State of the Region
Moving Forward with Better
Transportation Choices
Published by the Center for Neighborhood Technology
as part of the Connecting Communities Outreach
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FROM THE STAFF OF THE
Chicagoland Transportation and Air Quality Commission
We would like to preface this report with a statement of appreciation to the people
who participated in the eleven Connecting Communities caucuses in 2003 and early
2004. Your participation and wisdom is very much valued by our staff. We remain
dedicated to seeing that your ideas are thoughtfully and powerfully communicated
to the official planners of the region.
We release this report as the state budget is released, but the message is pertinent
to many levels of government. The public is not satisfied that their concerns
have been heard or their needs met. Times are tough. They are tough on private
budgets and they are tough on public budgets. We can not afford to ignore the
opportunity to make inexpensive efficiency improvements to our system. We can
not afford to continue building new capital projects but allow existing investments
to deteriorate.
Official planners and other observers of the process should understand the
context for the recommendations contained in this report. Caucus participants are
primarily people who use autos as their most frequent means of transportation; over
70 percent of caucus participants use an auto more often than any other mode. Yet
their greatest concern is for flexible choices.
Given that most of the results for this process are from focus groups rather than
broader based survey data, the Center for Neighborhood Technology acknowledges
the limitations of the information. Nevertheless, we believe the information is
critical for the following reasons:
· This is the only process in the region that maintains a regular,
cyclical feedback loop for stakeholders with attention to previous
recommendations.
· Although the process was very open-ended there was remarkable
unanimity across the region on major themes.
· Caucuses were similar to focus groups. Private corporations stake
millions of dollars on what they hear in focus groups; public
decision-making can hardly be hindered by comparable
information.
Again, wholehearted thanks from all of us to all of you who made this report
possible, with a special thanks to our local partners:
Andersonville Development Corporation, Break the Gridlock, Citizen Advocacy Center, Crerar
Memorial Presbyterian Church, Dundee Township, DuPage Babysitting Co-op, Edgewater
Development corporation, Human Action Community Organization, Lake County Conservation
Alliance, League of Women Voters: Lake County, League of Women Voters: Oak Park/River Forest,
Livable Communities Alliance and Lincolnway SCAT, McHenry County Defenders, Oak Park Greens,
Palatine/Willow Road Community Mobilization Team, Pilsen Alliance, Shut this Airport Nightmare
Down, South Suburban COPE, and Village of Park Forest.
Jacky Grimshaw Jan Metzger Johanna Nyden Katie Parsons Eleanor Mayer
Director
Co-Director Organizer
Intern
Air Quality Specialist
Designed by
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Public Budgets Fail to Respond
to Public Priorities
The transportation system underlies or has an impact on virtually all essential
features of daily life: economic development, health and safety, environmental
preservation, and community cohesion. Even seemingly unrelated areas like
medical care and education are affected by the transportation system, especially in
terms of access to critical resources.
Consider the recent debate on the role of the transportation
system on the rising obesity rates in the United States. The
national movement for "Safe Routes to School" arises from
a public awareness that higher traffic volumes and speeds
discourage daily exercise by children. The proportion of
overweight children between the ages of six and eleven has
tripled since the 1970s.
1
Lack of exercise has educational
as well as health consequences; children who are sedentary
for long periods become overweight and "overweight
children achieve lower scores on standardized achievement tests."
2
We are conscious of the role of transportation when we talk about community
economic development in terms of a new train station or highway interchange.
Some of the other effects of transportation are less easily seen and touched.
Consider the increased asthma risk to some children and adults on ozone action
days. Or consider the wheelchair user who is virtually housebound for lack of
ramped sidewalks or accessible transit. What of the young adult in McHenry County
who can not attend community college for lack of a car?
Although transportation is interwoven with other aspects of our daily lives, we are
not woven into the apparatus that decides how the system will respond to our needs.
If the system does not meet our needs at all, we have no meaningful opportunity to
make that known.
The existing transportation planning structure in the six counties of northeastern
Illinois is poorly equipped to determine the region's overall needs.
3
As a result, state,
county, and local budgets fail to respond to the questions the public is asking.
The body that develops long-range transportation plans
for the region, the Chicago Area Transportation Study
(CATS), has no decision-makers with expertise in health,
safety, economic development, community development,
environmental, or historic preservation. When engineers
dominate planning it seems that the solution to every
problem is a major construction project that will facilitate
higher travel volume and speed.
