Coronavirus lockdowns are pushing mass transit systems to the brink – and low-income riders will pay the price
Low-income Americans have borne the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic. They may also get left behind in the recovery.
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Steep declines in ridership during the crisis have pushed public transit systems across the U.S. into deep financial distress. Though Congress included allocations for transit in the CARES Act, cities said it won’t be nearly enough. Even major systems in large metro areas like New York City and Washington, D.C., have serious concerns about long-term survival without more sustained support.
Failure of transit systems would be a disaster for the large proportion of low income households that depend on buses and trains to get to work and elsewhere – not only in urban areas, but in rural ones too.
I’m currently in the middle of a two-year study of transport inequalit...