Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Wow, Someone as Mad as I am!

Published Wednesday, November 22, 2006, by the Redwood City Daily News

NIMBYs weigh in on project

I read an article in the Palo Alto Daily News titled, and I had to laugh.

As with any project which benefits the population at large, "local" residents are singing the tune, "Not in my backyard." It seems like Palo Alto and Menlo Park residents think that they have purchased some kind of inalienable right to remain insulated in their idyllic lives, while the rest of us shoulder the burden of maintaining it.

Expanding public transit directly benefits most Bay Area residents. Except, of course, those who don't commute to work and those who send the domestic help out to do their errands. It indirectly benefits all of us as it reduces the number of cars on the road, thereby improving our air quality, which isn't exactly great.

I live in Redwood City, I know how much of an inconvenience trains can be. Noisy? Yes. A safety issue? For the careless, again, yes. However, with an ever-growing population in the Bay Area, expanding the public transit system is necessary. In this case, the corridor is already in place. If they indeed can get 6,300 riders a day, it's a no-brainer.

Sometimes, you have to take one for the team. Even if you don't consider yourself part of it.

Rob Paul,
Redwood City

I was going to write something to that effect, but don't think I can top that. Rock on, Mr. Paul!

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