Steve Francks, CEO of the Washington Realtors, has a thought-provoking op-ed in today's Seattle Times. The lack of affordable housing near job centers puts a lot of people on the road for hours a day. A Realtor once explained it to me by saying, "buyers drive 'til they qualify."
Here's Steve's thought:
The price for ignoring the relationships among transportation, employment and housing needs is degradation of transportation, environmental and economic resources, which threatens everyone's quality of life. While policymakers struggle to find a way to pay for more roads, poor growth planning is forcing more middle-income families onto the highways, where they suffer long commutes to live in a home that fits the family and the budget.
By thinking and planning more precisely and more creatively, we can get commuters off the roads and back into the communities where they work and, by all rights, should be able to afford to live.
It's a good commentary. Read the whole thing.
