Downtown San Mateo Is a Monument to Insider Self-Dealing
The article discusses the historical and ongoing issues of insider self-dealing in transit planning, particularly in San Mateo. It highlights how decisions made by individuals with vested interests can shape the development of transit systems, often benefiting landowners over riders. The author argues for a more equitable funding approach that captures the value generated by transit for landowners.
- ▪Charles Polhemus, a real estate speculator, influenced the location of the San Mateo train station to benefit his own land holdings in the 1860s.
- ▪Transit planning often results in decisions that favor landowners near stations rather than the actual riders who use the service.
- ▪The proposed funding for Caltrain relies on a regressive sales tax, disproportionately affecting low-income households while benefiting nearby landowners.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Max MautnerWorksAboutSubscribe (function(){var toggle=document.getElementById('darkModeToggle');var root=document.documentElement;function setTheme(dark){root.setAttribute('data-theme',dark?'dark':'light');localStorage.setItem('theme',dark?'dark':'light');}var saved=localStorage.getItem('theme');if(saved){root.setAttribute('data-theme',saved);}else if(window.matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)').matches){root.setAttribute('data-theme','dark');}toggle.addEventListener('click',function(){var isDark=root.getAttribute('data-theme')==='dark';setTheme(!isDark);});})();Downtown San Mateo Is a Monument to Insider Self-DealingIn 1862, the San Francisco & San Jose Rail Road needed to decide where to cross San Mateo Creek as it laid train tracks down the Peninsula.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Max Mautner.
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