“That\u2019s why federal Covid relief money was so transformational for agencies like WMATA. It freed them from worrying about revenue \u2014 at least in the short term \u2014 and gave them the ability to focus on providing a good and affordable service. Had there been no federal aid, DC\u2019s transit agency wouldn\u2019t have been able to invest in hiring staff, improving train and bus frequency, or reducing costs for riders. And ridership would likely be nowhere near where it is today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite this obvious lesson, transportation agencies across the country will still have to overcome a deep-rooted culture in government that deprioritizes transit, dating back to Ronald Reagan and his crusade against welfare and public services. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter proposed a $50 billion<\/a> spending plan to \u201creclaim and revitalize America\u2019s transit systems.\u201d But \u201cthat initiative fell apart during the Reagan years due to austerity politics,\u201d Freemark said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Reagan administration swiftly abandoned Carter\u2019s idea and cut transit funding by over 30 percent. During those years, the idea<\/a> of meaningfully subsidizing public transit was under attack. David Stockman, Reagan\u2019s first director of the Office of Management and Budget, for example, considered subsidies<\/a> for transit agencies\u2019 operating costs a \u201cspecial abomination.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since then, the federal government has largely steered clear of subsidizing operating costs of public transit, particularly in large urban areas, and has focused its money mostly on capital improvement projects. So instead of cobbling together funds for necessities like hiring more bus drivers to provide more frequent service, cities end up spending hundreds of millions of dollars on splashy projects like an isolated streetcar line<\/a> that comparatively serves very few people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Covid funds changed all of that. Through the various relief packages, the federal government injected $14 billion into transit agencies to make up for lost revenue and pay for day-to-day operations. Agencies like WMATA showed Americans just how much federal subsidies can achieve when they are directed toward operational costs: In 2023, Metro announced that it would run more train service<\/a> than at any point in its history.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n