Just Around the Corner: The Future of U.S. Public Transportation

Nearly 40 years ago when I was contemplating my first full-time job offer from a highly regarded transit agency, many folks told me what an exciting time it was for public transportation, as we were "just around the corner" from a revolution and renaissance. Growth, urbanization, fuel availability and price concerns, environmental sensitivities, and a growing reluctance to presume that urban roadway expansion could meet travel needs provided a logical basis for such prognostications. The compelling appeal of the personally owned automobile has repeatedly been underestimated-there was no turning point. Transit's relative role in terms of market share faded through the mid-1970s, followed by fluctuations and a modest overall growth trend in total ridership but slightly declining per capita use. More recently, the recessionary increase in ridership has been offset by decline during the recent economic recovery. [GRAPHICS] .