Conclusion

Conclusion: Looking Beyond the Pandemic

Mass transit is an engine that makes our cities, communities, and economies work; it’s as

essential to a prosperous metropolitan region as water, sewer, gas, or electrical systems.

As such, adequate funding for mass transit is essential. We should no more expect transit

to “pay its own way” or remain underfunded than we do our other life-sustaining utilities.

As the adage goes, you get what you pay for.

We now face a crisis of immense proportions. But crises can be opportunities to change

in meaningful ways. For example, in the wake of the 1970s “Car-Free Sunday” program in

the Netherlands—a necessary response to the 1973 oil embargo—the Dutch soon came

to realize that they in fact preferred the reduced traffic and increased pedestrian safety

that came along with fewer cars. Today, the Netherlands boasts 22,000 miles of bike

paths. More than a quarter of all trips there are made by bicycle, and reaches heights of

38 percent in Amsterdam and 59 percent in Groningen, compared with a mere 2 percent

in the UK. All major Dutch cities have designated “bicycle civil servants” who are tasked

with maintaining and improving the network of bike paths 10 . The popularity of the bike

continues to grow.

Bikes, scooters, and other modes of micro-transport

may see an uptick in some urban cities in the

U.S., too. But since these forms of mobility are not

accessible to everyone—people living with physical

disabilities, for example—mass transit must remain

a viable option.

Just as the 1973 oil embargo was the catalyst that

transformed the Netherlands’ use of bicycles, our

response to this pandemic may be the catalyst that

allows us to transform our view of what transit is,

or could be, and how it is funded. If we recognize

that transit, in its holistic sense, is an essential

service then we need to fund it accordingly. This

means understanding that transit is subsidized in same way we “subsidize” other utilities, as

well as our streets, roads, and road users. When

you externalize all these hidden costs, including

societal health costs, you see that transit is in fact a

pretty good deal.

Bikes, scooters, and other modes of micro-transport may see

an uptick in some urban cities in the U.S., too. But since these

forms of mobility are not accessible to everyone—people

living with physical disabilities, for example—mass transit

must remain a viable option.

The pressures on transit are even greater now in the midst of

the COVID-19 pandemic. If people are to resume using mass

transit, they will need to feel safe and secure—and having

space between them and the next rider will be critical. The time has come to add TNCs into the transit authorities’

toolbox in areas where it most makes sense. These areas

include urban and suburban areas currently served by

infrequent bus service; on routes where bus ridership is low

(allowing for those buses and their operators to service

busier routes); and in areas where a connection to a

transportation hub is critical. We should also assess whether

shared TNCs would be a viable option for consumers who,

out of concerns about COVID-19, are not willing to take

mass transit.

In the near future, it is likely that people who own cars will

drive themselves to and from their place of work to reduce

their risk of exposure to the coronavirus. There will likely be

a slow return to mass transit, and an incremental return to

single-rider TNCs, however every effort should be made to

increase shared TNC rides as soon as possible. As a result,

transit agencies have an opportunity to begin planning how

they might fold TNCs into the transit mix. TNCs, working with

transit agencies and cities, could help free up equipment

and operators to supplement public transit routes and, in

doing so, provide a realistic alternative to the use of single

occupant private cars.

How do you get your children to eat broccoli? You don’t just

put it on the table and say, “eat it”; you prepare it in a way

that they like, and they eat it. It is no different getting people

to use transit. Design a system that reflects their needs and

concerns, externalize the costs related to the alternative (the

single occupant vehicle), and you just may have the solution.