The engineers and planners at CATS are out of step with the people of the region
the people who pay for the engineer/planner decisions. CATS is required by federal
McHenry County
Caucus
There has been more
discussion of the cost
of inactivity.
Kane County
Caucus
Powerful interests
are pushing the outer
beltway behind closed
doors.
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law
4
to consider public priorities in relation to long-range transportation plans
(see description of federal laws below). CATS has tried to create the appearance
of conformity with federal public involvement mandates by holding public "open
houses" but only after the plan is essentially final. This format prohibits the
development of consensus; without consensus CATS is free to adopt its plan without
any modifications.
CATS has neglected and negated public comment, but other groups have provided
the region with detailed documentation of public preference. Three different
constituencies were engaged in robust public outreach efforts in the early
2000s. The Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), through its
Connecting
Communities summits, engaged grassroots coalitions,
regional civic organizations, faith-based and user groups in
a fiscally constrained visioning process. Chicago Metropolis
2020 formulated a business-led vision for the region and
the Common Ground visioning process directed by the
Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission targeted
municipal leaders as its primary constituency. In spite of
diverse interests, these thousands of residents and leaders
voiced remarkably similar themes more transit and
more walkable communities were probably the two most
consistent themes.
Under the best of circumstances, the collection and analysis of public priorities is
an evolving discipline. This region lags far behind most other large metropolitan
regions in applying public involvement best practices. In the area of transportation
planning, public involvement is more than good policy it is the law. The Federal
Highway Administration describes the "three Cs" of public involvement cooperative,
continuing, and comprehensive. Public involvement is not synonymous with public
information. It is not a press conference but a continuous dialogue. High quality
public involvement synthesizes what was heard and then asks the public to validate
whether the interpretation of priorities is accurate.
CNT Works to Bring Federal Reforms
to the Region
CNT helped to form a national coalition, the Surface Transportation Policy Project,
which was instrumental in securing reforms in national transportation law over a
decade ago. The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) and its
successor the Transportation Equity Act for the 21
st
Century (TEA-21), transformed
"the highway bill" into a transportation bill that encouraged
efficient and equitable use
of transportation funds and did not mandate one mode over another.
"This national work came from CNT's mission. CNT's mission is promote livable,
sustainable communities where the undervalued resources and inherent advantages
of the urban environment, both built and natural, are captured to benefit everyone--
individuals, communities, and regions. Using rigorous and innovative research,
North-Northwest
Cook County
Caucus
Could the aging
population (55 plus) be
a stronger voice for
public transportation?
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education and economic development programs, CNT has focused particularly
on the interrelated issues of transportation, energy, and the environment as these
affect and are affected by economic markets and public policy."
CNT has worked since 1991 to bring federal reforms to the northeastern Illinois
region. Immediately after ISTEA was passed, CNT and seven co-sponsors began the
Chicagoland Transportation and Air Quality Commission (CTAQC), a coalition
that now includes nearly 200 organizational members representing thousands of
the region's residents. In 1995, CTAQC published its first
Citizen Transportation
Plan, a guide for prudent, equitable transportation, and land use investment. The
plan was developed with the help of scores of activists who focused on their areas
of expertise: open space, economic development, senior citizens, the disabled,
pedestrians, bicyclists, transit, and more. The plan guided CTAQC's advocacy for
six years as CTAQC sought to have the public's voice incorporated into the official
CATS planning process. By the beginning of the new millennium, CTAQC needed
to refresh its understanding of trends in public sentiment. A complete description
of the Connecting Communities summits and the public involvement process on which
these caucuses are based is included at the end of this report.
The Official Planning Process is Ongoing
As CTAQC advanced the public's priorities through the
Connecting Communities
process, the official transportation planning process was ongoing. CATS adopted
the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan (2030 RTP) on October 9, 2003. The plan
outlines the investment of over $60 billion. The 2030 RTP adopts some of the
terminology that was pervasive across the region and across the different stakeholder
groups (the grassroots, business, and municipal interests described above). However,
it carefully preserves the status quo in terms of committing no additional funds to
transit or to projects fostering walkable communities. It also does a disservice to
older parts of the region the parts where a majority of the taxpayers live. The
proportion of funds dedicated to maintenance of the existing system was reduced
and over 50 percent of new project dollars are directed to sparsely populated areas
on the fringe of the region.
