As it was for the people behind virtually every other progressive cause, the election of Donald Trump was a sad day for those of us who want to see the U.S. move toward a more efficient, healthy, and equitable transportation system.
Under the Obama administration, our city won many federal grants and loans for CTA track and station improvements, as well as bike and pedestrian projects like the Divvy system, the Bloomingdale Trail, and the Chicago Riverwalk extension. But regime change will force advocates to shift from progress to defense, says SRAM Cycling Fund director Randy Neufeld.
The need for infrastructure investments is “undeniable,” says Metropolitan Planning Council president MarySue Barrett. “The U.S. has underinvested in infrastructure for decades, and new sources of public funding need to be identified.”
There would be some other significant drawbacks if Trump’s infrastructure plan focuses on building tollways. Ironically, constructing new highways—instead of fixing existing roads, rail lines, and water systems badly in need of attention—would actually make it harder to maintain the nation’s deteriorating infrastructure. And more highway expansion would only exacerbate our nation’s problems with car dependence, sprawl, and air pollution.
“We don’t agree with Trump being a misogynist or a xenophobe, and if he says he’s going to deport millions of people we should stand up and protest and fight it,” Grimshaw says. “But to the extent that he says he wants to fix our crumbling infrastructure, I applaud him.”
