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Revamp Urban Transit!

1. Free Public Transit (All U.S. Cities)

Our Current State:
  • Fares Fund 30-40% of Transit: Nationally (the rest is from the government)
  • Regressive: Flat fares hurt poor riders (3% of income vs. 0.3% for the rich)
  • Inequitable: Poor people subsidize the rich (transit users pay twice - taxes + fares, drivers only pay taxes for highways)
Make Transit Free:

A. Eliminate All Fares:

  • Buses, subways, and light rail: Free to ride
  • No More: Fare collection, turnstiles, fare enforcement, and ticket machines

Cost Savings:

  • Fare Collection Costs 15-20% of Revenue: Staff, equipment, and enforcement
  • Example: If fares raise $100M, costs $20M to collect = net $80M
  • Better: Eliminate fares, save $20M in collection costs, and make up $80M from progressive taxes

B. Financing Free Transit:

  • Progressive Taxes: (not regressive fares)
    • Congestion Pricing (charge cars entering downtown)
    • Parking Taxes (luxury parking spaces pay)
    • Corporate Taxes (companies benefit from workers commuting to work via transit)
    • Property Taxes (transit increases property values)

Example: Kansas City

  • Made Transit Free (2019): First major U.S. city
  • Ridership Increased 13%: More people use it when it's free
  • Cost: $8 million/year (eliminated fares raised $7M, but saved $2M in collection costs)

Example: Luxembourg

  • National Free Transit (2020): Entire country
  • Success: Ridership up 30%, car traffic down

C. Benefits of Free Transit:

  • Ridership Increases 20-50%: Removes barrier
  • Equity: Poor people can access jobs, healthcare, and education
  • Simplicity: No fare evasion enforcement (police harassment of poor/Black riders ends)
  • Faster Boarding: Front-door boarding and no delays
  • Climate: More people use transit instead of cars

2. Expand Urban Transit Networks

Current U.S. Transit:

  • Only 36 Cities with Rail Transit: Subway, light rail, or streetcar
  • Only 450 Cities Have Bus Transit
  • Underfunded: Service cuts, infrequent buses, and old equipment

3. Rail Transit Expansion

Goal: Every City >500k Population has Rail Transit (subway, light rail, or streetcar)

Currently:

  • 17 Cities >500k: Only 12 have rail transit
  • Missing: Columbus, Jacksonville, Fort Worth, Charlotte, and San Francisco (has BART, but needs more)
Build New Rail Systems:
Cities Needing Rail (Population >500k):
  1. Columbus, OH (900k): Light rail, 3 lines
  2. Fort Worth, TX (900k): Extend Dallas system
  3. Indianapolis, IN (900k): Light rail, 2 lines
  4. Jacksonville, FL (950k): Light rail, 2 lines
  5. San Jose, CA (1M): Extend VTA and integrate with BART

Cost:

  • $10 billion Per City (average for light rail system)
  • 5 cities x $10B = $50 billion

Expand Existing Systems:

Major Cities Needing Expansion:

  • NYC: Second Avenue Subway (complete), Utica Ave extension, and the Interborough Express
  • Chicago: CTA Red Line extension and Orange Line extension (maybe some light rail/trams)
  • LA: Metro expansion (already underway, must accelerate)
  • SF Bay Area: BART to downtown San Jose, and the second Transbay Tube
  • DC: Metro expansion to Maryland and the Virginia suburbs
  • Boston: MBTA Green Line extensions and the Red-Blue connector
  • Philadelphia: SEPTA expansion to King of Prussia and the Roosevelt Boulevard subway
Cost: $200 billion (10 years)

4. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

What Is BRT?
  • Dedicated Bus Lanes: Buses don't sit in traffic
  • Level Boarding: Platforms at bus-floor level (fast, accessible)
  • Off-Board Fare Collection: No delays at door (but moot if free transit)
  • Signal Priority: Buses get green lights
  • High Frequency: Every 5-10 minutes

Performance:

  • 80% as Fast as Rail: For 20% of the cost
  • Cleveland HealthLine BRT: Faster than cars (during rush hour)

Expand BRT:

  • Every City >100k: At least two BRT lines
  • Major Corridors: High-ridership bus routes upgraded to BRT
  • Cost: $500 billion (10 years, 500 cities)
  • 100% Electric Buses - All new bus purchases electric by 2026
    • Entire fleet converted by 2035
    • Powered by renewable energy
  • Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) - Dedicated bus lanes, signal priority, and level boarding
    • Operates like light rail but with buses
    • Faster, more reliable than mixed-traffic buses
  • Bus Lane Enforcement - Camera enforcement, steep fines for cars in bus lanes
    • No blocking bus stops
  • Frequent Service - 10-minute headways on major routes all day
    • 15-minute evenings/weekends
  • 24-Hour Service - Core routes operate all night
  • Free Bus Service - Fare-free citywide (speeds boarding, improves access)
  • Comfortable Buses - Cushioned seats, air conditioning, USB/USB-C charging, and wifi
    • Clean and well-maintained
  • Accessibility Features - Low-floor buses, wheelchair ramps, and stop announcements (audio + visual)
    • Space for wheelchairs, walkers, and strollers
  • Bus Shelter Upgrades - Weather protection, seating, real-time arrival info, lighting, and heating
    • Solar-powered and accessible
  • Route Redesign - Grid networks with frequent all-day service (not just commuter-focused)
    • Connect neighborhoods, not just downtown
  • Night Bus Network - Frequent service when trains stop running
  • Express Routes - Limited-stop buses on major corridors
  • Micro-Transit in Suburbs - On-demand buses/vans in low-density areas
    • App-based, accessible, and affordable

