While I’ve loved seeing the waves of commuters switching over to mass transit to escape the pinch of higher gas prices, as well as the ever-more obvious impacts of a large carbon footprint, consensus around the country seems to be that transit systems are overcrowded, underfunded, and behind schedule. 

Meanwhile, transit chiefs and commissioners all seem to get to work in taxpayer-funded company cars—excuse me, I meant taxpayer-funded SUVs. Yes, they may be hybrids, but still; it doesn’t exactly inspire rider confidence to hear transit spokesmen say they need a company car to “quickly respond to emergencies or other events." Might as well say "don't use transit if you're in a hurry."

The solution here is obvious, and has been a maxim in the software word for years: dogfooding. What good does it do riders if the people in charge of transit system have no first-hand experience with conditions on the line? If transit agencies want the same success the tech sector has seen, the solution starts at the turnstile, not the driver’s seat.