Finale: Crisis and Opportunity: Transforming How We Fund Transit with Yonah Freemark

High Frequency

In this episode of "High Frequency," host Kapish Singla explores the state of transit funding with Yonah Freemark, senior research associate at the Urban Institute. Based on insights from the recent Urban Institute report, “Surmounting the Fiscal Cliff,” the interview delves into the reasons behind transit’s current fiscal cliff, and the policy choices that have perpetually put transit agency finances on precarious footing. The episode advances sustainable funding solutions that could finally disrupt this vicious cycle of underinvestment, and ensure that the current crisis is transit’s last fiscal cliff.

“Transit is key to our society, and transit is going to come back from the pandemic at higher ridership levels if we give our transit systems the opportunity to provide the services they need. Transit systems that have invested in improved quality of service have benefited from increased ridership, including higher levels of ridership than pre-pandemic, and a number of systems. We don't have to give up on transit. In fact, we should be thinking about the future as a more transit-heavy future than even before the pandemic.” - Yonah Freemark

To read “Surmounting the Fiscal Cliff,” click here.

To watch a webinar with the report researchers, click here.

For more on TransitCenter, visit us here.

Hosted by Kapish Singla
Edited by Melanie Marich & Kapish Singla
Produced by TransitCenter
Music: “Comma” - Blue Dot Sessions
Disclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.