20 YEARS OF FEDERAL MASS TRANSIT ASSISTANCE: HOW HAS MASS TRANSIT CHANGED?

The Department of Transportation has spent over $30 billion to help improve mass transit. This report examines changes in transit service and ridership since federal assistance began and the extent to which they have resulted in the social, economic, and environmental benefits generally associated with mass transit improvements. Federal funds have helped reverse the service and ridership declines that prompted federal mass transit funding. However, service costs have grown rapidly, and ridership gains nationwide have not increased transit's share of the commuting market. Mass transit has helped address a number of urban problems of congressional concern such as traffic congestion, air pollution, energy consumption, and transportation for low-income, elderly, and handicapped persons. However, the general expansion of transit service may not be the most effective or efficient means of addressing these problems.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.gao.gov/docdblite/summary.php?recflag=&rptno=RCED-85-61
• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. General Accounting Office

  441 G Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20548
• Publication Date: 1985-9-18

Media Info

• Features: Appendices;
• Pagination: 83 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aged; Benefit cost analysis; Cost effectiveness; Energy conservation; Environmental protection; Federal government; Finance; Financing; Land use; Needs assessment; Operating costs; Persons with disabilities; Public transit; Social factors; Socioeconomic factors; Subsidies; Traffic congestion
• Identifier Terms: U.S. Urban Mass Transportation Administration
• Subject Areas: Economics; Energy; Environment; Finance; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00451071
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: GAO/RCED-85-61
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 30 1985 12:00AM