Stranded at the Station: The Impact of the Financial Crisis in Public Transportation

Source: Transportation for America and Transportation Equity Network, August 2009

With both the demand and the pay-of so high, now would seem to be the time to build on this success and expand transit options, yet the opposite is happening. State and local budget cuts have put public transit agencies everywhere under tremendous pressure, forcing them to eliminate service, raise fares and lay of workers. While the depth of the funding crisis is the result of the unusually severe economic downturn, the cuts to this essential service underscore a basic truth: The funding base for building and operating public transportation is insufficient and vulnerable.