To the editor:
The Department of Transportation's refusal to fund a
high speed railway highlights the disconnect between the needs of New
Hampshire's residents and decisions regarding public transit.
People are voting with their feet by driving less and
taking more public transportation. Here in New Hampshire, transit usage
grew by 6 percent last year.
Transportation is responsible for more than two-thirds
of America's dependence on oil, and about one-third of our carbon
dioxide pollution. Not only would revamping this sector reduce provide
jobs for Granite Staters building and operating the railway, it would
also improve our national security. In 2008, Granite Staters drove 125
million fewer miles, which cut down on car and truck driving by 1
percent.
Right now, Congress is moving forward with legislation
(CLEAN TEA, S.575) that could dedicate 10 percent of the current
climate bill's investments to public transportation. We're calling on
senators Jeanne Shaheen and Judd Gregg to heed the growth of transit in
New Hampshire, and to invest more in transportation choices, like
transit, which will increase our energy independence, reduce global
warming pollution and get us out of traffic.
Sincerely,
Jessica O'Hare
Program Associate, Environment New Hampshire