5
A "Critique of the Process and Product of the Official
Transportation Planning Agency" is attached to this report.
Connecting
Communities The
Only Continuous
Feedback Loop
Connecting Communities caucuses were
held between June of 2003 and January
of 2004, overlapping finalization of
the 2030 RTP. Caucuses can be most
West Cook County Caucus
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simply described as scaled-down versions of the summits (see the description of the
summits at the end of this report). Rather than seeking 35 to 50 people as in each
summit, CTAQC sought a "focus group" of 12 to 15 participants for the caucuses,
with at least half having attended the original summit. The three exercises of the
summits were scaled back to two: a survey and a facilitated exercise that asked three
questions (participants responded to the questions in teams of two or three). The
questions What has improved? What remains unsolved? What are some new ideas?
were methodically discussed and documented for each recommendation from
that area's summit. Local partners had the responsibility to read, edit, and then sign
off on the draft caucus report.
CNT acknowledges the limitations of the information obtained through the focus
groups. Nevertheless, we believe the information is critical for the following reasons:
· This is the only process in the region that maintains a regular,
cyclical feedback loop for stakeholders with attention to previous
recommendations.
· Although the process was very open-ended there was remarkable
unanimity across the region on major themes.
· Caucuses were similar to focus groups. Private corporations stake
millions of dollars on what they hear in focus groups; public
decision-making can hardly be hindered by comparable
information.
The group responses to the three questions provide the "meat" of this report.
Simple survey data was also collected from each caucus, to verify the information
gathered. The overall recommendations of this report were submitted to the local
partners for review before publication, as the caucus reports had been.
The caucuses provide richly nuanced information about the impact of regional
transportation policy on real people and real communities. The public, in
its collective wisdom, seeks prudent, fair, and economical changes in the way
transportation investment is managed. People seek ways to integrate transportation
decisions into other facets of community life. They hope for consistent, incremental
improvement over time on the ground they travel. Large, expensive single-mode
projects, especially transit projects are desirable but are not the sum total of how the
public expects planning energy and funds to be spent.
Two to three years after summit recommendations were first developed, the public
has very modest and sensible expectations about what level of progress should be
expected. Caucus members were very aware of the basic adjustments that would
make today's system work better, at little cost. They noticed and applauded small
changes. They wondered, questioned, or even condemned the total failure to move
forward in areas where large gain is possible at small cost. The regional and local
themes of the caucuses are discussed on the following pages. The individual caucus
reports and the compiled caucus recommendations are attached to this report.
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The Public Focuses on Quality of Life
The overarching tenor of the caucuses was realism, while the overarching theme
was frustration with the lack of incremental progress on inexpensive system
enhancements. Malcolm Gladwell, author of
The Tipping Point: How Little Things
Can Make a Big Difference
6
asserts that major social revolutions spread in the same way
that epidemics do. When the right conditions are present, overlooked phenomena
generate a "contagious" reaction that spreads like an "epidemic."
Despite the reference to pathology, Gladwell applies his thesis to positive change
more often than negative. He makes the case that expensive marketing campaigns
may be ineffective while unfunded and poorly predicted trends in public perception
may transform society. In Illinois there are glimmers of recognition that a dynamic
shift is taking place in the public's investment preferences. The policy advisor to
the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) points out
that roadway connectivity, a national objective of the 1950s, is virtually complete;
what the public focuses on now is the quality of life aspects of transportation and
"congestion mitigation is only one aspect of quality of life."
7
Official resistance to the fine-tuning of our existing transportation system is baffling,
given the high level of public support for inexpensive enhancements and careful
stewardship of existing investments. Are the weak public involvement processes
of the official transportation planning agencies unable to discern the intense
support for basic upgrades like transit connectivity and safety improvements for
pedestrians and cyclists? Or is the existing planning apparatus too cumbersome and
uncoordinated to make the shifts the public desires? Or does the allure of expensive
capital projects overshadow all other planning practices and principles? Whatever
the cause, the public is increasingly restive.
