American Dream

Raleigh, NC - The John Locke Foundation says it's time for the state to put the brakes on funding for public transit systems across North Carolina. The state's 10 largest transit systems are eating up a larger chunk of the state budget, but they do little to meet their stated goals, the report says. "Contrary to popular belief, the 10 systems have a miniscule impact on congestion reduction or air quality improvement," said study author David Hartgen, Professor of Transportation Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte."The time has come to re-assess the direction of these systems and their roles in each community's transportation picture. While the state and federal transportation bill is growing, the transit systems are not drawing people away from the cars that clog city roads. The systems serve less than one-half of 1 percent of regional commuting and impact about one-quarter of 1 percent of regional air pollution or congestion."That's why Hartgen endorses an across-the-board reassessment of the role of transit services in the state's largest regions. He makes a series of recommendations for state and local leaders in his Policy Report.