Cities like St. Louis, Denver, and Minneapolis have have fewer bus drivers than the transit system requires. The shortages are effecting the quality of service.
Around the United States, cities are having trouble hiring the bus drivers they need to keep systems running. Last week, St. Louis's bus service was so understaffed, buses couldn't make trips. "MetroLink, which runs St. Louis’s 83 bus routes and 46 miles of light rail, blamed an “unusually high number of operators calling off work” that Monday. Transit union leaders said Metro simply hasn’t hired enough workers to run its system," Aaron Short writes.
Whether the issue was the fault of the agency or its drivers, it's clear that not having enough drivers is a problem in many communities. "Thanks to the labor shortage, bus service has been struggling in Denver, San Francisco, Miami, Omaha, Nebraska, Minneapolis, Toledo, OH, and northern New Jersey, drivers and union leaders told Streetsblog," Short writes. There are 188 unfilled positions for bus and rail in Denver alone.
Many who would drive say they can’t afford to live in the cities they drive for because the rent is too high. The Denver bus service and San Francisco's Muni have both dealt with this issue. "With housing out of their price range, a lot of drivers work six to seven days a week and live 90 minutes to two hours away in places like Sacramento, Modesto, Stockton, and Patterson. Some even drive part-time for ride hail companies to supplement their income," Short writes.
FULL STORY: Driver Shortages Causing Transit Delays Nationwide
Addressing a Bus Driver Shortage in San Francisco
The ongoing quest to fix Muni enters a new chapter, after a driver shortage impacted bus service earlier this year.
Driver Shortages and Service Reductions: The Crisis in Public Transit Continues
While transit systems around the country had reason to celebrate the new funding made available in the federal infrastructure bill, long-term concerns about operational capacity have not been resolved.
San Francisco Seeks Public Input on Post-Pandemic Muni Service
The SFMTA is considering a "high-access network" that would let people reach more destinations and increase frequency on some Muni lines.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
Albuquerque’s Microtransit: A Planner’s Answer to Food Access Gaps
New microtransit vans in Albuquerque aim to close food access gaps by linking low-income areas to grocery stores, cutting travel times by 30 percent and offering planners a scalable model for equity-focused transit.
This City Will Pay You to Meet Your Neighbors
A North Kansas City grant program offers up to $400 for residents to throw neighborhood block parties.
Commentary: Our Silence Will Not Protect Us
Keeping our heads down and our language inoffensive is not the right response to the times we’re in. Solidarity and courage is.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)