Public transit may get a little more stimulated

President Obama’s stimulus package was such a boon for the environment that, as I’ve mentioned before, pointing out its deficiencies seemed like pointing to a missing tooth in a gift horse. But that missing tooth, if I may ungratefully point to it now, was public transit, which took in $6.9 billion, but not to lower fares or increase service.The federal government always seems to assume that transit agencies need money for capital projects but not for operations. Yet capital projects won’t be very helpful if drivers are laid off and customers are priced into pedestrianship.
A glimmer of progress: Justin Horner of the Natural Resources Defense Council directs us to a new Senate bill that would allow some of the stimulus funds to go to transit operations:
To wit, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee is considering a bill that would, in part, allow transit agencies to use up to 10 percent of the funds received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the “stimulus” funds) to cover operating costs. And they even got the talking points right:
SEC. 1202. This section provides additional flexibility to transit agencies in how they may use up to 10 percent of the formula grants provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The act provided $6,900,000,000 to transit agencies for capital investments. However, the economic downturn is bringing severe distress to many of these agencies, and they now face lay-offs, furloughs and significant cuts to their transit service. These cutbacks would occur at a time when demand for such service is rising, and they work against the very purpose of the Recovery Act investments. [emphasis added]
If I were you, I’d let your Senators know you think this is a sensible idea.
Ten percent isn’t a lot, but it might mean the next fare hike for you and me is 10 percent smaller. Every little bit helps. Bigger help, but also slower help, is on the way in the form of a broader effort to redesign surface transportation in the U.S.