The Highest Priorities
It is fair to say that in both the
Connecting Communities summits of 2001-02 and the
caucuses of 2003-04 that transit improvements and walkable communities were the
highest priorities. A summary discussion of regional priorities follows.
Transit
When transportation implementers or municipalities made small improvements
over the last two years, people in this region noticed. Three positive developments
were repeatedly mentioned at caucuses throughout the region: bikes on buses (Pace
and CTA), new, accessible buses (CTA and Pace) and the
Chicago Card/smart card debut. Innovations that affect
only one part of the region, such as the new bus shelters
in the city of Chicago, were uniformly popular where they
appear. There was no ambiguity or dissention about the
cost/benefit equation for these improvements there was
overwhelming public support.
West Cook County
Caucus
Get Metra to talk
to CTA.
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In general, the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) and Metra were assigned most
of the responsibility for poor performance on coordinating services among
transit systems. Poor connectivity between CTA and Metra was a recurring theme
throughout the region; the issue arose in virtually every Cook County or city of
Chicago caucus. In outlying suburban caucuses there were occasional mentions of
Pace/Metra connectivity issues.
Connectivity was seen as a challenge not only between transit systems, but for
connecting to Metra by other modes of transportation. The inability to take bikes
on Metra, even during weekend and non-peak periods, was raised in virtually all
Cook County caucuses and in DuPage County. In several other caucuses, the lack
of sidewalk access to Metra stations from surrounding developments was raised as
an issue.
There was a high degree of knowledge about and approval
of the cooperation between Pace and the CTA on sharing
fare card technology. The CTA and Pace received more
mixed reviews than Metra for overall service issues. Pace
received some criticism for low visibility and occasional
criticism for service cuts, but got high marks for its Vision
2020 Plan, the "blueprint" for future bus enhancements
in the region. CTA complaints typically were in regards
to accessibility at stations (for populations with disabilities) or the condition of the
stations themselves, but the new fare cards and the express buses were extremely
popular. The CTA bus shelters being installed by the city of Chicago also received
high marks.
Major capital projects were offered as examples of progress in some parts of the
region; specific information is found in the individual caucus reports at the end of
this document. There was no universal or consistent trans-regional consensus on
specific capital projects.
Walkable Communities
Responsibility for creating walkable communities was seen as scattered between
state, regional, and local officials and between public and private entities. People
in suburban Cook County and several of the collar counties frequently made the
recommendation that sidewalks should be required in all new private developments.
In the city, some newer retail developments were seen as unduly geared to auto
traffic, with negative consequences for pedestrians.
Caucus participants at every one of the eight caucuses
held in suburban Cook and the collar counties found
fault with action on sidewalks at the municipal level.
This included poor connectivity of the network, the
lack of municipal pedestrian (and bicycle) plans, unsafe
pedestrian access to schools, limited transit access, wide
lanes of traffic that were difficult to cross, lack of street
lighting, inadequate traffic enforcement, and lack of
snow removal policies.
South Side of
Chicago Caucus
Snow removal at bus
stops remains poor.
DuPage County
Caucus
Integration between
train and bus is
unsolved.
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Pedestrian travel and bicycle travel were closely linked in some parts of the region.
Different rates of progress were seen between the two modes though. In many
communities there had been perceptible improvements in bicycle amenities;
people were eager to identify other areas where further attention would promote
cycling. In the case of pedestrian encouragement, there was very little reported
progress and in some cases almost no success to build on.
In the city, where there is an elaborate network of sidewalk infrastructure, there
was some sense that many cycling improvements were evident, but that walking was
becoming more difficult and more dangerous. The lack of snow removal policies
and enforcement was mentioned frequently in city neighborhoods as a simple and
inexpensive, but neglected, area of pedestrian encouragement.
In suburban Cook County and several of the collar
counties, the state was specifically mentioned as needing
to improve its efforts to promote walkability (and
bikeability) along state roads. Failure to plan for and build
pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure along state highways,
as well as the difficulty of crossing some state highways was
mentioned in several areas. The inequitable state funding
for sidewalks (50% state contribution to 50% local match)
versus roadway funding formulas (80% state contribution
to 20% local match) was described in detail at the Kane
County caucus while other communities discussed funding
issues generically.
Other forks in the road . . .
