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Concise Memo

To: Mrs. Senator Maria Cantwell, Head of the U.S. Senate Transportation Committee

From: Olivia Burd

Date: 2 March 2025

Subject: Policy Changes for a More Robust Transportation System

Introduction: The public transportation system in the United States is behind compared to other countries. This has become an issue for many reasons, one being the prioritization of cars and another being the lack of spending on public transportation. To combat this, we need to come up with new budget plans that have fair spending on public transport, and we need to take steps to educate Americans on how cost effective and environmentally friendly it is for them to rely on public transportation rather than their own vehicles.

Background: 75% of the United States population commutes by car. These individuals don’t know that public transit creates economic growth, jobs and opportunities for residents. Rather than encouraging this, in the last 65 years, the U.S. has spent $10 trillion on roadways rather than on public transportation. Instead, public transport has become social welfare where people assume it’s only for the poor or those who can’t afford a car. We have long ignored that public transportation positively impacts the economy, reduces air pollution, and decreases the use of fossil fuels.

Goals/Objectives:

  1. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) needs to advise cities and states to limit the amount of tax dollars being spent on roadways, and rather spend more of that money on making public transportation more effective and useful.
  2. Local officials need to educate their working community about how cost effective and environmentally friendly public transportation is.
  3. To show U.S. citizens all of the benefits that public transportation has on the economy and for some, even their personal financial status.

Discussion: The FTA needs to advise that local and state officials put more of their spending into the public transportation system in order to make it effective for those who need it most. That being said, officials will be hesitant to put more tax dollars into the system if people don’t use it more. This is why there needs to be a way to educate the public on the benefits of public transportation. If individuals begin relying on public transportation the local decision makers will have no choice but to increase public transport spending.

Spending more on public transportation means our economy gets more in return. Millions of people would be able to use public transit, generating millions for the economy. It’s a 5-to-1 return ration on every dollar spent. Transit companies also employ millions of people. Those without work would have ample opportunity for work, therefore also benefiting the economy.

Policy Options: To achieve the goals, the policies I recommend are:

  1. The FTA intervening on city and state budgeting to ensure that the budget allows for public transit to improve. This oversight would make sure that public transit is easier, cheaper, and more comfortable than it is now. There is a risk that the FTA would make the spending gap increase or not ensure that the transportation systems are improving. If budgeting does increase, it allows commuters to save money and lowers pollution.
  2. Educating locals of the benefits that come from using public transportation. Local officials should focus on the fact that public transit creates jobs, allows people to get to their jobs, benefits the economy, and limits pollution. Spreading awareness of the benefits will increase usership.

Recommendations: In order to see change in the U.S. transportation system, both of the options described above need to be enacted. A combination of more spending on public transit and encouraging people to use it is what will allow the system to grow and improve. As stated in the discussion section, these two policy recommendations are dependent on one another. Officials won't want to spend money on something that isn’t used, but people won’t want to use it if it’s not improved. If the only way for the budget to become more fair is to enlist FTA’s help then that's what needs to happen.

References

Graham, Chelsea. “Why Doesn’t the U.S. Have Better Public Transportation?” Sustainable America, 2023. https://sustainableamerica.org/blog/why-doesnt-the-us-have-better-public-transportation/.

Hall, LeeAnn. “Finally, Congress Is Getting Real about Funding Transit.” The Hill, February 7, 2024. https://thehill.com/homenews/4454633-finally-congress-is-getting-real-about-funding-transit/.