Congressman Scott Peters (D-CA) introduced the Build More Housing Near Transit Act, which would change the rating criteria for the Federal Transit Administration’s New Starts program.
This bill looks to force people to live near transit by giving them little to no other options for other places to live. The law requires housing feasibility assessments to determine how and where housing units could be built near new transit stops.
The bill prioritizes local commitment to change land-use policies to accommodate market-rate and affordable housing. However, with agencies like SANDAG putting their self-interest before the public, this legislation leaves room for local agencies to make decisions without voter input.
The 24 urban areas that have introduced commuter, light, or heavy rail since 1975, ranging from Los Angeles to Buffalo, have seen ridership fall by 11.2%. The 18 largest urban areas that lack rail transit (or have no more than a tiny streetcar line) have seen bus ridership declined by 9.3%.
With public transportation use decreasing and our citizens showing that they prefer using their car, the idea that new housing would need to be built near transit stations is uninformed. This is legislation that forces Americans to change their culture, rather than accommodate the American lifestyle while still addressing the housing crisis.
