Although the bad driver user fees facet of the new Virginia Transportation Plan seems to have caught the most public attention lately, following on the heels of approval of a regional highway authority for Hampton Roads, another aspect of this hydra bears consideration. Today the Daily Press reports that local officials attended a seminar on public transit over the weekend.

First question: Who sponsored this seminar? Based on the article the sponsor appears to be the American Public Transportation Association. I was intrigued to learn more about them. Ordinarily I would look for their mission statement, but oops nothing here. Perhaps a list of members? No not that either. So could this be a lobbying group for the public transportation industry? Maybe, but I will need to do more research to find that out. The article does give another clue though, the speakers were from the "Project for Public Spaces." Well who is this. The web site of this non-profit does at least provide a mission statement:

"PPS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build communities. We provide technical assistance, training, research and other services. Since our founding in 1975, we have worked in 2,000 communities in the United States and around the world, helping people turn their public spaces into vital community places."

That other services part caught my attention. It seems they sell planning and design services to cities. Now I can understand their interest in the feeding trough created by the transportation plan. Well perhaps they will help us plan roads and highways to get us to work faster and smoother? Don't count on it. PPS has three simple rules for transportation planning. Rule One: Stop Planning for Speed. Yes let's slow things down, make the street our destination, not our path elsewhere. Sorry I don't think there are solutions here.

Transit lobby groups supported by public transportation planning groups who want to slow us down are teaching their skills to our local leaders. If this is the level of information our civic leaders are gathering to plan our transportation future we are in deep trouble. More to come.