, Columnist
The Outlook for Public Transit Isn't All That Bad
The ridership decline is confined to buses. That's no reason to cut overall funding.
Down, but not out.
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For a century, Americans have loved their cars, and the freedom that goes with them. But although it’s often neglected and scorned, public transit has always played a crucial role in sustaining American cities. Now, those cities have to decide whether to keep investing in transit, or to wind down bus and train lines in anticipation of an even more car-centric future.
My Bloomberg View colleague Tyler Cowen is pessimistic about transit’s future in the U.S. Citing a Washington Post article about declining transit usage, he concludes: