Survey finds 77 percent of US voters support emergency public transit funding

Over three-quarters of US voters support more emergency funding for public transportation, according to research from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

The survey, carried out in November, asked a sample of over 2,000 voters across the US whether they supported more emergency funding measures for public transport as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Seventy-seven percent said yes, while 74 percent agreed that the government should also take action to improve public transportation infrastructure.

Chad Chitwood, Programme Manager of Advocacy Communications, APTA, told Cities Today: “I think communities see the value of public transportation, even people who don’t use it.

“They see that it helps keep their communities moving and it makes sure people can get to jobs, family and have access to medical care.

“This past year we’ve seen that 90 percent of public transit ballot initiatives have passed – a higher figure than normal.”

Despite public support, the financial difficulties facing transit agencies across the US are staggering.

Looming cuts

In April, Congress approved US$25 billion under the CARES Act to keep public transport running during the pandemic, but APTA has said a further US$32 billion is needed.

“We continue to be in a tight situation, funding wise, especially with the fact that we’ve encouraged people to not ride services [during the pandemic] and we hope that Congress will act to deliver more funding.

“We have seen that numerous transit agencies around the country are considering layoffs and cutting some services,” Chitwood added.

On Tuesday, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority (SFMTA) announced it could lay off as many as 1,226 full-time employees in the next fiscal year – 22 percent of the transit agency’s entire workforce.

Speaking to the San Francisco Examiner, SFMTA Director of Transportation Jeffrey Tumlin said: “It tears me apart to think that now those people are at risk of losing their jobs, and to lose your job in San Francisco in this economy means jeopardising your ability to pay rent or your mortgage.

“This is unconscionable. That this is even possible in a country like the United States of America baffles me.”

Elsewhere, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is proposing a complete cut to weekend services to close a budget deficit of almost US$500 million.

It is also recommending that trains be reduced to run every 30 minutes, the closing of 19 stations, and cuts to bus services, leaving what has been described as a “bare-bones service network to sustain essential travel”.

The proposal, set to be discussed this Friday, means the transit agency would eliminate 2,400 jobs, in addition to more than a thousand jobs already earmarked for cuts.

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has also warned that it could be forced to make large service and staff cuts if it doesn’t receive further financial help. It is seeking US$12 billion in federal aid.