This Guy Knows What He's Talking About

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Note: One of many pictures that pops up when you Google "John Roach"

John Roach has a lot of credits to his name. He's a lawyer, a former St. Louis Alderman, was St. Louis' first Director of Community Development, and served on the National Commission on Intermodal Transportation during the administration of President Bill Clinton.

John recently wrote a scathing editorial about our road-building habits in the St. Louis region, criticizing what appears to be the current working philosophy throughout the region: the solution to traffic/transportation issues is simply to build more and wider highways and roadways.

According to John, "roadways must become part of a system that includes a variety of modes of transportation — rail, bus, auto, walking — each of which performs its function while interconnecting easily and efficiently and in balance with communities."

Although many of the readers of this blog live outside of the St. Louis region, this is equally pertinent to you because it deals with the frighteningly common misconception in America that affects everyone's quality of life: the idea that transportation deals with moving cars and trucks, as opposed to moving people. We forget that only 60% of Americans can drive. The other 40% are too young, too old, too poor, or unable due to a disability. Transportation systems that are built to move cars and trucks, leave millions of Americans stranded with no way to get their groceries, visit their friends and family, or do just about anything.

Take a couple minutes to read what John has to say about transportation.

A little background for non-St. Louis folks -- Interstate 64/40 that cuts through the heart of the St. Louis region was recently closed for major renovation to make it bigger, better, faster. In the months leading up to the closure, people were freaking out. In the days after the closure, things didn't seem all that different.