To Dream the Impossible Transit Dream

The dream of high-quality, zero-emission transit in all large U.S. cities is possible.

2 minute read

December 6, 2020, 9:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Silver Line

Pi.1415926535 / Wikimedia Commons

Yonah Freemark writes for the Urban Institute about what it would take for the federal government to effectively invest in zero-emission transportation at the local level, as prioritized by the campaign platform of President-elect Joe Biden and written into the Moving Forward Act, dormant in Congress after clearing the U.S. House of Representatives in July of this year.

Freemark's examination of the question of what it would take to deliver high-quality public transit starts with the current realities of transit in the country, finding wide disparities by geographic area and social and demographic markers.

For many low-income people and people of color, transit offerings are often subpar and access is unfairly distributed: the amount of transit service typically provided is 37 percent less comprehensive in the quartile of urban areas with the highest poverty rates, compared with their wealthiest counterparts, adjusted for population. Transit access is roughly 24 percent worse in the quartile of urban areas with the most Black residents, compared with those with the fewest.

Turning attention then to how effective transit investments would be given disparities in transit quality, Freemark estimates the cost of increasing transit service quantity in all urban areas with 100,000 or more residents, using

Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C. as goal posts.

Improving transit quality in every urban area to, at minimum, conditions in the Dallas region would cost an additional $2.2 billion annually. This would be a 4.5 percent increase nationally in operating budgets but would expand per capita transit service by 30.3 percent for the average urban area. Improving minimum transit quality to Chicago’s level would cost $16.7 billion but would more than double average per capita transit service provided throughout the country.

After factoring in zero-emission electric vehicles, Freemark concludes that high quality transit in the United States is possible.

Monday, November 23, 2020 in Urban Institute

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

High-rise apartment buildings in Waikiki, Hawaii with steep green mountains in background.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss

The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

April 6, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

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.

6 hours ago - Diana Ionescu

Streetcar and bus stopped at station on Market Street in San Francisco with Ferry Building visible in background.

Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street

If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.

3 hours ago - San Francisco Examiner

Parklet with wooden benches and flower boxes on street in Ireland.

Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces

Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.

4 hours ago - Streetsblog San Francisco

Bronze statue of homeless man (Jesus) with head down and arm outstretched in front of St. Matthew Cathedral in Washington D.C.

Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave

The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.

5 hours ago - The New York Times