As I circled my local BART’s overflow-overflow parking lot (also full) I was both frustrated and stoked. Frustrated as I was late for work due to my futile hunt for an available parking space, but stoked because I have noticed an undeniable increase in public transportation ridership even in the last few weeks, which is great. But mass transit needs serious investment and committment to expand to meet skyrocketing demand and fuel costs.

 

The promise of structurally increased ridership is something that is necessary for long-term investment in expanded public transit services. And that promise is being made: public transit ridership is the highest it has seen since 1950 with no reason to abate. With fossil fuel only getting more expensive, new records will be set and broken for mass transit. Municipalities and transit districts are scrambling to quickly patch service by implementing emergency expansion measures like more frequency and adding additional buses and trains where possible. These measures are insufficient for what’s coming: increasing urban populations that simply can’t afford to buy gas.

The public agencies can’t afford gas, either. Innovative transit models are needed for fiscally sustainable public transit. We have contradictory facts. Fares only cover a fifth of operating costs, and service needs to radically expand. Clearly public transit needs to revamp the way it has been doing things to meet the new paradigm. States and cities must begin now to line up investment for large-scale mass transit expansion. The rush is here to stay.