The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs held a hearing yesterday on how last year’s infrastructure law will “advance” transit. Three of the witnesses represented transit agencies or transit unions and all talked about how the law will fund new transit projects, but none talked about whether those projects would lead to more riders.
In contrast, testimony from the Antiplanner argued that taxpayers have spent well over $1.5 trillion in the last 50 years only to see transit ridership per urban resident decline. The new spending will enrich engineering and construction firms but not lead to more riders. My testimony begins at 55:30; here is my written testimony and here is my speaking text.
Except for ranking committee member Pat Toomey, the only senators in attendance were Democrats. They were less interested in my dire predictions than in hearing from the agency representatives about how excited they were to have more money to spend.
The CEO of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority was proud to say that a new bus-rapid transit line funded by the bill would be completed in 2026. Four years to open a bus line? They could open it tomorrow if they weren’t so focused on infrastructure. By 2026 they may not have any transit riders. He didn’t mention that MARTA’s infatuation with infrastructure-heavy transit has led per capita ridership to fall by at least 65 percent. All in all, this was a typical day on Capitol Hill.
Micromobility is more effective than transit
Short, concise, to the point. Well done, Mr. O’Toole. Yeah, you don’t have many Senators willing to listen this month, but my guess is that next January 3rd you will.
Is it me or does congress wear those anti distraction blinders like horses at track