{"id":25997,"date":"2023-04-17T11:59:57","date_gmt":"2023-04-17T18:59:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=25997"},"modified":"2023-04-17T11:59:59","modified_gmt":"2023-04-17T18:59:59","slug":"low-cost-high-quality-public-transportation-will-serve-the-public-better-than-free-rides","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2023\/04\/17\/low-cost-high-quality-public-transportation-will-serve-the-public-better-than-free-rides\/","title":{"rendered":"LOW-COST, HIGH-QUALITY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION WILL SERVE THE PUBLIC BETTER THAN FREE RIDES"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Nicholas<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By NICHOLAS DAGEN BLOOM<\/a> April 14, 2023 (DCReport.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Chicago's<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chicago\u2019s Washington-Wabash station opened in 2017 \u2013 the first new stop on the city\u2019s elevated rail system in 20 years. Photo: Chicago Transit Authority<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Public transit systems face daunting challenges across the U.S., from pandemic ridership losses to traffic congestion, fare evasion and pressure to keep rides affordable. In some cities, including Boston<\/a>, Kansas City<\/a> and Washington<\/a>, many elected officials and advocates see fare-free public transit as the solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Federal COVID-19 relief funds<\/a>, which have subsidized transit operations across the nation at an unprecedented level since 2020, offered a natural experiment in free-fare transit. Advocates applauded these changes and are now pushing to make fare-free bus lines<\/a> permanent<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But although these experiments aided low-income families and modestly boosted ridership<\/a>, they also created new political and economic challenges for beleaguered transit agencies. With ridership still dramatically below pre-pandemic levels<\/a> and temporary federal support expiring, transportation agencies face an economic and managerial \u201cdoom spiral<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Free public transit that doesn\u2019t bankrupt agencies would require a revolution in transit funding. In most regions, U.S. voters \u2013 85% of whom commute by automobile<\/a> \u2013 have resisted deep subsidies and expect fare collection to cover a portion of operating budgets. Studies also show that transit riders are likely to prefer better, low-cost service to free rides<\/a> on the substandard options that exist in much of the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Public
The KC Streetcar is a free two-mile route running along Main Street in downtown Kansas City, Mo. The city also offers free bus rides, but infrequent service is a concern.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why isn\u2019t transit free?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As I recount in my new book, \u201cThe Great American Transit Disaster<\/a>,\u201d mass transit in the U.S. was an unsubsidized, privately operated service for decades prior to the 1960s and 1970s. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, prosperous city dwellers used public transit to escape from overcrowded urban neighborhoods to more spacious \u201cstreetcar suburbs<\/a>.\u201d Commuting symbolized success for families with the income to pay the daily fare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These systems were self-financing: Transit company investors made their money in suburban real estate when rail lines opened up. They charged low fares to entice riders looking to buy land and homes. The most famous example was the Pacific Electric \u201cred car\u201d transit system in Los Angeles that Henry Huntingdon<\/a> built to transform his vast landholdings into profitable subdivisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, once streetcar suburbs were built out, these companies had no further incentive to provide excellent transit. Unhappy voters felt suckered into crummy commutes. In response, city officials retaliated against the powerful transit interests by taxing them heavily and charging them for street repairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, the introduction of mass-produced personal cars<\/a> created new competition for public transit. As autos gained popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, frustrated commuters swapped out riding for driving, and private transit companies like Pacific Electric began failing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=AwKv3_WwD4o%3Ffeature%3Doembed\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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