The so called congestion pricing plan. The new Baltimore red line will run on light rail transit. We truly will connect our communities and supercharge our recovery buses, ferries rails and trains, public transportation helps connect our cities. Many of the most well known systems have been characterized by disruptions, delays and *** lack of safety with public transit announcements happening across the country. These changes and plans for improvement beg the question, can we really improve public transportation? And if so how after the pandemic, public transportation ridership was hit hard as people stopped going to work and school, the roads and mass transit systems cleared out now with *** large portion of riders lost in the shift to hybrid work. Public transportation is still seeing the effects systems that care lots of people into those big job centers now are struggling to get those passengers back because even if they start riding again, they're riding two days *** week instead of five days *** week, they're also more likely to drive in because if they're only going in one or two days *** week, they might be willing to pay for parking and forego transit altogether. Americans usage and reliance on cars. Dates decades before the pandemic within the history of the US. Automobile industry lies an explanation to the current state of our public transportation. The United States was *** pioneer in mass production of automobiles paired to the mass production of automobiles in the United States was *** complete abandonment of the what was then private mass transit industry. It wasn't until the 19 sixties and seventies that the government in most American cities got involved in the transit business. And by then most transit companies had gone bankrupt as cities expanded and modernized car usage became the priority. We have underwritten the cost of driving. So then we say, gosh, we've built lots of wide streets and we've built freeways and we've made sure there's plenty of free parking at every destination. Why are people driving so much? There's *** lot of advantages for the individual traveler. But when everybody starts using at the same time, that's when problems resolve public transit is really good at moving *** lot of people in the same direction at the same time. Now cities are seeking to modernize their systems and routes to not only improve efficiency but to gain riders back from the pandemic. We have uh route 91 is running like it did in 1859 but folks have moved uh and not just after the pandemic, people live in different places, they want to travel to different places. We can reboot this network to be where folks want to get. Now as opposed to where they used to want to get. Boston just extended *** pilot program offering free bus rides on three lines. COVID relief funds from the state of Massachusetts finance these rides. But *** project like this brings up the important question. Where does funding come from to improve public transportation? Baltimore just announced *** new light rail project that is partially funded by the Department of Transportation's rail vehicle replacement program. Transportation officials estimate the system will cost anywhere between 3 to $7 billion. The state of Maryland is also providing $90 million in matching funds and allocating $127.6 million in federal funds. There is *** saying in the transit industry is that once you've seen one transit agency's budget, you've seen one transit agency's budget, this project and many others demonstrate that funding can come from an amalgam of sources like taxes, grants and *** mix of local state and federal funds. But without *** clear source, this can leave local governments to get creative when finding the means for transit improvement, such as congestion tolls in New York City that would have had drivers paying $15 to get into parts of Manhattan and raised billions for the MT ***. But the governor nixed it just weeks before it was set to go into effect. It really is sort of unusual for *** government operation to have such varied sources of funding. When improving transportation funding is used to pay the workers and buy the materials in order to provide maintenance, build new routes and modernize service. But before it can do that, other factors come into play in L *** for example, where they have the largest transportation development program in the US. Politics pose an issue in deciding where stations go to appease higher income taxpayers. Generally speaking, some politicians are more pro transit than others, which means the success of initiatives that fund and improve transit can be impacted by who's in office. But L *** is also an example of how the money can come and yet riders don't safety remains *** large concern for potential riders. One of the things that happened in the pandemic is there were suddenly *** lot fewer riders on systems and as *** result, there was *** feeling of less safety during the pandemic. There were *** lot of homeless people riding on mass transit that made people feel uncomfortable. Transit isn't isolated from society's larger problems. If you don't have *** shelter system that can accommodate people, people will use anything. They can find that many American transit operators are now investing in greater public safety. But just like how the problems of society intersect with public transportation. So do the benefits. We know that when we invest in service, not only do riders take the system, we have less cars on the road, less congestion better air quality and we can businesses, public transportation can connect people from their homes to schools, services and places of work, which means more jobs, more business and economic growth. And with less cars on the road, it can help to reduce our carbon footprint. So what does the future of public transportation look like that will depend on how we continue to build our cities where we put our dollars and the attitudes writers and voters have about transit, maybe even before we build the transit, we have to rebuild the values in American society that says it's not ok. That just because you live in this particular neighborhood suburb that your transportation commute takes two hours instead of 25 minutes or half an hour that's not acceptable in *** modern industrialized society. One thing is for certain, for public transportation to improve, it will need support in dollars votes. And of course riders.
