Quigley doubles down on bus rapid transit

The Albuquerque Journal’s Winthrop Quigley struck again this morning with a follow-up article on the City of Albuquerque’s proposed bus rapid transit system. Apparently I wasn’t the only reader who reacted negatively to his original piece, but rather than contemplating his point of view further, he simply doubled-down on his support.

Notably, after two columns, Quigley has still not even made the argument that BRT will improve mobility in the Central corridor. It’s all about “redevelopment” and making Albuquerque “hip” in order to attract young people. Contrary to Quigley’s point, spread out cities can be attractive to young people. I don’t hear Phoenix, Las Vegas, Dallas, or Houston complaining that they can’t attract young people. In fact people are leaving New Mexico to take well-paying JOBS in those cities. Quigley just doesn’t get it.

There’s a heaping helping of disinformation throughout the piece, but what really ticks me off is the last line when he rights “Berry, Benton, UNM, CNM and others are trying to create an environment in which a new economy can develop organically. If anyone else has a better idea, he or she has been awfully quiet.”

I’m not sure if Mr. Quigley reads his own newspaper, but the Rio Grande Foundation definitely has proposed alternative ideas to the failed liberal consensus that has controlled public policies in this state for most of its history. And, according to some liberals, we have done too good a job.