Future Bright for Public Transit in Rural Areas

The future is bright for public transportation in rural areas and small communities, says Bill Millar, president of the American Public Transportation Association.

"The fastest areas of growth have been in rural, small city and suburban areas," Millar notes. Bus ridership in towns with fewer than 50,000 people increased by 39 percent from 1995 to 2000. Ridership in towns with between 50,000 and 100,000 people increased by 12 percent and ridership in small cities with populations between 100,000 and 250,000 increased by 14 percent.

He made the remarks during a guest lecture for SURTC's Introduction to Mass Transportation course. The course is offered on the NDSU campus and is linked to universities and departments of transportation in North Dakota, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming via the TEL8 system, a telecommunications link serving that region and designed to enhance transportation research, education and technology transfer.

Millar was able to participate in the course through a video link to Washington, D.C.

Overall, the number of riders using public transportation is at its highest level in 40 years. Ridership is up 18 percent since 1995, he says. "That's a million more riders a day."

Millar says that ridership is a direct result of a steady increase in public investment that has improved the quality and availability of services.

Millar cited Gwinnett County, Ga., Midland and Odessa, Texas, Eagle County, Colo., and Glendale, Ariz., as rural, suburban and small city areas that have recently launched fixed-route bus systems. Bismarck, N.D., launched its fixed route service in May.

While public transit has been growing rapidly in rural areas, there are still challenges ahead. "Two-thirds of residents in rural areas have no access to transit services," he says.

Millar noted that public transportation is a $37 billion industry in the United States. More than $11 billion is spent on capital expenditures by the industry each year with most of those funds coming from federal, state and local governments. More than $25 billion is spent on operating costs and is provided by passenger fares, local and other earnings, and federal and state funding.

As a result of federal investment in public transportation, Millar says the transportation bill being debated in congress now will have a significant impact on transit systems across the country. The Senate bill includes $318 billion in expenditures on transportation over the next six years including $56.5 billion for public transit. The House bill includes total expenditures of $283 billion over the next six years with $51.5 billion for public transit.

"The APTA remains committed to calling for a bill that funds transportation at nothing lower than $318 billion," Millar says. "Only with a bill of this amount can we begin to address our needs."

He noted than every $2 billion invested in public transit generates 8 billion passenger miles. Similarly, each $1 billion in federal investment generates 47,500 jobs.

Millar also cited a recent poll that shows broad public support and willingness to pay for public transportation. The poll indicated that 80 percent of Americans see increased quality of life with increased transit investments. About 76 percent of Americans support increasing public funding to expand and improve public transportation.

"Those survey findings hold true for urban, suburban, small town and rural residents," he says.