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Tag(s): Banks; Cars; Community; Foreclosures; Future; Money; Money; Oil; People; People; (more...) Population; Time; Transportation; Transportation; Work (less...)
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May 11, 2008 at 23:00:59

Headlined on 5/11/08:
Mass Commuter Migration

by Edward Smallwood Page 2 of 2 page(s)

www.opednews.com

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Regardless, the trend is obvious: With expensive gas, people will choose to live close to their job. Doing otherwise will not be an option for most people. Political leaders will have to deal with this sooner or later. Smart ones will deal with it sooner. Lesser ones will deny the problem until the trend is obvious to everyone, and difficult to deal with because tax revenues will already be dropping. Stupid ones will say having abandoned properties in a city is not a problem, and hopefully, will be voted out.

Bringing these facts to the attention of local politicians will help. People living in these areas ignore the migration of commuters away from their home city at their own peril.

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2 comments

Jim Freeman's op-ed pieces and commentaries have appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, International Herald-Tribune, CNN, The New York Review, The Jon Stewart Daily Show and a number of magazines.
Jim FreemanJim Freeman's op-ed pieces and commentaries have appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, International Herald-Tribune, CNN, The New York Review, The Jon Stewart Daily Show and a number of magazines.

This is an interesting treatise

and an argument for economic conditions doing what the intellect has failed to do. We know (and have known for some decades) that mass public transportation is wiser than increased highway capacity. But we ignored the evidence because we love to drive.

Is it anywhere in Modesto's plans to look into the impact of financing light rail to Silicon Valley? Is that cheaper than abandoning half the population and leaving the remaining half to a significantly degraded life? Does that financial committment beat the alternative of watching an entire city disappear into the mists like a modern-day Brigadoon?

Here in Europe, we are already dealing with $7.35 a gallon gasoline and $9 a quart motor oil. Rail is the lifeblood of Europe. America may come to the party late, but they will come or significant portions of the country will simply become ghost-towns.

Good job, Edward, jumping out in front of issues that might have been an easier and less damaging jump fifty years ago.

by Jim Freeman (108 articles, 53 quicklinks, 224 diaries, 386 comments) on Monday, May 12, 2008 at 3:48:27 PM

Ed is a dedicated husband and father of three, as well as one of the managers of one of the busiest movie theaters in the Bay Area, and a REALTOR. In what little spare time he has left, Ed volunteers at the Santa Clara Democratic Party. Ed used to have hobbies, but really doesn't have time for it anymore.
Edward SmallwoodEd is a dedicated husband and father of three, as well as one of the managers of one of the busiest movie theaters in the Bay Area, and a REALTOR. In what little spare time he has left, Ed volunteers at the Santa Clara Democratic Party. Ed used to have hobbies, but really doesn't have time for it anymore.

My thoughts...

I believe that Modesto will not disappear, simply because it's got a decent agricultural backup. In addition, there is some factory production in the city. However, neither is enough to justify the population there.

Putting in something more like a high-speed rail system for Modesto would work well, however, I believe that ground would have had to be broken as much as 10 year ago to be of any use in preventing migration away from there.

I believe that they are going to have to live with a shrinking population for the forseeable future, but they still can start laying plans that could lead to bringing people back. Making it a tourist destination would be a good start. They are really right between Silicon Valley and Yosemite National Park, so they can capitalize on that geographical arrangement. They have agriculture. They have a lot of flat land that could be used for rail. It's really in their hands to prepare for and deal with this.

by Edward Smallwood (7 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 7 comments) on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 9:28:45 PM