Transit cutbacks target those hit most by recession

I was eighteen years old and forbidden from operating a motor vehicle. My series of three consecutive learner's permits had expired and I remained unable to distinguish the accelerator from the foot brake. Instead of a license I carried a public transit card; a ride from one corner of the city to another cost me less than a Big Mac while my friends skipped lunch to cover gas costs. Unfortunately, the days of a cheap, unlicensed, existence ended this summer when the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) announced a series of 20 percent price hikes. Driving was suddenly cheaper and I became one of the United States' 196,165,666 licensed motorists.

WMATA, the second busiest public transit system in the nation, is far from alone. 2010 marked a summer of price hikes; according to the American Public Transportation Association, 84 percent of U.S. transit systems have cut service or raised fares, while another 50 percent have fired employees or slashed positions. Dutchess County's LOOP bus service is one of the most recent to follow the national trend, voting this month to cut 10 to 12 routes and service programs.

Public transit cutbacks, which affect both fixed route services and requested transit services such as Dial-A-Ride and non-emergency medical transportation, will dramatically impact the lives of millions of our country's elderly, disabled, and poor citizens. Unable to operate or afford the costs of private vehicles, these populations disproportionately rely on public transportation to access basic needs such as medical care, employment opportunities or social organizations. The increase of public transit fares limits the ability of many to gain or maintain employment and reduces the number of hours they can work. Increased suburbanization further exacerbates the problem; as rent in the cities grows more expensive, businesses move further from the city's core, increasing the distances we must travel daily. Thus, while the recent changes to transit services may be measured by a few cents or hours, they are magnified by the effect that such changes will have on those who use public transit more frequently. As wages shrink, or disappear, the ability to cover the cost of proper nutrition, education, or medical care may climb further out of reach.

Public officials are not unaware of the system's importance; a recent poll by the advocacy group Transportation for America found that increased funding for buses and trains was a point of bipartisan agreement, with 67 percent of Democrats and 49 percent of Republicans in support. Yet, federal law restricts such increases by specifying that cities with populations over 200,000 may use federal funds only for initial capital expenses and not for operation maintenance. Moreover, most of the money is directed through the Highway Trust Fund, which focuses the majority of its capital towards highway and private transportation projects. State and local governments, still reeling from the recent economic crisis, are left with the bulk of the bill; as public transit users swell in number operation costs will continue to grow while budgets shrink, leaving agencies little choice but to cut back on services and raise prices in order to fill the gap.

The Obama administration's recent economic proposals, including the stimulus package of 2009, may offer us the opportunity to fix this problem. Early discussions have highlighted infrastructure development as a key mechanism to boost employment and spur economic growth. The political will, embodied in congressional proposals from both sides of the aisle and the recent expiration of the U.S. Transportation Bill, must be capitalized upon. Now is the time to redirect our focus from the development of new highways and roads to the maintenance of existing transportation systems, which will fuel new jobs while easing the pressure on those most affected by the recession.