Transit Subsidies and the Case for Transportation Freedom

On November 14, 2019, Kim Monson welcomed a panel of experts to examine freedom versus force in housing and transportation policy. Real estate professional Karen Levine, mortgage specialist Lorne Levy, and transportation expert Randall O’Toole provided insights into market conditions and government overreach affecting everyday Coloradans.

Federal Overreach in Bicycle Safety Regulations

Start listening at 7:00 – Hour 1

Kim Monson opened the show discussing federal investigators recommending helmet requirements for all American cyclists. The National Transportation Safety Board approved new recommendations requiring cyclists to wear age-appropriate helmets, flouting advice from city planners who argue cycling becomes safer as more people ride bikes. Kim questioned where individual freedom fits into these bureaucratic decisions, noting the steady creep of government regulation into personal choices.

Colorado’s Housing Market Remains Strong

Start listening at 12:00 – Hour 1

Karen Levine presented October 2019 housing data from the Colorado Association of Realtors showing Metro Denver sales up 10% compared to October 2018. Year-over-year sales increased 5.5% metro-wide for single-family homes, with median prices continuing to climb. Levine highlighted a nationwide phenomenon: inventory shortage has become the new normal, with Colorado’s month supply of inventory down 14.3% from the previous year.

“The new normal is a shortage of inventory, and we see that to be true here in the state of Colorado when our month’s supply of inventory is down 14.3 percent from last year.”

Karen Levine, Remax Alliance

Reverse Mortgages as a Financial Strategy

Start listening at 15:00 – Hour 1

Lorne Levy explained how reverse mortgages can help seniors navigate Colorado’s challenging housing market. He described the reverse mortgage for purchase option, which allows homeowners 62 and older to leverage their existing equity to buy a more expensive home without monthly mortgage payments. The FHA-backed program provides protection for seniors while offering flexibility that traditional mortgages cannot match.

“A reverse mortgage may afford them the ability to buy a $500,000 home or a $550,000 home and still have no mortgage because the reverse will come in and pay for the rest of the mortgage.”

Lorne Levy, Polygon Financial

Transportation Policy and the Freedom to Drive

Start listening at 30:00 – Hour 1

Randall O’Toole challenged the narrative that Coloradans want more transit. The Cato Institute transportation expert argued that not a single transit system in Colorado generates fewer greenhouse gases per passenger mile than the average automobile. O’Toole exposed how planners use congestion and parking restrictions as tools to force people out of their cars and onto empty buses and trains that cost taxpayers hundreds of millions in subsidies.

“On a per-passenger-mile basis, if you want to generate fewer greenhouse gases, you get people out of transit and you get them into cars. Cars are the green form of transportation in Colorado, not transit, not trains, not buses.”

Randall O’Toole, Cato Institute

Congestion Pricing and Market Solutions

Start listening at 40:00 – Hour 1

O’Toole proposed mileage-based user fees as an alternative to gas taxes, arguing that true congestion pricing could double road capacity by moderating demand. He warned that anti-automobile advocates have co-opted the term “congestion pricing” to mean charging flat fees regardless of traffic conditions, then funneling the revenue to transit agencies. Kim expressed skepticism about potential government abuse but acknowledged the market-based logic of charging more for services that cost more to provide.

“Roads are one of the few things, if not the only thing, that if we can eliminate congestion, we can actually increase their capacity. When a road is congested, it can only move half as many cars per hour as when it’s uncongested.”

Randall O’Toole, Cato Institute