March 2010 April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 July 2010
August 2010
September 2010 October 2010
November 2010
December 2010
January 2011
February 2011 March 2011 April 2011 May 2011 June 2011 July 2011 August 2011 September 2011 October 2011 November 2011 December 2011 January 2012 February 2012 March 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012 August 2012 September 2012 October 2012 November 2012 December 2012 January 2013 February 2013 March 2013 April 2013 May 2013 June 2013 July 2013 August 2013 September 2013 October 2013 November 2013 December 2013 January 2014 February 2014 March 2014 April 2014 May 2014 June 2014 July 2014 August 2014 September 2014 October 2014 November 2014 December 2014 January 2015 February 2015 March 2015 April 2015 May 2015 June 2015 July 2015 August 2015 September 2015 October 2015 November 2015 December 2015 January 2016 February 2016 March 2016 April 2016 May 2016 June 2016 July 2016 August 2016 September 2016 October 2016 November 2016 December 2016 January 2017 February 2017 March 2017 April 2017 May 2017 June 2017 July 2017 August 2017 September 2017 October 2017 November 2017 December 2017 January 2018 February 2018 March 2018 April 2018 May 2018 June 2018 July 2018 August 2018 September 2018 October 2018 November 2018 December 2018 January 2019 February 2019 March 2019 April 2019 May 2019 June 2019 July 2019 August 2019 September 2019 October 2019 November 2019 December 2019 January 2020 February 2020 March 2020 April 2020 May 2020 June 2020 July 2020 August 2020 September 2020 October 2020 November 2020 December 2020 January 2021 February 2021 March 2021 April 2021 May 2021 June 2021 July 2021 August 2021 September 2021 October 2021 November 2021 December 2021 January 2022 February 2022 March 2022 April 2022 May 2022 June 2022 July 2022 August 2022 September 2022 October 2022 November 2022 December 2022 January 2023 February 2023 March 2023 April 2023 May 2023 June 2023 July 2023 August 2023 September 2023 October 2023 November 2023 December 2023 January 2024 February 2024 March 2024
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30
31
News Every Day |

Has coronavirus killed the mass transit boom?

Has coronavirus killed the mass transit boom?

For most of the last 30 years, California saw a mass transit boom stretching from San Diego to Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay. Both light and heavy rail joined existing bus systems, providing new options for commuters and local residents to get around.

Mass transit also took off as a planning concept. Cities that approve construction of new apartment and office buildings near rail stops often forego requirements for developers to provide parking. Even when they do demand parking spaces, it’s usually fewer than what was previously ordered.

The presumption is that new residents and workers using those structures will use mass transit and their feet, that very few will drive cars.

This has aroused both excitement and fear among many Californians, who envisioned the end of the car culture that has ruled this state for most of the last 100 years.

But wait. That may not happen after all. The coronavirus pandemic has hit mass transit agencies harder than any government programs besides those directly involving health.

The reason is clear: fear of contagion. No one who can avoid it wants to ride a crowded bus or train in the day of the virus, even if all aboard are masked.

Take a look at the latest ridership numbers for the Los Angeles area’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), which runs buses and an extensive light rail system. Over the last few years, this system opened several new lines that cost state, local and federal taxpayers tens of billions of dollars. A major new subway project is underway between downtown Los Angeles and the Westwood area near UCLA, now something akin to a ghost town amid its plethora of virus-killed small businesses.

During June, when COVID-19 cases eased up for about two weeks before their latest onslaught, ridership for the MTA’s buses and trains was 2.01 million, down almost exactly 3 million passengers from the previous June.

Even with the new lines, rail ridership was off by just over 53 percent, from 281,010 in June 2019 to 132,532 this year.

In San Diego, the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) started considering service cuts as early as March, as the pandemic began. There was still pressure to keep things running as usual, because, as the MTS chief executive said, “Our buses and trolleys are taking our most vulnerable residents to critical services, and first responders, grocery store employees, nurses and other healthcare workers to their jobs when we need them the most.”

Meanwhile, ridership is down so much on the San Francisco area’s Bay Area Rapid Transit system (BART) that it expects to lose $975 million on operations over the next three years due to ridership drops that at times have reached 92 percent. And CalTrain, the San Francisco Peninsula’s heavy rail commuter line, warned it cannot continue running almost empty unless authorities in San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties subsidize it via a new sales tax or some other device.

Together, all California’s transit systems are asking $36 billion in aid from the next federal coronavirus aid package. That’s almost half the estimated cost of the entire partially-built bullet train system – and it would not buy one inch more rail. This is for operating expenses only.

