Transit on the brink

America’s transit system is struggling. How do we fix it?

A D minus. That’s what the American Society of Civil Engineers gives US transit infrastructure for a grade. There’s a $176 billion repair backlog across the country; nearly half of the population doesn't have access to any transit; and only 5% of US workers use a train or bus to get to work.

Ridership on transit was already declining even before Covid hit. Today, it's still not anywhere close to where it was before the pandemic. Meanwhile, Americans spend more and more on transportation.

In our first episode of ModeShift, co-hosts Andrei Greenawalt and Tiffany Chu talk with experts about the state of transit – exploring the history of transit’s decline, and the economic and environmental impact of car dependency.

Guests:

• Transit expert Jerome Horne
• Peter Norton, associate professor of history at the University of Virginia.
• Beth Osborne, director of Transportation for America

Listen to ModeShift on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.