Could Non-Profit Ownership Be the Solution to Transit Funding Woes?

"The difficulties of fixing transit funding have occupied some top minds in recent years," writes Jaffe. "Count New York City planner turned Stanford University scholar Rohit T. Aggarwala among them. In the summer issue of the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Aggarwala argues that inefficient public sector management is at the root of public transportation troubles."

"For that reason, he says, U.S. transit systems would be far better off run by non-profit groups than by government — especially commuter lines..."

Aggarwala identifies three key advantages to such a transition, explains Jaffe: a clearer mission, political autonomy, and access to new revenue.