密歇根新闻广播 托莱多市长说城市的未来取决于公共交通

Once a week, the new mayor of Toledo gets to work by hopping¹ a city bus. Mayor Wade² Kapszukiewicz has promised to take a Toledo Area Regional Transit³ Authority bus to work once a week for his entire term. In doing so, he hopes to spark a conversation on public transportation, an issue critical to many Rust⁴ Belt cities trying to attract new residents and spur economic development.

Mayor Kapszukiewicz joined Stateside to talk about his resolution and the importance of public transportation to evolving cities.

"I am doing this to really facilitate a community conversation about public transportation. Our public transportation system in Toledo is not as robust⁵ as it needs to be. It's a system that has struggled in recent years, it's struggled to get its levy⁶ passed — it is supported in a number of ways, but not the least of which is a vote of the public. And I said to myself that maybe the best thing I could do is try to lead by example."

Public transit for everybody

"Right now, I worry that [public transportation] is only seen as a mode of transportation for those who are disadvantaged economically. Our [local newspaper] editorialized recently that TARTA needs to decide what it is. Is it a social service agency directed mainly toward the poor or is it a public transportation system that can lift folks of all demographic groups higher?"

The future of TARTA

"The cities that are going to win the future are those cities that figure out how to provide public transportation in a meaningful way."

"These dynamic companies that are helping⁷ to shape the future of our economy embrace public transportation and, in fact, demand it. Millennials demand it. And cities like ours, that struggle to find that mix when it comes to public transportation are going to struggle."

1 hopping   

n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The clubs in town are really hopping. 城里的俱乐部真够热闹的。
• I'm hopping over to Paris for the weekend. 我要去巴黎度周末。

2 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

3 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

4 rust   

n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退

参考例句：

• She scraped the rust off the kitchen knife.她擦掉了菜刀上的锈。
• The rain will rust the iron roof.雨水会使铁皮屋顶生锈。

5 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

6 levy   

n.征收税或其他款项，征收额

参考例句：

• They levy a tax on him.他们向他征税。
• A direct food levy was imposed by the local government.地方政府征收了食品税。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。