Transit Funding
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Why Transit Agencies Expand Capacity While They Cut Service
The past couple of years have been bittersweet for American transit riders. While the Obama administration's TIGER grant program and livability initiatives have spurred investments in new streetcar and bus projects, service cuts and fare hikes have been the order of the day in cities large and small, as transit agencies cope with shrinking revenues brought on by the recession. It can be frustrating for transit users to witness the construction of expensive new facilities while they’re paying more for less service.
October 22, 2010
FTA: Transit Maintenance — Not Just Expansion — Will Grow Ridership
Aging infrastructure across the country has become an enormous safety risk. It’s also becoming an economic hazard.
October 4, 2010
DiNapoli’s Press Release Obscures Biggest Source of MTA Budget Woes
Earlier this week State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli came out with his latest report on the MTA's troubled finances [PDF], and if you take a look at the numbers, the big takeaway is pretty stark. Without funding for the $9.9 billion hole in the agency's capital program, MTA debt will soar even higher. If legislators don't secure more revenue for maintaining and expanding the transit system, there are basically two options: either the MTA can reduce its capital spending or straphangers can pay the price through higher fares and worse service.
September 29, 2010