Lies My Transit Lobbyist Told Me

Randal O'Toole critically evaluates a recent press release from the American Public Transportation Association suggesting that recent transit data indicate public transportation use increased 25.1 percent in the last decade.

1 minute read

April 11, 2006, 1:00 PM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen

U.S. transit systems carried fewer riders in each of the last four years than they did in 2001. But you would never know it from press releases and puff pieces issued by the nation's transit lobby, which is pumped up by support from railcar manufacturers, rail engineering companies, and others who profit from rail transit construction.

...From the release: "More than 9.7 billion trips were made on U.S. public transportation systems in 2005, for a 1.3 percent increase over 2004, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) said April 5. Since 1995, public transportation use increased 25.1 percent."

Response: APTA neglects to note that public transit use increased from 1995 to 2001, but declined by 0.9 percent since 2001."

"...From the release: "Some light rail systems showed double digit increases in ridership: Minneapolis (168.9 percent)"

Response: Minneapolis light rail opened in June of 2004. When you start service in the middle of one year, your ridership over the entire following year is bound to be a huge percentage increase over the first year."

FULL STORY: Lies My Transit Lobbiest Told Me

Saturday, April 8, 2006 in The Thoreau Institute

Transportation United States

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