A recent article in The Guardian described the “death spiral” looming for public transit in the United States. Country-wide, the pandemic has resulted in a 90% drop in ridership. This has led to cuts in services—which means even less ridership—and higher fares to make up for lost revenue. Higher fares lead to fewer riders…which means more higher fares, more cuts in services, or both. And so on. You see where this is going.
To save public transit, Congress may have to fill a $32 billion funding gap...but no funding package currently exists. Transportation advocates also warn that cuts in services exacerbate a “mobility crisis” that already existed for our cities’ most vulnerable people.
This article prompted a lively conversation on this week’s episode of Upzoned, with host Abby Kinney—an urban planner in Kansas City—and cohost Chuck Marohn, president of Strong Towns. Abby and Chuck discuss why the mortal danger facing public transit was always going to be an option when you overlay a dysfunctional transportation system on a dysfunctional land-use pattern, why public transit is a long-term investment in people, and how the U.S. subsidizes automobiles too. They also discuss whether making the “compassionate argument” may unintentionally undermine transit advocates’ case for public transportation.
Additional Show NotesPublic transit faces 'death spiral' without $32bn injection from Congress, by Miranda Bryant
Abby Kinney (Twitter)
Charles Marohn (Twitter)
Gould Evans Studio for City Design
Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom (Soundcloud)
Some recent Strong Towns articles on public transit
“The Only Thing More Expensive Than Saving Transit is Not Saving Transit,” by Daniel Herriges
“In Transportation Costs, ‘It's the System, Stupid,’” by Daniel Herriges
“What the Left Gets Wrong about Public Transportation” (Podcast)
“Transit’s Chicken & Egg Fallacy,” by Chuck Marohn
“Why Development-Oriented Transit is better than Transit-Oriented Development,” by Rachel Quednau
Smart Cities: "Are we creating solutions looking for problems?"
Is Your City Willing to Be Flexible So Small Businesses Can Survive?
COVID-19 Is Teaching Us How to Fix Our Traffic Problem. Are We Listening?
What Types of Places Might See a Post-Pandemic Renaissance? It Won't Be the Suburbs.
When Will Your City Feel the Fiscal Impact of COVID-19?
What Happens When a Third of U.S. Tenants Don’t Pay Rent?
“The Worst Possible Thing We Can Do With This Money”
Bicycles Shine During a Pandemic
How the Coronavirus Is Exposing the Fragility of Our Economy
"The Worst Planning Mistake in Minneapolis History"
Should Mayors Be Visionaries?
Will Kansas City Actually Offer Free Transit? Should It?
Why Housing Is “The Wickedest of Wicked Problems”
Closing the Doors on the "Bad Party" in Lake Wylie, South Carolina
Upzoned Live in Santa Ana
SoCal Is So Addicted to Cars. Should They Get Rid of Parking Minimums Anyway?
Can we make California wildfires less destructive by changing the way we build?
Live Episode: Minneapolis ended single-family-only zoning. Do the new guidelines go too far, not far enough, or are they just right (for now)?
The real reason why Bill Gates' and Jeff Bezos' posh suburb is going broke
Why is the "Miracle on 14th Street" Bus Rapid Transit Line Such a Miracle?
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