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Why Public Transit Deserves Our Support

By Lester Hoel

The strength of cities has been tied to transportation since the dawn of civilization. Whether a protected ocean harbor or the convergence of trade routes in the desert, physical access and the availability of transportation facilities have exerted a powerful influence on a city’s economy, social fabric, and culture. Even today, cities and countries without good transportation systems are at an economic disadvantage.

The key challenge of urban transportation systems is congestion — too many vehicles and too little space. This phenomenon is not new: Julius Caesar had to deal with the problem; he banned wheeled traffic from the center of Rome.

Congestion is linked to several inescapable factors of modern life: urbanization, which concentrates people and activities; industrialization, which creates a separation and specialization of activities at home and work; and the difficulties arising from a constant supply of transportation infrastructure (roads and transit lines) serving a variable demand, the "peak hour," which leads to rush-hour traffic.

In the 20th century, there were urban transportation problems of crisis proportions. One of these was the railroad industry’s abandonment of much of their commuter rail service in the 1950s as an unprofitable business. Although there was still considerable demand, America’s growing love affair with cars and the freedom they promised was proving a formidable competitor. Later, with construction of the urban portions of the national interstate highway system, transit demand would lag even further. Big city mayors, fearful of the economic disruption, the added traffic burden, and the need to support a viable public transportation service, lobbied the federal government to support public transit in urban areas.

Recognizing transit as an essential city service that should not be held captive to the whims of the marketplace, the federal government in 1961 provided funds for capital investments in public transit. In 1967 the U.S. Department of Transportation and a key division, the Urban Mass Transit Administration, later renamed the Federal Transit Administration, were formed. Today, urban transportation is less crisis driven, yet constantly in the news. It ranks high among local concerns and often is a hot-button, political issue.

In suburbs, exurbs, and smaller cities, where the demand is less concentrated, highway gridlock has become a problem. But building more and bigger highways isn’t always the answer, because such improvements may stimulate demand and add to the traffic. Most transportation planners agree that we can’t build our way out of congestion.

Instead, cities need integrated transportation networks that bring together trains, buses, planes, automobiles, and perhaps ferries in a system that produces reliable, safe, and congestion-free travel. They need to provide transportation to residents who cannot drive automobiles, whether due to age, income, or health. Serving these groups provides a strong rationale for supporting public transit.

Other reasons include grappling with the regional environmental impact and land-use concerns relating to ever-expanding automobile use in the surrounding suburbs and exurbs. Urban planners are trying to incorporate stronger public transit systems into livable city designs, using principles of "smart growth" to keep cities attractive and accessible while providing thoughtful opportunities for transportation choices.

Public transit is even more vital to urban health and welfare in the 21st century. It offers increased travel choices through a redundant system not reliant solely on the automobile; mobility for all citizens, and special services for the elderly and handicapped; conservation of urban space devoted to transportation through reduced traffic congestion and limited need for parking space; and economic benefits to society from the reduced per-trip cost in many situations. City centers cannot survive without public transit, now or in the future.

Mass transit provides options responsive to local needs and the political process. It can strengthen the central core of large cities and serve as a backup system. It can conserve energy and space. In partnership with other modes of transportation, it can serve both urban and rural groups that would otherwise have diminished mobility and accessibility to city jobs and cultural life.

Public transit deserves our continued support!

Lester Hoel is the L.A. Lacy Distinguished Professor of Engineering at the University of Virginia. An expert in the planning and design of surface transportation systems, he is co-editor of the noted textbook, Public Transportation, and co-author of the widely used textbook Traffic and Highway Engineering.

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