There were sub-themes that resonated in certain areas but not universally across
the region. There was a much higher awareness of and concern for the impact of
transportation on the natural environment in the collar counties. The purchase
of land to preserve open space and the success of open space initiatives were clear
signs of progress in Lake, McHenry, DuPage Counties, and the Southwest Metro
region. Kane County residents feared that their carefully crafted, publicly approved
land management plan had been eroded by the proposal to construct a highway
through the county agricultural preservation zone.
Only two of the communities where summits were held
made recommendations regarding roads. These are
communities where controversial tollway construction
projects have been proposed: Lake County and the
Southwest Metro region. In those places, caucus
participants were able to point to specific intersections
where signalization, turning lanes, or other modifications
had improved the flow of surface traffic. Unmet demand
still exists for improvements on local roads; in keeping with the IDOT policy
advisor's admonition about the public's focus on quality of life outcomes, roadway
improvements were described in terms of aesthetics (landscaping) and pedestrian
access and safety, not just in terms of auto mobility.
Central
Neighborhoods of
Chicago
Provide incentives
to businesses who
promote bicycle use
by employees.
Lake County
Caucus
What do we do when
we've widened all
we can?
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Caucus participants, like summit participants, are people who use autos as their
primary means of transportation, with over 70 percent using an auto more often
than any other mode. Roadway access is available to them; what they seek now is
more choice of mode and higher quality of life.
Equity implications of our region's transportation investments
framed another sub-theme of our region's transportation
investments. Residents in the north and northwest
parts of the region believe they can support community
development on a solid base of transportation assets; they
are enthusiastic about current projects like double-tracking
of the North Central Metra line and CTA service increases.
However residents of communities to the south struggle
with very basic transportation-related development issues.
Community economies are closely tied to and dependent on the quality of the local
transportation infrastructure. Residents of the southern communities of the region
project a clear sense that some of their existing transportation assets are not secure
(controversies over Dan Ryan Expressway access or the condition of the Metra Electric
are example). Both the South Side of Chicago and the Calumet summits in 2001
developed major recommendations for using transit-oriented development (TOD) to
jump start local economies. No other part of the region had such explicitly articulated
economic development goals in relation to transportation improvements. Both of
these communities reported little improvement in that area in the last two years.
The continued deterioration of brownfields (abandoned and often contaminated
industrial land, most of which is near existing transportation infrastructure) in the
south part of the region is another example of how transportation and development
policies ignore hidden assets of existing communities, focusing instead on building
new projects on the fringes.
Many Voices Make a Chorus
The full caucus reports are attached. A snapshot of each caucus can be found below.
Calumet June 24, 2003
This part of the region, more than any other, struggles with the impacts of economic
disinvestment. There is a sense of urgency about maximizing the potential benefits
from transportation infrastructure. These Calumet area stakeholders advocated for
investments in transit-oriented development and brownfield redevelopment, rather
than an airport on the fringes of the region, as the way to remedy a lack of local jobs,
long commutes, and struggling town centers.
DuPage County July 8, 2003
DuPage County has grown rapidly. People who attended this caucus were interested
and aware of the changes taking place in their community. They want to be involved
and they want the public officials to listen to their concerns and suggestions. Priority
needs to be placed on pedestrians, connections between homes and downtowns and
train stations through improved bus service, and preservation of open space.
Calumet Caucus
More public
transportation leaves
parking lots for
development.
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Central Neighborhoods of Chicago July 23, 2003
The Central Neighborhoods of Chicago are a part of the region that everyone
from northeastern Illinois may visit, work in, or travel through at some point. It is
crucial that the people who live here are not overlooked when it comes to making
decisions about their neighborhoods and their community. The City of Chicago
needs to anticipate the rapid growth of businesses and better coordinate and plan
transportation service. Well-connected bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure is an
effective way to manage the increasing congestion we see on the streets of Chicago.
The city needs to carefully examine how it determines which neighborhoods
need increased transit service and new development to make sure that the overall
transportation system is efficient and equitable.
Lake County October 29, 2003
Some recommended improvements were perceived to have been stalled by a lack
of intergovernmental agreements, incentives, and cooperation. Lake County's
strong desire for coordination and cooperation was expressed in terms of improved
connectivity and cooperation between transit agencies and with respect to
coordination across modes (i.e; sidewalks and parking options at rail stations, new
grade crossings that would benefit both rail and road travel). Another theme woven
through all the recommendations was a desire for more coordinated planning to
facilitate travel by people with disabilities.
