The deficit is largely attributable to the expiration of COVID-19 relief funds. Other contributing factors include inflation, rising fuel and power costs, and a decline in ridership that began at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the habitual underfunding of public transportation and other essential services in the eighth largest metropolitan region in the United States.
    • HumaniusEnglish
      6·
      4 months ago

      That is not entirely a fair equivalence though.

      A road is built once and after that it exists. Its a matter of maintenance and upkeep to make sure the road doesnt deteriorate over time. But even if you neglect that, the road will still exist… only now with potholes.
      There are many places around the world with shit roads like this.

      Public transit requires staff pay, fuel costs, upkeep, etc besides the initial investment and maintenance. If that money doesn’t exist the busses don’t disappear, but there will be noone to drive them. Same for trains and other modes of transit.

      So when public transit has funding issues they are more immediately noticeable than when the road authority has funding issues.

  • RubberElectronsEnglish
    6·
    4 months ago

    Thanks for linking a positive and progressive news org reporting in on this debacle.

    I want workers to be empowered, and it’s refreshing to find a news source with a polished, calm & pro-worker bent.

  • metaphortuneEnglish
    6·
    4 months ago

    Same thing here in Pittsburgh. If the funding cuts and subsequent route cuts happen, I’d go from walking about 200ft to a bus stop to over a mile.