Right at this moment in time, I think posting comments to articles in the mainstream media — that are hopefully being read by Obama transition team, and LaHood — that tie transportation with energy and climate change should have some impact.

In the long run, we have to keep beating this drum.

It sounds to me like LaHood will be a mainstream-Washington sort of guy who will be effective at spending money and priming the pumps of transportation *industry*. He is not a policy guy – he plans to let states and regions decide what is best for themselves, not propose top-down ideas about what 21st transportation policy should look like or how it should be tied in to the environment or energy policy. Those thoughts were conspicuously absent from today’s press conference (yet again).

So, what that means is unless the states are already asking for money for lots of bike lanes and compact development and already oppposed to highway expansions, then we’re screwed. Obama could have picked someone who would have revolutionized transportation spending at the federal level, but he went the other way entirely, and I don’t know that Obama really is up to speed on any of this stuff to begin with.

Message to PEBHO: Put down your Doris Kearns Goodwin books and start reading some decent blogs, and get out of your SUV and ride the DC Metro every now and then.

I could not agree more– people talk about how dire things are then suggest improvements that will only have a small impact. It’s all about cities.

I putting my hopes in James Oberstar, not the Obama administration. Put Oberstar in the driver’s seat, let Lahood be the moderate secretary and Obama the president that lets it happen.

Keep dreaming. I’m not expecting much at this point… did he pick the Sec. of Urban Affairs yet?

For starters we’ve got to get progressives all on the same page– I knew a lot of “left leaning” folks who though congestion pricing was horrible, hated the idea of raising the gas tax, thought building more roads would decrease traffic… and other assorted nonsense.

I think we need to get more people on our side only then will the pols listen.

It’s quite simple. Obama doesn’t care about transit.

The green transportation groups need a gutsy, “bad cop” group which is not afraid to speak truth to power like the gay lobby or any of a dozen right wing interest groups. Bet you not one enviro or transpo reform group issued a statement expressing their profound disappointment in the LaHood pick. Combined with Obama’s Interior and Ag appointments, you have to seriously wonder if this administration has any interest in dealing with climate change.

LaHood is an unfortunate selection for DOT secretary, and it does imply that the Obama administration does not strongly believe in the connection between transportation and climate change. I think that by choosing not to announce the DOT position along with the Energy Secretary and EPA Administrator, Obama gives us a glimpse towards his views on transportation, reinforced by who he ultimately decided to nominate.

I think this is spot on. Obama’s advisors and perhaps some of the big enviros are missing a huge piece of the climate puzzle. And this certainly isn’t just about climate change; its about public health and quality of life. Biofuels and electric cars are not long-term solutions.

This week, it seems our first urban president in generations is striving to be the exurban president.

It annoys me how RPA and some like-minded planning folk speak as if planning thought is a stage of enlightenment that lesser beings have yet to attain. It’s implying that as people evolve, they eventually come to the same way of thinking as planners do – so that only after careful meditation they come to realize that the RPA way is the golden truth. Todorovich sounds like she’s from a cult.

Even though I agree with the substance of what she says, public statements from respected members of the field should not be framed in the manner that Todorovich has in this article. The condescension and tone is disturbing. In acting in this manner, you would only shut people out, anger the people who disagree with you, and never have a meaningful dialogue to come up with constructive solutions.

Planning history has taught us that planners have made mistakes, and that hindsight is 20/20. We should never be arrogant enough to say that there is only one way to solve a planning issue, and it would beneficial for us to approach problems with some humility.

With or without LaHood as the Secretary of Transportation, the type of tone that Todorovich has expressed in discussing future transportation matters is not going to get us anywhere.