A study a few years ago by noted conservative and transit expert Paul Weyrich determined that when transit becomes truly competitive with highways, it does very well. Some people like to cite figures showing that few daily commuters — about 1 or 2 percent — actually ride transit, but the study showed that, at the time it was written, only slightly less than 30 percent of Americans had a quality transit system available to them. Among those people, ridership was high, similar to the levels seen in the early 20th century when trolleys were everywhere in urban centers.

Then, as now, people tend to ride in large numbers to sporting events or other entertainment. They choose transit for short trips or to get to work. Rail systems spur economic development and increase property values. Freeways drive down nearby home prices.

The reason people drive cars so much today has little to do with market choices. Government made a conscious decision during the last century to subsidize highways and force transit companies out of business.

Of course we need to keep subsidizing cars through highway construction. But we need to subsidize transit, as well. If one of government's legitimate functions is to provide the infrastructure to help commerce thrive, this makes sense. It even makes sense from a conservative point of view.

Getting everyone else in the gallery to hold their thumbs up and see it the same way, however, isn't easy.

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Jay Evensen is editor of the Deseret Morning News editorial page. E-mail: even@desnews.com