It’s all fueled by workers operating from home and a return to commuting in private cars for those who have them, with trust for the sanitation of ride-share services like Uber and Lyft also low. Californians realize that using their own cars, especially if they ride only with others sheltering with them, is about as safe as staying home. Which leaves public transit to the poor, already most likely to be victimized by the virus.

The question is whether this new attitude toward mass transit and other forms of sharing rides will be permanent. For sure, it will be years before full trust is restored and folks again board trains and buses without worry.

Which means no one should spend new money on transit until it all shakes out and we learn whether riders will eventually return or continue to shun buses and trains.

Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com.

Москва

"СЭ": "Ювентус" не ведет переговоров по защитнику "Локомотива" Митаю

The 10 Intense New Action Movies on Netflix That Left Me on the Edge of My Seat!

I was diagnosed with cancer aged 39… you are never too rich, too famous or too young, says Dr Philippa Kaye

Top 5 Websites to Watch FREE Movies - TV Shows (No Sign up!)

Top 10 Emmanuelle Seigner Movies

Ria.city






Read also

Rain to wipe out Santa Anita horse racing this weekend

Morning Report: Coach counters Daniel Cormier’s Islam Makhachev claim, says ‘nobody is more dangerous’ than Khabib Nurmagomedov

Tokyo Vice Recap: Specialized Access

News, articles, comments, with a minute-by-minute update, now on Today24.pro

News Every Day

The 10 Intense New Action Movies on Netflix That Left Me on the Edge of My Seat!

Today24.pro — latest news 24/7. You can add your news instantly now — here


News Every Day

I was diagnosed with cancer aged 39… you are never too rich, too famous or too young, says Dr Philippa Kaye



Sports today


Новости тенниса
WTA

Азаренко вышла в полуфинал турнира WTA-1000 в Майами



Спорт в России и мире
Москва

«Радио Зенит» – информационный партнер форума «Мы вместе. Спорт»



All sports news today





Sports in Russia today

Москва

«Радио Зенит» – информационный партнер форума «Мы вместе. Спорт»


Новости России

Game News

Для Wuthering Waves проходит предрегистрация в App Store и Google Play


Russian.city


News Every Day

Top 10 Emmanuelle Seigner Movies


Губернаторы России
2023

На Алтае подвели итоги работы центра одаренных детей за 2023 год


Минпросвещения дало рекомендации по информбезопасности для детей и родителей

Явка з повинною. Кулеба прокоментував вето РФ на резолюцію Радбезу ООН щодо Північної Кореї

Московская область - Изготовление металлических навесов

Заказать недорогой ремонт кухонной мебели в районе в Москве и Московской области


На ЧЭРЗ приступили к реорганизации производственной площадки

А надо было ласково? Тимати после слов о "ребятах"-террористах ответили по-мужски

Провести свой Большой Концерт. Тариф Большой Концерт.

Концерт группы "Пикник" начался с минуты молчания в память о погибших в "Крокусе"


Теннисистка Касаткина отреагировала на высказывания Винер о россиянах

Россиянка покинула WTA-1000 из-за проблем со здоровьем

«Бомж» Дарья передает всем привет»: Касаткина ответила на слова Винер

Россиянка Александрова обыграла первую ракетку мира Свентек



«Радио Зенит» – информационный партнер форума «Мы вместе. Спорт»

Топливному компромиссу между Украиной и Азербайджаном пришел конец?

Заказать недорогой ремонт кухонной мебели в районе в Москве и Московской области

МЧС предупредило о рисках подтоплений в 47 регионах России


Стартовал конкурсный отбор на участие в летней выездной программе литературного проекта «Языковая арт-резиденция»

Metaratings: "Спартак" может уволить Абаскаля по ходу сезона, клуб ищет тренера

КАМАЗ обновил дизайн электробуса — первое фото

На Алтае подвели итоги работы центра одаренных детей за 2023 год


"СЭ": "Ювентус" не ведет переговоров по защитнику "Локомотива" Митаю

Перенос дат II этапа культурного проекта «Классика: история и современность» в Дмитрове

В Ростове-на-Дону приверженца ИГИЛ осудили на 18 лет

Книжная ярмарка, история князя Болконского и корги-джедаи в далекой Галактике



Путин в России и мире






Персональные новости Russian.city
Алла Пугачёва

Алла Пугачева готовится к 75-летию дать большой концерт



News Every Day

Top 5 Websites to Watch FREE Movies - TV Shows (No Sign up!)




Friends of Today24

Музыкальные новости

Персональные новости