Denial Turns to Delay

In Florida, the State DOT is requiring all new BRT projects to hit 6,000 riders if they are going to take a dedicated lane. It also means existing bus lines could lose their lanes unless they get higher ridership. It’s just another example of state pre-emption going after active transportation facilities and complete streets for taking away someone’s personally believed “right” to public space.

But that has been expected from states like Florida and Texas who have previously announced their intentions. In Connecticut, a hard fought housing bill was vetoed by Governor Ned Lamont (D) in part because it got rid of minimum parking requirements. But also because a loud misinformation machine was ginned up to fight the bill. It seems the loudest voices prevailed and kicked the can down the endless road.

That is the new way forward, not necessarily denial, but delay. A new report discusses how climate denial has shifted to delay because the deniers know they have lost the argument.  But there is hope say the mayors of London and Paris, Sadiq Khan and Anne Hidalgo, who have been fighting back against fear, uncertainty, and doubt with cold hard evidence and reduced pollution after years of hard work. Now we know what actually works to reduce pollution and create better quality of life for people living in cities. The tools are there, we just need to share the story of success.

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