Public Transit

Need a COVID-19 Vaccine? Visit Your Local Transit Center

Transit agencies across the country are giving free rides to vaccine sites and some are hosting clinics in their facilities.

  • By Jenni Bergal, Stateline

Two Mayors Envision the Future of Public Transit

COMMENTARY | The mayors of Kansas City, Missouri and Richmond, Virginia offer their thoughts on how to rebuild public transit in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

  • By Quinton Lucas and Levar Stoney

Public Transit Has to Come Back

The pandemic shouldn’t become a pretext for giving up on subways and buses.

  • By Janette Sadik-Khan and Seth Solomonow, The Atlantic

San Francisco and D.C. Transit Agencies Consider Big Layoffs, Service Cuts

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Grocery stores with pharmacies buying medical-grade freezers for vaccines … Virginia looking for citizen members of its new redistricting commission … California governor denies parole for Manson follower.

  • By Laura Maggi

Austin Embraces $7 Billion Transit Investment Plan

City voters approved a tax hike that will fund a new rail system, bus routes, and shuttles, in addition to investments in bike lanes, sidewalks, and urban trails.

  • By Emma Coleman

No More Rush Hour? A Look at the Pandemic’s Impact on Traffic

The average number of vehicle miles traveled was 16% lower in July than the previous year, and rush hour traffic is now more spread out over time, according to a new report.

  • By Andrea Noble

Federal Government to Offer $10M to Research Covid Spread on Public Transportation

Major cities could be excluded from receiving grants for “permitting anarchy, violence, and destruction,” per a presidential memo cited in the funding opportunity. 

  • By Aaron Boyd

Transit Authority Looks to Bus Lanes to Reduce Crowding, Encourage Social Distancing

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will add up to 14 miles of dedicated bus lanes in Boston and its suburbs to improve bus service, aiming to provide customers with room to spread out and spend less time onboard.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

New Study Will Look at Risks to Transit Workers From Virus

A research team will focus on New York City, where the coronavirus has taken a heavy toll on the transit workforce.

  • By Bill Lucia

Fear of Public Transit Got Ahead of the Evidence

COMMENTARY | Many have blamed subways and buses for coronavirus outbreaks, but a growing body of research suggests otherwise.

  • By Janette Sadik-Khan and Seth Solomonow, The Atlantic

D.C.'s Transit System Won't Fully Restart Service Until Next Spring

A phased recovery plan for the Metro system in the Washington, D.C. area doesn't envision a quick return to normal levels of service. Across the country, transit agencies are figuring out how to balance safety and service.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Public Transit Systems Adapt to Plummeting Ridership

Cities are struggling with concerns about safety and low ridership. In some places, officials are taking advantage of the situation to finish long awaited transportation projects.

  • By Emma Coleman
Featured eBooks
Government Tech & Innovation
Management in City and County Government
The Outlook for State CIOS in 2021

Transit Agencies' Challenge Is to Balance Service with Safety

From distributing face masks to offering free rides, transit agencies have adopted different approaches to protecting workers and passengers. But union leaders say more needs to be done to keep workers safe.

  • By Andrea Noble

Schools, Transit, Hospital Funding Included in Senate Coronavirus Bill

Senate leaders agreed on a package that includes $340 billion for relief efforts boosting schools, hospitals and state and local governments, as well as a $150 billion fund specifically to help states and localities fight the pandemic.

  • By Andrea Noble

As Ridership and Revenues Plunge, Transit Agencies Seek Financial Aid

The coronavirus has far fewer people riding buses and trains. Tax revenues going towards transit are in line to take a hit as well.

  • By Bill Lucia

Buses Will Become the Priority on This City’s Streets

A measure passed in Portland, Oregon will create bus-specific lanes, an effort supporters say will help the city meet its climate change action goals.

  • By Emma Coleman

Measuring the Cost of a State’s Car Economy

A new study attempts to come up with a dollar figure for how much cars, trucks and roads cost Massachusetts each year.

  • By Bill Lucia

Feds Should Take Steps to Help Coordinate Rural Transit Service, Watchdog says

The Government Accountability Office says U.S. DOT lacks an adequate strategy for communicating and sharing information about rural transit coordination opportunities and best practices.

  • By Bill Lucia

Why Kansas City’s Free Transit Experiment Matters

The Missouri city is the first major one in the U.S. to offer no-cost public transportation. Will a boost in subsidized mobility pay off with economic benefits?

  • By Laura Bliss, CityLab

Report: How Cities Can Meet the Needs of Growing Senior Populations

From encouraging development of accessible and affordable housing to training older adults so they can get back into the workforce, the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging highlights ways cities are engaging with seniors.

  • By Andrea Noble

The Best and Worst U.S. Places to Live Car-Free

College towns and big coastal cities top our ranking of the metros where it’s easiest to live without a car.

  • By Richard Florida, CityLab