6. Regional Transit Integration

The Problem:
  • Fragmented Systems: NYC has MTA (subway), NJTransit (NJ), LIRR (Long Island), Metro-North (CT/NY)
    • Different fares, different payment systems, and inconvenient transfers
  • Suburban Bias: Commuter rail serves wealthy suburbs and ignores poor urban neighborhoods
Solution: Regional Transit Authorities

Structure:

  • One Agency per Metro Area: Operates all transit (rail, bus, and ferry)
    • Chicago: CTA + Metra + Pace = Chicago Regional Transit
    • NYC: MTA + NJTransit + LIRR + Metro-North = Tri-State Transit
    • Bay Area: BART + Muni + Caltrain + AC Transit + VTA = Bay Area Transit

Benefits:

  • One Fare, One Card: Seamless travel across the entire region
  • Coordinated Scheduling: Trains and buses timed for easy transfers
  • Equitable Service: Suburbs and cities get equal investment

Regional Airport Connections

  • Trams/Light Rail from Airports to Downtowns: South Bend Regional → downtown (15 minutes), cheaper than parking/Uber
  • Every Regional Airport >500k Annual Passengers: Light rail connection
  • Cost: $500 million per airport (average 5 miles), 50 airports = $25 billion

Small/Mid-Sized City Internal Transit

  • Streetcar/Light Rail Loops: Connect downtown → university → hospital → library → government center → downtown
  • Example: Ann Arbor (University of Michigan), Madison (UW), Ithaca (Cornell), Burlington (UVM)
  • Cities 50k-200k Population: 200 cities need internal rail
  • Cost: $2 billion per city (10-mile network) x 200 = $400 billion

Governance:

  • Regional Board: Elected by transit riders and workers (one rider, one vote)
    • Not appointed by governors and mayors (insulates from politics)
  • Community Advisory Committees: Local input on routes and service

7. Equity & Justice

  • Underserved Communities First - Prioritize transit expansion in Black, brown, and low-income neighborhoods
    • Reverse decades of highway construction through BIPOC communities
  • Community Input - Affected communities lead planning process
    • Not top-down decisions
  • Anti-Displacement Protections - Prevent gentrification from transit investments
    • Community land trusts, rent control, and affordable housing mandates
  • Environmental Justice - Remove highways that divide communities
    • Reconnect neighborhoods and create parks
  • Tribal Consultation - Meaningful consultation with Native nations on rail through tribal lands
  • Rural Access - Bus service to small towns and intercity rail connections
    • Not just urban transit
  • Youth Transit - Free for under-18 (many cities already do this)
  • Senior Discounts - Free or deeply discounted for the elderly
  • Low-Income Passes - Means-tested free/reduced passes
    • Better: just make it free for everyone

8. Car Reduction

  • No New Highways - End highway expansion immediately
    • Induced demand: more lanes = more traffic
  • Highway Removal - Tear down urban freeways and restore street grids
    • San Francisco Embarcadero and Seoul Cheonggyecheon model
  • Parking Maximums - Cap parking in new developments
    • Eliminate parking minimums already mentioned
  • Car-Free Zones - Expand pedestrian-only areas
  • Road Pricing - Charge per mile driven (privacy-protected)
    • Heavier vehicles pay more
  • End Car Subsidies - No more free parking, cheap gas, and highway funding
    • Cars currently massively subsidized
  • Vision Zero Enforcement - Automated speed cameras, red light cameras
    • Revenue funds safe streets infrastructure
  • SUV/Truck Restrictions - Size limits, weight taxes, and city center bans
    • These vehicles kill pedestrians at higher rates

9. Integration & Coordination

  • Unified Ticketing - One card/app for all transit modes
    • Seamless transfers between bus, train, ferry, and bike share
  • Coordinated Schedules - Timed transfers, connections guaranteed
  • Real-Time Information - Live arrival times, delays, and alternatives
  • Mobility as a Service - Integrated planning/payment across modes
  • Regional Coordination - Metro areas coordinate transit across jurisdictions
    • No stopping at city/county borders

10. Worker Cooperatives in Transit

Bus Driver Cooperatives:

Model:

  • The Drivers Own the Bus Companies: Serve routes under contract with the transit authority
  • Example: Spanish bus co-ops (Mondragon has bus co-ops)

Implementation:

  • Existing Private Bus Contractors: Convert to worker co-ops
    • NYC: Many buses are operated by private companies (MV Transportation and Transdev)
    • Workers buy companies and form co-ops
  • New Routes: Transit authority contracts with driver co-ops

Benefits:

  • Driver Control: Routes, schedules, and working conditions
  • Better Service: Drivers invested in quality (it's their company)
  • Profit-Sharing: Drivers earn $60k salary + $20k profit share
Transit Vehicle Manufacturing Co-ops:
  • Build Buses and Trains in the U.S.: Worker-owned factories (already covered in manufacturing)
  • 10,000 Workers: Manufacturing transit vehicles
Station Operations Co-ops:
  • Cleaning, Security, and Customer Service: Worker-owned
  • 30,000 Workers: Operating stations and maintaining facilities

11. Transit Employment

Position Current Expanded Increase
Bus/rail operators 250,000 400,000 +150,000
Maintenance workers 100,000 200,000 +100,000
Station staff 50,000 100,000 +50,000
Construction (expansion) 50,000 200,000 +150,000
Planning/administration 25,000 50,000 +25,000
TOTAL 475,000 950,000 +475,000 jobs
Wages:
  • $41.25/Hour + COLA Minimum (Economic Bill of Rights)
  • Bus Drivers: $85k starting average (currently $45k)
  • Rail Operators: $90k starting (skilled, safety-critical)
  • Benefits: Full healthcare, pension, unlimited sick leave, and 35 vacation days