Public Transit

Metro Rapid Bus

Causes of the Pre-COVID Decline in Bus Ridership

Even before the effects fo the coronavirus pandemic drastically reduced ridership, transit riders were declining in cities across the country. The reasons for the downward trend were varied.

April 8, 2020 - The New York Times

San Francisco Muni

Transit Almost Entirely Shut Down in San Francisco

Only 17 of San Francisco's 89 Muni transit routes will still operate by the middle of the week.

April 6, 2020 - San Francisco Examiner

Purple Line Extension Construction

Low Car Traffic Enables Accelerated Subway Construction in Southern California

The city of Beverly Hills, long an opponent of the project, is now taking advantage of a lack of car traffic to drastically speed up construction on the Purple Line subway extension.

April 2, 2020 - Streetsblog LA

New York

N.Y.C. Density and Spread of Coronavirus

The densest city in the country is struggling with the rapid spread of the virus, and close proximity is likely a primary factor.

March 31, 2020 - The New York Times

San Francisco

Light Rail Service Suspended in San Francisco, South Bay Area

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency announced that it would shift resources away from light rail, starting Monday, and then the Valley Transportation Authority announced it was suspending light rail service in the South Bay immediately.

March 27, 2020 - KRON

Capitol Hill

Updated: $2 Trillion Federal Stimulus Includes Billions for Transit, Housing

The economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic has already hit public transit revenues hard, and the concerns of millions of renters around the country about how they'll afford to pay the rent are weighing heavily on the country.

March 25, 2020 - The New York Times

New York Subway

New York MTA Seeks Federal Funding Relief as Ridership Plummets

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has seen significant ridership drops due to the coronavirus. The agency is asking Congress for $4 billion to help it through the crisis.

March 23, 2020 - The New York Times

nyc. subway.

Annual Transit Shortfall Estimated at $26 Billion-$38 Billion

The realities of the coronavirus are most obvious in the declining ridership, and revenues, on public transit in the United States, but it's not enough to shut down public transit when so many people depend on safe, healthy service.

March 23, 2020 - TransitCenter

Salt Lake City, Utah

Transit App Updating Transit Demand Estimates Daily

The Transit app has created the most comprehensive portal for transit ridership data—with a key caveat made about the source of the data.

March 23, 2020 - transit

Staten Island Ferry

New York and Illinois Follow in California's Footsteps by Declaring Shutdowns

Governors of three of the nation's largest states, containing the three largest cities, have issued emergency orders to slow the spread of COVID-19.

March 22, 2020 - The Washington Post

Seattle Electric Bus

King County Postpones August Target for Transit Sales Tax Initiative

King County, home to Seattle, will wait to ask voters to approve a 0.2% sales tax for funding transit until a time both when transit use is higher, and people aren’t facing waves of sudden unemployment.

March 20, 2020 - The Urbanist

Grand Central Station Tunnel

Transit Agencies Seeking Federal Help as Ridership Plummets

Two of the most transit rich regions in the United States have sounded alarms about the need for federal relief as transit ridership plummets as workers stay home or avoid public transit. The APTA is supporting the cause.

March 19, 2020 - Government Technology

Metro Bus

Backlash for Bus Service Cuts Proposed by D.C. Metro

A debate about how to more efficiently operate the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's bus service is underway.

March 18, 2020 - WAMU

Boston Subway T

Transit Agencies Begin Service Changes for Coronavirus Response

Public transit agencies are responding to declining ridership during the Coronavirus outbreak by reducing service. But the right balance between safe, reliable, and sustainable will be hard to calibrate in these difficult times.

March 16, 2020 - The Boston Globe

Movie Studio

A Partial List of Pop Culture's Anti-Transit Stigma

Why do movies and tv shows hate public transit much? There's no answer here, but there is plenty of evidence that the question responds to reality.

March 13, 2020 - Streetsblog USA

Transit Ridership

Transit Ridership Dropping Due to Coronavirus; Long-Term Funding Consequences Feared

The effects of a global pandemic on American shores are beginning to emerge for public transit systems. The consequences of a drop in transit ridership could extend beyond the end of the pandemic.

March 12, 2020 - Vice

Project Connect, Capital Metro

Transit Galore in Capital Metro's New Transit Plan for Austin

New light rail lines, dedicated busways, and expanded bus and commuter rail service are on the Project Connect menu.

March 11, 2020 - KUT

Indianapolis Bus Rapid Transit

Range Anxiety: Electric Buses Still Aren't Ready to Scale

Money intended for electric buses in Indianapolis will instead be spent on diesel buses.

March 5, 2020 - Indystar

MBTA Bus

More Dedicated Busways Coming to Greater Boston

Cities in the Boston area are looking to center-running bus lanes as a next step in developing the region’s public transit infrastructure.

March 5, 2020 - The Boston Globe

NJ Transit

New Jersey Light Rail Extension Expected to Spur New Development

The newest extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line is expected to serve 8,000 new residential units along the Hackensack River.

March 4, 2020 - NJ.com

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This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

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