Public-Private Transit on the right track?

The Triangle's on-again, off-again commuter line gained a new hope as administrators decided to apply for a new FTA program to test whether public-private partnerships could build transit faster and cheaper than all-public projects.

Seems like an obvious attempt by the Bushies to throw more money into corporate hands, which is their favorite thing to do next to blowing up Middle Eastern countries and fucking up disaster responses, but in this case I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Some of the earliest transit systems in the country were privately owned, or at least started that way. I'm not going to bother looking this up again to confirm it, but I remember reading that the T in Boston started as at least a quasi-private venture, as did some early subway lines in New York. I know for certain that the streetcars that used to serve Dilworth in Charlotte were built and run by the same company that developed the neighborhood. The precendent certainly exists.

So, let's give it a shot. If these partnerships are succesful, it means a chance to build more transit faster and with lower costs.

If they don't work out any better than solely public projects, the Triangle at least gets something built.