It's time that the city embrace the idea of a real mass transit system. It's time that Alabama has a truly effective system. Systems in Birmingham don't work well and the one that Tuscaloosa has isn't as effective as it should be.

- Rapid Bus Transit. Similar to light rail except you have buses moving along "tracks" instead of trains. Plus you have the potential to turn the bus lanes into rail lines in the future.

- Light rail. This is expensive but it can be very effective. Connecting campus to popular places in town like downtown and University Mall could improve traffic and economic activity.

- An extensive bus system. It's effective. A simple, easy to understand, bus system that covers the city and allows people to traverse the city w/o the stress of traffic.

Mass transit isn't an outlandish, evil or stupid as many people seem to believe it is. It improves economic activity and transports people safely and effectively.

Also, constructing a modern mass transit system puts us ahead of other cities when it comes to future economic growth and prosperity. Many cities the size of Tuscaloosa don't have adequate mass transit system.

Creating a quality system in Tuscaloosa would be just another way to show to businesses, industries, and future students/residents that we want them to come to our city and contribute intellectually and monetarily.

Instead of expanding congested roads we should look at what actually causes the problem. Our problem is having too many people traveling through narrow corridors, and we need to create a method that transports these people through the corridors in an efficient fashion. It helps solve traffic problems and facilitates economic growth in tornado affected areas.

PS: I strongly encourage you to watch the video of a proposal in Birmingham. Bus Rapid Transit is cheaper than light rail, but it's infrastructure can be a precursor for light rail, and is more appropriate for a city our size