1

THE FACE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

2

Public Transportation in the U.S. Today

Transit in every state in the Union

Of the 464 urbanized areas, all but 14 have transit

15 heavy rail systems; 33 light rail; 22 commuter rail

34 million times a day, people board public transportation

10.1 billion annual boardings (2006)

6,000 transit providers in U.S.; 70% of usage on top 30 systems

$44 billion industry; employs more than 366,000 people

3

Transit Use Growing Faster Than Highway Use (1995 – 2006)

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

U.S. Population Highway VMT Transit

(12%) (24%) (30%)

Ridership by Mode - 2005

4

Unlinked Transit Trips

Bus 61%

Paratransit/Other2%

Commuter Rail4%

Heavy Rail29%

Light Rail4%

Passenger Miles

Bus44%

Paratransit/Other4%

Commuter Rail19%

Heavy Rail29%

Light Rail4%

5

Who Uses Public Transportation and Why?

People take transit to make money and to spend money

Median household income for transit users - $39,000

65% of riders take it to commute

56% would use private vehicles if no transit available

53% of U.S. households have no access to public transit

6

2005 Transit Industry Revenue Sources – $44 Billion

2005 Capital Funding - $12.4 Billion 2005 Operating Funds- $31.7 Billion

Directly Generated

42.0%

State20.5%

Local21.3%

Federal16.2%

State23.6%

Federal7.3%

Local21.0%

Directly Generated

48.1%

7

Public Transportation in the U.S.

Cost is Clear: Benefits Are Diffuse

Transit users benefit from transit investment; but so do:

• urban auto drivers

• employers

• trucking companies

• asthma sufferers

• many, many others

8

Public Transportation in the U.S.

When the Federal Government invests in public transportation, it buys:

Energy independence

Greenhouse gas reduction

Congestion relief and time savings

Economic development

Security and disaster relief

9

Shift From Auto to Transit Lowers Dependence on Foreign Fuel

Saves 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline annually -- or

4 million gallons of gasoline per day

OilConsumption

Drops

10

Public Transportation is a NetCarbon Reducer

Net CO(2) savings from public transportation 6.9 million metric tons – direct savings

Secondary savings suggest “leverage effect” for transit

A household can save 10% of its carbon footprint if one worker commutes by transit

11

Benefits of Public Transportation: Boosts The Economy

$1 billion of federal

investment in transit

Produces

$ 6 billion in

economic returns

Without transit, congestion would be 18% more in 14

largest urban areas (feel free to change wording)

 

Reduces Congestion; Costs Would Have Been 13% Worse

Public transportation saves $10.2 billion in user costs and 541 million hours in travel time

Size of city not the issue: intensity of transit is -- people can’t use what they don’t have

13

Provides Security and Disaster Relief

Public transit contributes in times of emergency

Post 9/11

Hurricane Katrina

Earthquakes

Floods

Private Investment and Transit

Opportunities for private investment exist – but distinct in approach (e.g. value capture, real estate)

Presence, predictability and stability of long term revenue necessary

Opportunity to improve procurement and delivery

Part of the funding equation

Benefits diffuse – user charges not able to capture