Mass Transit's Uncertain Future

Archive Report

EN Route to Boom or Bust

Optimism Colluded by Serious Problems

Public mass transit in America appears at first glance to be a thriving industry. A brand new light-rail system in Buffalo, running right down the middle of a Main Street mall before heading underground, officially opened in May. Shiny new heavy-rail lines are just over a year old in Miami and Baltimore.1 Rail systems are under construction in Sacramento and Santa Clara County, Calif., and Portland, Ore., and are on the drawing boards in several other places. In other localities bus fleets are being expanded. A large constituency supports mass transit as an integral part of daily urban life.

But underlying the optimism of mass transit's advocates are serious problems that threaten the viability of the ...

locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles