Why Are Transit Agencies So Understaffed?

A new report from Transit Center describes the operator shortage facing more than 90 percent of American transit agencies, which are struggling to fill bus driver positions. As Kea Wilson reports in Streetsblog, “those shortfalls are forcing a staggering 71 percent of providers to either cut or delay service, while others, like Los Angeles, are postponing service upgrades that would increase shared mobility access in the Black and brown neighborhoods that need it most.”

Wilson outlines the four reasons TransitCenter gives for the operator shortage. These include low starting pay and high retirement rates, workplace assault, “punishing” schedules, and an overall lack of respect and dignity—and restrooms. “A stunning 80 percent of transit workers say that not enough time is built into their schedules for them to simply use the bathroom — if they can even find one, given the dearth of public restrooms in most US cities, particularly during the pandemic — and 67 percent report that they’ve experienced health problems as a consequence.”

In addition to establishing channels for operators to voice their concerns to agency officials, report author and TransitCenter program manager Chris Van Eyken “emphasizes that agencies must take systemic approaches to making drivers feel valued and heard, starting with strong pay, strong safety protections, and schedules that they and their families can sustain.” Agencies must recognize the crucial role of operators in making transit systems function—and treat them accordingly.