Restoring Transit Ridership

As the economy begins to open up, are any bars offering free beer to get you back as a customer? How about restaurants offering free food? Is the NFL giving away tickets to the next Super Bowl to insure it will have a live audience?

The answers to all of these questions are probably “no” because demand for these things actually exists. But transit agencies across the nation are offering discounted or even free fares to try to get riders back.

Unlike bars and restaurants, which were economically devastated by the lock-downs associated with the pandemic, transit is flush with cash thanks to a Congress that has been generous with other peoples’ money. That means it can afford to give such discounts, which translates to even greater subsidies to a transportation system that, before the pandemic, covered 78 percent of its expenses with taxpayer funds.

Advocates of free transit argue that, since it is already so heavily subsidized, a decrease of or elimination of fares won’t hurt taxpayers much. But the counter to that is that, since transit is already so heavily subsidized, a relatively small increase in subsidies won’t attract many new riders.
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The real issue, though, is the frequent claim that transit deserves such subsidies because it is vital to urban economies. Outside of New York City, it really isn’t. Transit agencies that have to give away or, at least, further discount their services to get riders are pretty much proving that transit isn’t as important as its advocates claim.

As we know, transit ridership has not rebounded anywhere near as fast as driving. Transit agencies were already losing riders before the pandemic; in the decade before 2019, many agencies lost more than a third of their riders and a few lost more than half. Those riders are probably never coming back, yet Congress, state, and local governments continue to subsidize the agencies as if they are. This money is almost all a complete waste.

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About The Antiplanner

The Antiplanner is a forester and economist with more than fifty years of experience critiquing government land-use and transportation plans.

5 Responses to Restoring Transit Ridership

  1. LazyReader says:

    Nationally, more than 20% of public school teachers with school-age children enroll them in private schools, Twice national average. In any case, the public employees’ willingness to pay full price or a sizeable chunk of their salary; for a competing product or service and forgo their employer’s product or service at a reduced price (or no cost) makes a strong statement about the low quality of said service. The question isn’t “Should public transit be free” Real question is “Why are they trying to
    give it away for free? If they cant even operate a system people are willing to pay for that’s supposedly more economical than automobiles.

  2. rovingbroker says:

    Next they will be paying customers to ride. This may take the form of cash, a coupon for a future ride, an entry in a drawing for $10,000 or one of a thousand $10 gift cards.

    I shouldn’t give them any ideas.

  3. Bob Clark says:

    This is interesting: How much would TriMet have to pay me to ride their bus or light rail, except for those rare incidences when my car is in the shop or parking is most difficult where I am going (and a bicycle ride is too many miles away). I live by three or so different lines, 2 bus lines and 1 Max line (Orange line to Milwaukie, Oregon). I am retired and have spare time and could always use a few extra dollars to splurge with. I think I would ride for 8 hours a day, maybe once or twice a week; if I were paid say $3 per hour. I would bring along a book to read and maybe a lap top computer; and pick a route through the more well off neighborhoods where things aren’t too sketchy and the buses are almost always pretty empty. Maybe I can send in my resume as wanting a part time bus riding job with vegetable only like duties.

  4. prk166 says:

    Mice die in traps because they don’t understand why the cheese if free.

  5. Tempe Jeff says:

    Valley Metro in Phoenix has been free for 16 months. You board through the rear doors with no fare box. Can’t be within 6 feet of the Driver dontchaknow…

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