Why Public Transit Boosts Bay Area's EconomyCasey Millsbyline‚ Jul. 26‚ 2006Support for increased spending on public transportation came from an odd source last week, when the San Francisco Chronicle pointed out that the free rides BART provided on ‘Spare the Air’ days caused an increase in downtown commerce. For transit advocates, the news didn’t come as much of a shock, as many have been arguing for years that better public transit means better access to businesses for city residents. But the fact that the usually car-centric Chronicle, which advocated for less parking fines and fees instead of cheaper Muni fares last year, had finally connected the dots came as a welcome surprise. Now, as three important proposals for improving the city’s transit come down the line, the city’s business groups will hopefully take notice and become allies in the fight for better transit instead of adversaries. |