Richardson on Light Rail

Gov. Richardson has made mass transit a focus of his campaign, within the context of his environmental program. It is something he discussed in the Working Californians video below. Yesterday, he was in Los Angeles talking about the benefits of light rail for big cities. SDUT:

With gas prices rising and roadways jammed, Richardson said it was time to rethink a federal transportation policy that pumps billions of dollars into new roads each year. Mass transit, he said, will be the best, cleanest way to move metropolitan residents in the future.

If elected, he said he would “make it a major effort to refocus transportation construction of roads into light rail and more energy efficient transportation,” the New Mexico governor told reporters at a news conference.

“I would make light rail at least an equal partner” with highways, he said. With more rail and clean-running buses, “it's going to improve the quality of life in this country.”

Richardson would finance this light rail expansion with state and federal bonds, calling light rail "the future" of transportation systems in big cities. He wants to see partnerships formed between city, state and local communities to fund these projects.