rail system, which has connected a transit desert with the center of a large city. The REM has faced some challenges during its first few weeks of operation, mostly in relation to service disruptions and it not being present on Google Maps (despite it being present on Apple Maps). However, in spite of these challenges, REM has proven to be a useful system for Montreal citizens.

A screen in a REM Light Rail car after a service interruption was resolved. (Photo by David Sidaway/Montreal Gazette)

My next example will be an example of a BAD transit decision. Currently under construction on the I-35 North in Texas, the I-35 Northeast Expansion (NEX) project, which is under control of the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) is seeking to further widen the already existing I-35 freeway in Texas. Texas, in general, is a state which is a good example of bad transit decisions, with the infamous Katy Freeway in Houston being a whopping 26 LANES of Freeway traffic. Despite this insurmountable size, the Freeway is also infamous for being incredibly congested and backed up with traffic near constantly. Some scientists and critics of the project have proposed that the continuous widening of the Freeway just attracts more drivers to use it. This is because, when a Freeway is widened, it makes drivers believe that it will be free of traffic-however, when they actually get on the Freeway, they discover that almost everyone else had the exact same idea, and are now also taking the Freeway and backing it up. This phenomenon is also common in many other places, and I have personally experienced it while driving to Miami during rush-hour traffic. I have an idea to take a different highway through Miami to avoid traffic congestion, so everyone else has the same idea and we are all suddenly in the middle of a 3 hour traffic jam.

The Katy Freeway, at an intersection near Houston, Texas. (simonKR/Getty Images)

As my prior example demonstrates, Freeways and State DOT agencies often do not mix together very well, and often result in monstrosities such as the Katy Freeway and NEX Project. It is my hope that, in the future, states across the country will begin realizing the detrimental effects of traffic congestion that they are experiencing, often because of their DOT’s focusing on the expansion of highways and freeways over cheap, efficient public transportation networks. Some cities have realized this recently, with examples including Miami and Brightline, Los Angeles and their small (but growing) metro system, and New York City with the Second Avenue Subway. Perhaps we could see a future with a walkable Miami or Los Angeles (but, as you may know yourself, this is a far-flung fantasy).