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Rising Above the Transit Critic’s Mantra
Jeremy Gunderson
Program Associate
Center For Transportation Excellence
Topics
What to Expect Who the Critics Are What the Critics Represent Impact Critics Have Approaches/Responses Resources
What to Expect From the Critics
Local and National Scrutiny Their Mission: Create Doubt Compartmentalization of Statistics Strategic Oversimplification Persistence
Who the Critics Are
Hired Guns– Wendell Cox– Sam Staley– Randal O’Toole– Robert Poole
Political Opponents of Your Champion Those adversely affected by proposal
What the Critics Represent
Anti-tax Anti-government Conservative Think Tanks Road Builders/Highway Lobby Proponents of Privacy (fear of crime, etc.)
How to Approach A Critic
Duplicate the Medium Letters to the Editor Web-based education Targeted Door-to-Door Community Meetings Debates Speakers Bureau
Strategies
Remove Ambiguity(ex: Speakers Bureau)
Be persistent in showing need for investment Exemplify Good Stewardship of Public Funds
(ex: Tri-met Efficiency Study) Use the private sector as a “charismatic”
voice Use the transit agency as a “technical” voice
Strategies….
Hire your own “Gun” If you can’t beat ‘em, include them
(ex: Change the route)
Resources
CFTE Website
(www.cfte.org)• Common Critical
Arguments with Point-by-Point Refutation
• Useful Factoids• Critic Identification
Resources…..
Your Local Transit Agency APTA (www.apta.com) PT2 (www.publictransportation.org) Worldwide Transit Cabal
(www.transitcabal.org) Surface Transportation Policy Project
(www.transact.org)
Learn From Other Local Coalitions
Transit Alliance (www.transitalliance.org) Friends of Transit (www.friendsoftransit.org) CFSTS (www.savetucson.org) Transit Coaliton (www.transitcoalition.org) Regional Transit Alliance (www.kctransit.org) Gulf Coast Institute (www.livablehouston.org)