South Side of Chicago November 5, 2003
New transportation investment or lack of investment will have an impact south
of Pershing Road for decades. Caucus participants expressed doubt about several
proposed projects and about the lack of community input in selecting projects. The
most highly desired major projects included the Gray Line1 and CTA Red Line
extension to 130th Street (with certain concerns about the alignment of the latter
project). Participants were very skeptical of plans to close several South Side ramps
as part of the Dan Ryan (I-90/94) reconstruction plan.
McHenry County November 12, 2003
This part of the region is growing rapidly. Participants continue to feel strongly
that sprawl is out of control and that more planning and foresight must go into
development. There is an increasing fear that public open space and agricultural
land that defines McHenry County is disappearing forever. This group would like to
see elected officials, planners, and policymakers take the opportunity to make some
unique and innovative choices to shape new developments in McHenry County.
West Cook November 19, 2003
This group would especially like to see more public participation in discussions
about major capital projects like the East-West Corridor. The choice to expand
transit or widen the highway will have serious impacts on communities. At the local
level, participants would like to see planners of these communities adopt more
European models for providing transportation choice. If everyone is included in
planning and new and innovative ideas are considered, change is more effective
and meaningful.
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Kane County December 3, 2003
The public wants roads to be made safe for all types of travelers; this should include
special attention to vulnerable travelers like pedestrians and bicyclists. Additionally,
more attention and consideration needs to be given to estimates and impact studies
of environmentally insensitive projects like the proposed outer beltway road
project. If a project demonstrates significant negative impacts on the environment,
it should not be pursued. More attention needs to be paid to the question of to
whom projects are benefiting and how transportation in Kane County fits into a
regional vision.
North-Northwest Cook County January 13, 2004
Inspired by some of the small changes in pedestrian and bicycle amenities in the
northern suburbs and steps towards regional cooperation, this group was optimistic
that big changes were on the way. While large capital projects like rail and rail
transit projects appear to be complicated, there was hope that bus rapid transit
could fill the void. Participants were interested in seeing better safety enforcement
for bikes and pedestrians and a new opportunity to bring bikes on Metra, not just
Pace and the CTA. Finally this group anticipates that a universal farecard is on the
horizon and that improvements to regional planning are necessary and possible.
Southwest Metro January 22, 2004
This group was keenly aware of the planning decisions local municipalities make
and the relationship these decisions had on the environment and character of
their communities. Participants want municipalities and local elected officials to
be accountable for their actions and expect developers and builders to respect
the environment and accommodate multiple types of travel. This group would
like local municipalities to coordinate their plans and consider alternatives before
making decisions in favor of expensive projects.
North Side of Chicago January 27, 2004
While this group was pleased that there had been some movement on their
recommendations, they hoped that the decision makers of the region would
continue to make change occur. They placed a high emphasis on making the small
and inexpensive repairs and maintenance work that would improve the overall
condition of the transit system. They hope that planning and implementation for
transportation and this community will become more consistent and progress more
quickly and efficiently.
The Public Has Reasonable Expectations
The recommendations listed below are easily within reach in the next few years. The
public is aware of and supportive of incremental improvements over the last few
years, but dissatisfied with the rate of progress. While the residents are interested in
large-scale "dream" projects, they want some measure of attention redirected to the
here and now.
The public is realistic about what is possible in a short time frame. They are
intrigued by the potential benefits of Intelligent Transportation Systems, but do not
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expect to find digital schedule data on every corner within the next year. People
are simply frustrated by the insufficient attention over the last two or three years to
system maintenance and incremental system improvements.
The public has a reasonable expectation that substantial progress on these simple
and inexpensive remedies should be evident within the next few years. In order to
accomplish that goal, the region will have to make small, but significant, changes in
the way it thinks about "regional" versus "local" responsibilities. If we continue to
focus on building big systems that have little relationship to the surrounding area or
to other nearby systems we will continue to throw good money after bad projects.
Recommendation One: Integrate Transit Systems
There are few areas of public policy where decision-makers can proceed without
making some segment of the population unhappy. Integration of the region's transit
systems may be a singular exception to that policy conundrum. Transit integration is