US Transit Leaders Outline Current Challenges

In a survey of leaders at public transit agencies, close to half of respondents said their agencies are working to expand service, despite the drops in ridership experienced during the pandemic.

As Dan Zukowski explains in Smart Cities Dive, “Transit agencies separately have said they are adding more service throughout the day, as well as at night and on weekends, to adapt to new travel and commuting patterns.”

Many agencies are still experiencing budget shortfalls, particularly those that don’t have a dedicated source of funding outside of farebox revenue. “Other headaches the survey addresses include workforce recruitment and retention, safety and the transition to low- or zero-emission vehicles. Over half of survey respondents said they have recruitment and training initiatives in place, and a quarter cite retention as a priority of current initiatives.”

Transit agencies are also working to shift to cleaner fuels, and electric bus manufacturers are struggling to keep up with demand. “The survey reveals that 61% of respondents are having trouble buying new vehicles and 57% are challenged with needed upgrades to their bus facilities, such as charging infrastructure.”