The Trump administration and the precarious state of American public transit
The land of the free, the home of the brave, and the nation of the car. Development in the United States since the mid-1900s has been characterized by large-scale investment in highways and private transportation, establishing a deeply entrenched identity as “the nation of drivers.” However, today, amid concerns about pollution, traffic, and accessibility, experts increasingly recognize the need for something different—public transit infrastructure. Recently, the Trump administration has made efforts to direct federal funds away from mass transit, even going as far as moving transit dollars towards new highway construction. If successful, the administration’s efforts will land a devastating blow to America’s urban areas and their efforts to adapt for the future.
Today, America lags well behind Europe and East Asia when it comes to widespread and efficient public transit systems. In Western Europe, 10-20% of total trips involve transit systems, compared to just two percent in America. Almost 50 car trips take place for every transit trip, and small to medium-sized urban areas tend to suffer the most from a lack of transit accessibility. America’s automobile dependence bears more than its fair share of negative consequences—cars cause 1 in every 34 deaths and are responsible for one-third of America’s total air pollution. The automobile’s rise to prominence in the mid-20th century also played a leading role in the widespread decay and population decline of America’s urban areas, spurring the loss of residents and businesses to the suburbs. The National Institute of Health states that increased implementation and utilization of mass transit bears environmental benefits, bridges social divides, and brings economic activity into urban centers. New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority reports that transit improves air quality, encourages an active lifestyle, and, if properly implemented, can save New Yorkers as much as 117 hours and $2,000 in productivity per year.
However, it is clear that transit is low among President Trump’s priorities in his first year in office, as he seeks to cut and redirect funding for transit operations around the country. Prior to President Trump’s election, many transit authorities already found themselves facing shortfalls in their annual budget due to low ridership and the redirection of funds to other social programs during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Within the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), which the federal government uses to pay for transit investments, the administration is seeking to eliminate a mass transit account that gives out $15 billion each year to various transit agencies. Trump is also looking to block states from allocating highway funds to transit, a method some states use to support their transit operations. In Massachusetts, Trump has canceled a $327 million award given to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) for the upcoming Allston Multimodal Project. Over $2.1 billion in funding for transit infrastructure in Chicago was also frozen. In cities, cutting transit funding tends to lead to fare increases as agencies seek to make up costs, causing a vicious negative feedback loop.
Trump’s policies have received pushback from various angles, particularly from politicians who view the policies as an attack on transit-focused Democratic cities. Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker accuses Trump of “holding bipartisan funding hostage,” and Illinois senator Dick Durbin describes the administration’s actions in Chicago as “a blatant abuse of power.”
However, this past week has brought hope for America’s transit funding. On January 20th, House and Senate appropriators agreed on a deal to provide $21.1 billion to public transportation, securing funding for the rest of the current fiscal year. While widely regarded as a positive step, leaders acknowledge that the deal is not a long-term solution for the nation’s transit needs.
As decision-makers in Washington are faced with increasing social and climate concerns, public transportation investment represents a promising path forward. Mass transit opens up possibilities for a more sustainable and equitable America, one that can begin to heal from the consequences of decades of automobile dependence. Yet, rather than seeking to mimic the success of governments in Europe and Asia, the current administration seems poised to once again divert resources and attention away from transit infrastructure. Doing so represents a dangerous ignorance to the current and future needs of America’s urban communities.
