PEORIA -- Here's an interesting post from the Jan. 5 issue of The New York Times.
It concerns mass transit and US Department of Transportation nominee Ray LaHood.
In a nutshell, it notes that LaHood's background is cars and highways, not mass transit. But mass transit -- especially trains and busses, will be a vital part of the future of the US.
Start with Amtrak. It's a mess. It has an obsolete reservation system and it breaks down in cold weather. Ride at your own risk.
When it works, it's terrific. When it breaks down as it did in Chicago before Christmas, it's a nightmare. It needs more resources and modernization.
Meanwhile Peoria needs a free, inner city shuttle bus system like those operated in Macomb, Champaign/Urbana, Ann Arbor, Mich. and other cities. That would draw people back to the inner city where they could live without a car or with only one car.
If Macomb can do this, why not Peoria?
We'll see if Peoria's own Ray LaHood can make a difference in these areas. (Don't hold your breath!)