Although Sam the Tram and Earl the Pearl and their pals often deploy the mantra that in order to reduce CO2 emissions, we need more light rail and less roads, their efforts in this regard are actually counterproductive. By deliberately increasing congestion, they actually increase emissions, because cars, trucks, and big-rigs idling in gridlock produce more emissions than they do when rolling at normal highway speeds. Engines are meant to run free, and they perform at their best when allowed to do so.
As more light rail has been constructed at a financial cost of billions of dollars in the Portland area, we've noted the following effects: road congestion has increased, crime has exploded along light rail lines, and transit ridership has actually decreased. Desperate to make their failed dream finally work, Sam and Earl and their pals continue, however, to throw money into project after project.
Boys: it hasn't worked, it isn't working, and it's not ever going to work.
But they can't take no for an answer. Just last week on Rob Kremer's radio show, Senatorial wannabe Jeff Merkley was interviewed. And in response to Rob's point that if all Kyoto protocols were implemented, the net result would be a decrease in temperature of 0.8 degrees centigrade, Merkley's reply was that it just makes him want to do more. Translation: we haven't been interfering in your lives as effectively as we might.
