Editor’s Notebook: ‘Good Policy is Good Politics’

This past November, I attended the California Transit Association’s 60th Annual Conference where Pete Buttigieg, immediate past secretary of transportation, was the keynote speaker. After his nearly two-hour time on stage addressing an audience of nearly 1,000 people, I walked away with a central theme. Regardless of whether you agree with the political party he represents, attendees found him to be a compelling speaker that reminded us of a meaningful message in a time of deep polarization: “Good policy is good politics, especially in transportation.” 

His point, that sound policy can cut through political noise, wasn’t just political theater. We saw this come to fruition in November’s general election, where transit ballot measures had a success rate of over 80%. Yet, again, voters across the country—from Albuquerque, N.M., to Mecklenburg County, N.C.—saw the value of investing in transit services for their communities. Albuquerque voters approved to issue $1.63 million in general obligation bonds to support acquiring transit property, vehicles, equipment and facilities. Mecklenburg County agreed to implement a one-cent sales tax increase that will raise nearly $20 billion in the region over the next 30 years, of which 60% will go towards transit. In all, 13 of 16 transit measures passed, equating to over $11.6 billion in investments funneling into transit. 

These results demonstrate that practical, community-driven transportation policy resonates with voters—regardless of any political affiliation. This inspires me to have an optimistic outlook. At a time where there’s a swirling of stories focused on transit opposition, it’s still possible to cut through this narrative with policy that makes sense and leads to investments reflective of community needs.  

We should challenge ourselves to remain grounded in the progress we can control. The municipalities from this past election cycle focused on policy levers within reach. Towns, cities, counties and states have the power to set their own priorities. Or as Buttigieg puts it, tackle what can be tackled at the local level.  

California’s approach to lowering carbon emissions is a great example of this. The state decided that setting a carbon reduction goal is good policy, so its legislature approaches climate-related action as good politics. This was seen in the signing of Assembly Bill 1207 and Senate Bill 840 in September, which extended the state’s cap-and-trade program, now called Cap-and-Invest. California is embracing Buttigieg’s advice: Don’t wait for Washington. Challenge Washington to catch up to you. 

As an industry, we should embrace this same mindset as we begin to work on the next transportation authorization bill—shaping policy first and challenging Washington to meet us there. Yes, it can be true that we’ve been living through changes that have been made with the force of a tunnel boring machine and at the speed of a maglev train, but this is why grounding ourselves in good policy matters. If we pause to take in our surroundings, we may find a landscape that’s not only ripe for new infrastructure but ready for policy that makes political sense because it meets real needs. Why go back to the way it was if we have the chance to experiment with something new?  

Feeling overwhelmed while you’re trying to process sweeping change is real, but let’s be careful not to cross the line into rumination. Instead, focus on evaluating ideas and proposals on their merits rather than which side of the aisle it comes from. If a policy moves transit forward, it’s worth supporting.  

When we adopt this mindset, it’s exciting to think about how we will tackle today’s biggest challenges. If the decisions we make now are rooted in good policy, then the solutions ahead may go down in history. With this in mind, I have hope that Buttigieg’s concluding remarks will ring true.  

“These moments will one day be romanticized.”