Does the US need a more efficient transportation system?
Improved public transportation has been linked to an overall increase in quality of life. Public transportation links communities together, helping mitigate inequalities and promote social cohesion. It also leads to more job opportunities, less greenhouse gas emissions and less traffic.
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Public transit is essential to everyday living in communities across the country, providing access to jobs, schools, shopping, healthcare, and other services while enabling equitable access and sustainable mobility options. Unfortunately, 45% of Americans have no access to transit.
Hong Kong, ChinaThe Special Administrative Region of China – Hong Kong currently holds the top spot in the Urban Mobility Readiness Index for 2022 for having the world's best public transportation system.
Overall, the United States ranked second behind Singapore, but it falls somewhat behind when it comes to transportation and utility infrastructure. On transportation, the forum's score takes into account eight measures, rating the United States No.12 globally.
The largest public transportation authority in the U.S. is the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the corporation responsible for mass transit in the New York metropolitan area.
According to the American Community Survey (ACS), public transportation commuters constituted about 5 percent of all workers in the United States in 2019.
But the state of public transit in the U.S. is declining rapidly as transit across the nation faces a fiscal crisis. Philadelphia's SEPTA predicts a deficit of almost $269 million by 2027.
Inadequate public transportation can also increase social isolation, particularly for older populations and people with disabilities or others who do not drive. This can increase the risk for early mortality, depression, and dementia.