The Trump Administration as transit troll

I have been reading a bunch of books about the genesis of Broken Windows policing theory as implemented in New York City.  Jack Maple (The Crime Fighter: Putting the Bad Guys Out of Business) makes the point that regardless of the success of crime suppression programs, there will always be high profile incidents.

These incidents support the perception of crime ridden streets and the need to be fearful, even when the counter case is so strong.

This comes up because a couple weeks ago, after a killing on the Charlotte, NC light rail system ("Deadly stabbing on Charlotte train highlights America's transit safety challenges," ABC11), the Trump Administration used this event as an excuse to suggest defunding transit ("Trump Admin Issues New Threat After Charlotte Train Killing," Newsweek).

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, “Safety needs to be the top priority of elected officials. Citizens don’t want federal dollars going to public transportation that local leaders refuse to keep safe!”

-- "Trump Admin To Redirect $2.4 Billion From California's High-Speed Rail Project To National Rail Program," Benzinga 
-- "How the Trump administration is targeting green transportation in blue states," Grist
-- "Trump Grant Program Pours Money Into Roads, Mostly Ignores Transit Projects," Streetsblog USA
-- "Trump administration threatens to pull New York transit funds as it questions anti-crime efforts," AP
-- "Everyone to Congress: Stand Up and Fight for the Infrastructure Funding You Allocated (And Your Constituents Need)," Streetsblog USA
-- "Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration’s new transit and homelessness grant conditions," AP

The fact is, transit is safer than driving ("We Need a Reality Check on Crime, Safety and Transit," "New York City’s Subway Is Actually Safer Than Your Car," Bloomberg).  

An article in the Washington Post, "845,000 dead on U.S. highways. Why not address the main cause?," makes the point that almost 40,000 people die each year from motor vehicle accidents, while many more are injured, some severely.  From the article:

Approximately 94 percent of car crashes involve some form of driver behavior like speeding, distraction, failing to yield or DUI identified as a contributing factor, although this doesn’t mean the driver is always solely responsible — bad roads, confusing or obscured signage, wildlife darting into the road, mechanical failures and other factors play their part, too.

Why aren't there calls to stop producing automobiles, close down roads and make everyone walk?  Also see the Detroit News article, "Efforts to lower pedestrian fatalities in Pontiac 'made an impact,' sheriff says":

Sheriff Mike Bouchard on Sept. 5 ordered a patrol increase in "hot spots" for these types of collisions in Pontiac. His order was in response to a string of seven hit-and-run crashes that caused serious injury or death in the city this year.

Over the following two weeks, sheriff's deputies issued 78 warnings to people crossing streets in designated no-crossing zones and issued 116 citations for violations including speeding and texting while driving. The sheriff's office crash reconstruction unit also had no calls in Pontiac in that time, according to a news release.

"Our traffic unit did a great job stepping up enforcement in areas with multiple pedestrian accidents,” Bouchard said. “Their focus on both pedestrian and driver behavior clearly made an impact.”

Similarly, many opponents to bicycle trails say it will increase crime.  It's true, it does at the margins, because increasing access to places leads to some criminal activity.  

But the use of cars in the commission of crimes on a daily basis is more than the use of bikes--although some intrepid criminals realize the value of bike access to committing crime.  From the Post:

In one of the five reported robberies, police said six juveniles on red Capital Bikeshare bicycles carried out a holdup early Sunday in the 1100 block of Third Street SW. One of the youths had a gun, police said.

just as police departments realize bike-based cops can go places cars cannot ("The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Bicycle Police"), similarly with bike-based EMS crews for special events ("How to start a bike medic team," EMS1).  

Plus cars problem double as they are often "the victims" of crime (Preventing Car Crimes, Urban Institute).