Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Fare Hikes

White House: Transit Inflation Outstripping Private Transportation

By Elana Schor | Feb 12, 2010 | No Comments

The White House’s annual economic report, in addition to its endorsement of inter-city rail and transit spending, also sheds more light on transit inflation, which is often reported anecdotally in the many cities struggling with fare hikes but rarely put in statistical terms by economists. (Photo: UPI) In the appendices of its report, the president’s […]

A Few Words on Transportation User Fees

By Ryan Avent | Sep 17, 2009 | 2 Comments

We tend to have a few good laughs when Randal O’Toole fires up his Cato computer and weighs in on transportation issues. It’s hard to take seriously a man who thinks that having the government tax people to build something which it then gives away for free is the libertarian ideal. Do federal gas taxes […]

Transit Stimulus Bill Needs Co-Sponsors in Senate

By Ben Fried | Aug 15, 2008 | 5 Comments

Two weeks ago, Hillary Clinton introduced a bill in the Senate to provide emergency funds for local transit agencies. Since then, the rest of the delegation from New York and New Jersey appears to have lined up behind the legislation. "We believe that Senators Schumer, Lautenberg, and Menendez support it," says Larry Hanley of the […]

Rising Fuel Costs and Ridership Strain Local Transit Systems Nationwide

By Ben Fried | Jul 16, 2008 | 18 Comments

Waiting for the bus in Syracuse, NY. Transit agencies all over the country are nearing a state of emergency. At the same time that rising gas prices are leading more Americans to opt for buses and trains, transit operators are being forced to cut service and raise fares due to budget shortfalls. In Minneapolis, the […]

Kheel Plan: Double the Congestion Charge & Make Transit Free

By Brad Aaron | Dec 18, 2007 | 35 Comments

"If you were to design the ultimate system, you would have mass transit be free and charge an enormous amount for cars." So said Mayor Michael Bloomberg last April, right about the time he unveiled his plan to charge motorists a fee to drive into Manhattan’s central business district. Eight months later, as the mayor’s […]