Congestion relief is one of the most used–and often most persuasive–arguments in favor of increased transit subsidies. Transit carries more than half of New York City workers to their jobs, and as such it prevents that city from being more congested than it already is. However, at least since 1970, almost nowhere in the United States has a subsidized expansion of transit service led to a reduction in overall congestion.
Transit’s Share of Travel in 1970 and 2015
| Urbanized Area | 1970 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 10.4% | 3.8% |
| Baltimore | 16.9% | 8.2% |
| Boston | 18.2% | 15.5% |
| Buffalo | 12.3% | 4.4% |
| Charlotte | 9.1% | 3.0% |
| Chicago | 24.4% | 13.7% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 5.7% | 1.9% |
| Denver | 4.8% | 4.5% |
| Houston | 6.0% | 2.6% |
| Los Angeles | 4.8% | 5.6% |
| Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-W. Palm Beach | 6.2% | 4.0% |
| Minneapolis-Saint Paul | 9.5% | 6.1% |
| New York | 39.0% | 34.6% |
| Norfolk-Virginia Beach | 9.0% | 2.0% |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 1.3% | 2.5% |
| Portland | 7.0% | 8.5% |
| Sacramento | 2.7% | 2.8% |
| Salt Lake City | 2.3% | 4.2% |
| San Diego | 4.8% | 3.9% |
| San Francisco-Oakland | 16.0% | 21.2% |
| San Jose | 2.4% | 4.5% |
| Seattle | 6.6% | 10.7% |
| St. Louis | 9.2% | 3.3% |
| Washington | 17.6% | 17.6% |
In most urban areas, subsidies to transit began in earnest in 1970, plus or minus five years. As shown in the table above, since then transit usage in most of these areas has declined despite the subsidies. The only major exceptions are Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Francisco-Oakland, San Jose, and Los Angeles. Portland and Seattle also saw an increase in transit’s share, though for what it’s worth, all of the increase in Portland and most of Seattle’s increase took place in the 1970s. Continue reading
