Subway Buildout Unlocks Housing

A focused capital expansion of subway lines (instead of recurring fare subsidies) can enlarge the effective housing market by shrinking commute times, raising land values near new stations, and incentivizing denser development farther out. A targeted multi‑decade program with explicit cost and station targets (the Marron 'Better Billion' plan: 41 miles, 64 stations, 167,000 units, $48B) makes the connection concrete and politically actionable. — This reframes transit policy from a recurring‑cost equity gesture into a long‑term supply‑side housing and economic strategy, forcing voters and officials to weigh operating‑cost politics against capital investment that changes land value and housing availability.