Experts say modernizing public transit can improve traffic congestion, boost the economy
As ambitious improvement projects are announced across the U.S., Clarified take a closer look at how public transportation gets improved and what that means for you
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Updated: 7:46 AM PDT Sep 24, 2024
Millions of Americans rely on public transportation every day. However, the infrastructure is aging and calls for improvement are increasing. Is it possible for the U.S. to improve its public transportation?States across the country are looking to address concerns in a number of ways. The New Jersey Transit raised its fares for the first time in a decade, Baltimore announced a new light rail project, and Boston hopes to offer free bus rides until 2026. However, not all states are progressing at the same rate. Let's take a look at the factors and potential roadblocks involved with improving public transit systems: FundingThe Federal Transit Administration states that “financing the construction, operation and maintenance of public transportation systems involves many different types of funding sources, including federal and non-federal grants, cooperative agreements, loans, and revenue sources.” Essentially, cities can use things like taxpayer dollars, money from the state, federal grants, or their own funding programs to finance these projects. Many cities opt for things like a tax or an increase in fares. In June of 2024, New York City laid out a plan for congestion tolls, which would have collected thousands of dollars each day from cars going into Manhattan. The money would have been put toward improving the subway system: extending platforms, making stations accessible, track maintenance and more. However, New York City Gov. Kathy Hochul paused the installation of these tolls and plans for subway renovations were forced to be minimized. Overall, finding the funding for projects can be difficult, but it’s not necessarily a smooth ride to improvement once the money is secured. PoliticsLos Angeles, for example, has the largest transportation development program in the US. However, politics poses an issue. According to Ethan Elkins, UC Berkeley professor and author of "Railtown," due to where taxes and funding come from, stations are being placed in areas where they may not be as heavily used. Meanwhile, those from lower-income communities are worried about gentrification, and those from wealthier areas have concerns about decreasing property value. Altogether, many voices can be at play before urban planners can make decisions. Ridership and Safety ConcernsHowever, Los Angeles and other cities, such as Boston, Dallas, and Orlando, continue to deal with a pivotal issue: low ridership. Safety continues to play a large role in determining that ridership. For cities like Boston, riders have been concerned due to the old and worn system. Meanwhile, other cities have experienced rider concerns due to high-profile crimes happening in stations. Based on a report from Los Angeles' Metro System, at the beginning of this year, crime had increased by 65% compared to last year. Part of what contributes to this is the small reach of stations across cities, which leaves them empty and eerie. The explanation for this lies in the history of public transportation and car ownership in the U.S. After World War II, the cost of automobiles decreased, and families flocked to get one of their own. Meanwhile, the government stopped heavily funding public transportation. Suburban sprawl spread out homes, and more people relied on their cars as a result. Now, the U.S. can still see the effects of this sprawl and defunding. According to the LA Metro's official news source, The Source, Los Angeles has made an effort to mitigate this issue via plans to build homes on Metro property near stations to encourage usage of the system. Putting it all togetherIn all, public transportation can improve in the U.S., but it might take some time. The success of systems depends on how cities are built, the funding available, and the culture surrounding the usage of public transportation. When all things come together, those buses and light rails have the power to move large amounts of people, reduce our carbon footprint, and decrease the cost of travel to work, school, and home. Large-scale change might not necessarily be tomorrow, but with improvements forthcoming across the US, change is en route.
Millions of Americans rely on public transportation every day. However, the infrastructure is aging and calls for improvement are increasing. Is it possible for the U.S. to improve its public transportation?
States across the country are looking to address concerns in a number of ways. The New Jersey Transit raised its fares for the first time in a decade, Baltimore announced a new light rail project, and Boston hopes to offer free bus rides until 2026. However, not all states are progressing at the same rate.
Let's take a look at the factors and potential roadblocks involved with improving public transit systems:
Funding
The Federal Transit Administration states that “financing the construction, operation and maintenance of public transportation systems involves many different types of funding sources, including federal and non-federal grants, cooperative agreements, loans, and revenue sources.” Essentially, cities can use things like taxpayer dollars, money from the state, federal grants, or their own funding programs to finance these projects. Many cities opt for things like a tax or an increase in fares. In June of 2024, New York City laid out a plan for congestion tolls, which would have collected thousands of dollars each day from cars going into Manhattan. The money would have been put toward improving the subway system: extending platforms, making stations accessible, track maintenance and more. However, New York City Gov. Kathy Hochul paused the installation of these tolls and plans for subway renovations were forced to be minimized. Overall, finding the funding for projects can be difficult, but it’s not necessarily a smooth ride to improvement once the money is secured.
Politics
Los Angeles, for example, has the largest transportation development program in the US. However, politics poses an issue. According to Ethan Elkins, UC Berkeley professor and author of "Railtown," due to where taxes and funding come from, stations are being placed in areas where they may not be as heavily used. Meanwhile, those from lower-income communities are worried about gentrification, and those from wealthier areas have concerns about decreasing property value. Altogether, many voices can be at play before urban planners can make decisions.
Ridership and Safety Concerns
However, Los Angeles and other cities, such as Boston, Dallas, and Orlando, continue to deal with a pivotal issue: low ridership. Safety continues to play a large role in determining that ridership. For cities like Boston, riders have been concerned due to the old and worn system. Meanwhile, other cities have experienced rider concerns due to high-profile crimes happening in stations. Based on a report from Los Angeles' Metro System, at the beginning of this year, crime had increased by 65% compared to last year. Part of what contributes to this is the small reach of stations across cities, which leaves them empty and eerie.
The explanation for this lies in the history of public transportation and car ownership in the U.S. After World War II, the cost of automobiles decreased, and families flocked to get one of their own. Meanwhile, the government stopped heavily funding public transportation. Suburban sprawl spread out homes, and more people relied on their cars as a result. Now, the U.S. can still see the effects of this sprawl and defunding. According to the LA Metro's official news source, The Source, Los Angeles has made an effort to mitigate this issue via plans to build homes on Metro property near stations to encourage usage of the system.
Putting it all together
In all, public transportation can improve in the U.S., but it might take some time. The success of systems depends on how cities are built, the funding available, and the culture surrounding the usage of public transportation. When all things come together, those buses and light rails have the power to move large amounts of people, reduce our carbon footprint, and decrease the cost of travel to work, school, and home. Large-scale change might not necessarily be tomorrow, but with improvements forthcoming across the US, change is en route.
