Here’s an environmental and economic conundrum for you. Public transportation systems all over the United States are raising fares, reducing services and laying off employees en masse—just when ridership is at an all-time high in most places. Some officials are calling it the “transit paradox.”
The problem, according to a New York Times article, is that the money transit commuters pay for tickets or drop in the fare box is less than half—sometimes as little as one-fifth—of the revenue needed to keep those trains and buses running. At the same time, the recession is eroding the tax support many public transportation systems depend on for the majority of their operating costs.
Congressional Transit Spending Won't Keep the Trains Running
The feds aren’t doing much to help, either. The billions of dollars that Congress plans to spend on mass transit as part of the stimulus package won’t help struggling systems solve their immediate financial problems. Why? Because the transit money in the stimulus bill is aimed at capital projects—from buying new equipment to building or repairing tracks and stations—and not at routine operating costs.
Although some lawmakers proposed helping public transit systems pay their operating costs until the economy improves, thereby preventing mass layoffs and severe service cuts that could further undermine the economy, that money was not included in the latest version of the stimulus bill.
Public Transportation the Only Choice for Many Workers
Ensuring the availability of efficient public transit systems is not simply a matter of offering people a better transportation choice or making commuting more convenient. For many people—especially low-income workers—riding the bus or subway is the only way they can get to their jobs. If that option goes away, so does their income. And more lost jobs will deepen the recession, reduce tax revenues even further, and place additional strain on public services that are already stretched too thin.
At the other end of the spectrum, many commuters faced with escalating gasoline prices in 2008 rediscovered the many benefits of taking the bus, train or subway:
- Families that use public transportation can reduce their household expenses by $6,200 annually, according to a study by the American Public Transportation Association. That’s more than the average U.S. household spends on food every year.
- Using public transportation also conserves energy, by reducing the amount of fuel needed to transport each individual passenger.
- Research has shown that people who use public transportation are healthier as a group than people who don’t, because walking to and from bus stops and subway stations is a regular part of their daily commute.
- Taking the bus is also safer than driving or riding in a car—79 times safer according to some studies—and riding a train or subway is even safer.
Mass transit remains a sound economic and environmental transportation option, especially during a recession when so many jobs are on the line. Federal, state and local governments as well as employers nationwide, should be doing all they can to maintain an efficient public transportation network.
Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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Comments
Don’t know about the rest of the country, but in Chicago,that “operating costs” translates to exorbitant salaries to union workers. Driving a bus takes little skill or training. It should be a part-time job for students or a second job for others, but here, the unions have screwed the public into making it a well-paying “carrier”. At $2/ ride, one can maintain a beater car and have the convienience of its use instead of reyling on public trans. The very people who need to rely on cheap trans are being hurt by greedy unions & beholden politicians.
Public trans needs to be made so cheap that one cannot pass it up, like it was in the “old days”.
This is a very informative article. Sounds like this Transit Paradox has the impetus to further the economic recession.
I have always heard people complain that transit it too expensive. In my city, the rate just went up to $3.
A bus alone can cost $700,000, and stretch buses over a million! The quote below signifies that often, $3 each doesn’t add up to the costs of meeting service demand, and increased ridership.
“the money transit commuters pay for tickets or drop in the fare box is less than half—sometimes as little as one-fifth—of the revenue needed to keep those trains and buses running”
9Feb09
Good for you mister ‘ guido. ‘
..and now you lead the way and take a cut
in your salary.
…but FIRST go after Al Gore and his ilk
that have loaded up their bank accounts
on the backs of the young and foolish.
In addition, walk a poster in front of
Madoff’s super-suite to let this thief, liar,
and criminal know that he should get the
chair…..and his lawyer should be sentenced
to ‘ hold his hand. ‘
Forever and Ever
Bob Loblah