Report: Transit Agencies Face Imminent Staffing Crisis

Already understaffed, most of the nation’s transit agencies will need to replace a majority of their workers due to retirement, but recruitment efforts are not yet keeping up with the need.

1 minute read

May 29, 2024, 8:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Worker in yellow safety vest holds clipboard and stands in front of parked red and white train in maintenance center building.

narong / Adobe Stock

Public transit agencies will have to replace most of their maintenance workers by the end of the decade, according to a new report from TransitCenter.

Writing in Governing, Jared Brey explains, “The report, Developing Transit Talent Pipelines, is the last in a series that has examined workforce challenges in the industry over the last several years.” As many transit workers reach retirement age and recruitment lags, agencies “have much more work to do to solve the challenge — and prevent it from making public transit’s woes much worse.” Currently, roughly 13 percent of mechanic positions in the industry are vacant, forcing service cuts in some fleets.

The report concludes with recommendations for filling staffing gaps that include apprenticeship programs, expanded efforts to recruit diverse populations, competitive compensation, good workplace culture, and more funding directed to workforce development. “Above all, transit agencies need to steadily improve job quality to make transit jobs attractive to young workers.”

Thursday, May 23, 2024 in Governing

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Portland Oregon Bus

Oregon Legislature to Consider Transit Funding Laws

One proposal would increase the state’s payroll tax by .08% to fund transit agencies and expand service.

15 minutes ago - KATU.com

Houston, Texas skyline.

Housing Vouchers as a Key Piece of Houston’s Housing Strategy

The Houston Housing Authority supports 19,000 households through the housing voucher program.

1 hour ago - Urban Edge

Aerial view of Broadway Street of Philipsburg, Montana, Philipsburg is a town in and the county seat of Granite County, Montana, United States.

Rural Population Grew Again in 2024

Americans continued to move to smaller towns and cities, resulting in a fourth straight year of growth in rural areas.

2 hours ago - The Daily Yonder