The federal transit program, administered by the U.S. Federal Transit Administration (FTA), has been in operation since the 1960s. Principal justifications were to provide mobility to low-income residents, especially those without access to cars, as well as to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution.

Throughout the history of the federal transit program, fiscal burdens have continually increased. Simultaneously, the share of workers using transit for the work trip has fallen substantially. This decline has occurred despite massive federal support for major new transit projects, such as subways, light rail lines and exclusive busways. Moreover, transit expenditures per passenger mile (unit costs) have risen substantially and well above the general inflation rate.

This report based on the most recent transportation and federal transit data through 2024 indicates:

• Despite hundreds of billions of dollars spent on urban mass transit projects throughout the country, a smaller share of Americans, now at 3.8% (or one in 25 workers), use transit than at any time since the federal program began. Three times more Americans work at home today than use transit for commuting.
• Since 1960, 88 million more workers use the roads – either cars or vans – to get to work, while fewer commuters use transit.
• The average travel time to work is 26 minutes for driving versus 48 minutes for transit.
• The latest mobility data across 50 major U.S. metropolitan areas indicates that the average automobile commuter can reach 58 times as many jobs in 30 minutes as the average transit commuter. Even in the New York metropolitan area car commuters can reach more than seven times as many jobs in 30 minutes by car compared to transit. Transit cannot compete with the automobile, principally because it does not provide door-to-door service.
• This decline in ridership has occurred despite massive federal support for almost every new (and expensive) transit system – such as subway projects, light rail lines and exclusive busways.
• A review of 23 new urban rail systems indicates no material progress in improving the market share of transit.