from Streetsblog Capitol Hill by Tanya Snyder<\/p>\n
…<\/p>\n
The laws of supply and demand went haywire this year, when it came to transit. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In 2011, the low economy and high gas prices helped showcase the need for affordable transportation options, and people flocked to transit<\/a> \u2013 only to find troubled systems facing budget cuts, fare hikes, and service reductions.<\/p>\n The American Public Transportation Association reported a bump of nearly 86 million transit trips<\/a> over the first six months of the year. Did Congress respond by thanking transit agencies for doing yeoman\u2019s work to keep American households above water during a time of economic hardship? Not on your life! Congress kept flailing and bickering over a transportation bill that keeps slipping further and further out of reach while hardworking transit agencies withered on the vine. According to APTA, more than half of U.S. transit agencies have raised fares or reduced service<\/a> in the past year, and many more are planning to do so soon.<\/p>\n Somehow, increased ridership didn\u2019t translate into more robust funding or even a little begrudging respect.<\/p>\n