IP-2-89 (February 1989)
Author: Rex Reed

PDF of full Issue Paper
Scribd version of full Issue Paper

Introduction: Riding on other people’s money

Rapid, efficient movement of people and goods is fundamental to the vitality and prosperity of any metropolitan area, Metro Denver faces growing pains as it seeks to modernize an overcrowded transportation system so that mobility is more nearly equal for everyone and costs are more directly allocated to users.

Policy analyst Rex Reed argues that the dozens of political units comprising Colorado’s state capital region can best achieve that objective by a) looking beyond narrow self-interest to seize cooperative advantage and b) harnessing the revenue capacity of individuals’ preference for the automobile to help finance bus and rail routes into the car-choked urban core.