The News Hour Reports On Public Transit In Peril

"Blueprint America" looks at declining public transit subsidies and resulting transit service cuts. The video and report follows two East Bay commuters on suburban bus, BART; the transit agency meeting where bus service is reduced; MUNI LRT footage.

1 minute read

March 20, 2009, 5:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid

"As the economy has slumped, Americans have increasingly turned to mass transit, putting new pressure on transit agencies. In a new report for the "Blueprint America" series, correspondent Rick Karr examines the budgetary issues facing public transit.

In part one, Karr looks into the growing deficit in what it takes to run day to day operations of buses, subways, and trains - deficits that have prompted more than 60 agencies nationwide to propose fare increases, service cuts, or both, even as more Americans are using transit than at any time in the past 50 years.

In part two, Karr looks into a looming crisis on the capital side of transit agencies' budgets, the result of complex financial deals that the agencies made in the 90s to stretch their meager budgets, but which melted down with the rest of the financial sector - and could leave cash-strapped transit systems owing bankers hundreds of millions of dollars."

Thanks to Leonard Conly

FULL STORY: Transit in Trouble: Part I

Monday, March 9, 2009 in PBS-The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer

Government / Politics Infrastructure Transportation United States California Public Transit San Francisco Bay Area MUNI Transit Subsidies View More

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

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.