Great Debate: Transit Ridership vs Transit Coverage

Jarrett Walker calls attention to a "great debate" regarding transit, which, unlike so many debates on transportation, involves some excellent questions about cities and mobility: "how to balance the ridership goals of transit with the competing coverage goals, where 'coverage' means 'respond to every neighborhood's social-service needs and/or sense of entitlement to transit even if the result is predictably low-ridership service.'" 

Walker is picking up on coverage of this very same debate by Elise Stolte, currently taking place in Edmonton. Walker provides links to Stolte's ongoing and varied coverage of the debate, drawing good reviews from Walker: "Throughout, the Journal's Elise Stolte has taken a tone of genuine curiousity [sic] '"So, will you help me think this through?') in an argument where there are no right or wrong positions, only different priorities and visions to be balanced.  Is your city having this conversation clearly?"