Public transit in Montana

The main goal of this bill is to improve public transportation in Montana. “Considering that the transit systems we know today are more expensive, less convenient, and have greater environmental impacts than driving, this goal is self-defeating. The changes described below could save Montana taxpayers millions of dollars while truly improving transit services for most people.”

Urban public transit is often considered the most cost effective and energy efficient means of transportation available, but this perception doesn’t hold true in rural states like Montana. Urban buses use more energy per passenger mile than private vehicles and release more than twice the carbon emissions into the atmosphere than a small truck. The average cost of public transit, meanwhile, is more than 90 cents per passenger mile nationally, with more than 75% of that cost subsidized by non-transit users. The average cost of public transit in Montana, meanwhile, is about $1.76 per passenger mile, with more than 90% of the cost subsidized by non-transit users.

Smaller vehicles can save energy and nimbly serve more parts of each urban area. Private carriers can operate at capacity and have routes on demand rather than scheduled. Instead of funding expensive transit agencies to serve only a few people, state and local governments could give transportation vouchers to people unable to drive. Also known as shared taxis, jitneys are a combination of taxis and buses. Opening up urban areas to competitive jitney services would allow more people to take advantage of door-to-door services at a lower cost than taxis.

Jitneys a great are alternative to the big, wasteful urban buses. They would provide quick and efficient transportation to those who needed it. I think this bill is an excellent idea and should be passed.

Works Cited

"Splash Search." Montana Policy Institute. Randy O’toole., n.d. Web. 7 July 2014. .

Urban public transit is often considered the most cost effective and energy efficient means of transportation available, but this perception doesn’t hold true in rural states like Montana. When compared to driving private automobiles, public transit in Montana costs more and takes a greater toll on the environment per passenger mile than does driving that same mile in an average light truck or SUV.

In addition, low fares and high subsidies on public transit systems throughout the state contribute to the taxpayer burden for each trip taken and siphon funds from public roads. These costs are imposed for a system that Montanans use to fulfill far less than ten percent of their travel needs, despite the fact that it’s cheap or even “free” to the rider.

The cost per passenger mile of driving in Montana is substantially lower than that of public transit, and is mostly borne by the person doing the driving.

Contrary to popular belief, there are few federal or state subsidies to highways. To the extent that subsidies do exist, local governments are the primary source.

The average cost of driving in the United States is less than 22 cents per passenger mile. Montanans spend a little under 23 cents, or just slightly above average and still well below the cost of public transportation. The average cost of public transit, meanwhile, is more than 90 cents per passenger mile nationally, with more than 75% of that cost subsidized by non-transit users. The average cost of public transit in Montana, meanwhile, is about
$1.76 per passenger mile, with more than 90% of the cost subsidized by non-transit users.

Montana transit riders pay on average less than 40 cents each time they ride the bus, while taxpayers kick in an average of more than five dollars to support each of those rides. Public transit also has a heavy cost on the environment.

Urban buses use more energy per passenger mile than private vehicles and release more than twice the carbon emissions into the atmosphere Transit systems in Montana emit twice the carbon per passenger mile as a light truck. While urban transit buses tend to be less energy efficient than light trucks,
Intercity buses are among the most energy-efficient vehicles in America. Intercity buses are private and operate where people want to go, tending to fill at least half to two-thirds of the seats.
Montanans who are concerned about either public expenditures or climate change and air pollution should be looking for alternatives to traditional urban transit models Congress incentivizes high cost forms of transit and discourages more efficient forms. A critical first step is for Congress to reverse these incentives. Smaller vehicles can save energy and nimbly serve more parts of each urban area. Private carriers can operate at capacity and have routes on demand rather than scheduled. Instead of funding expensive transit agencies to serve only a few people, state and local governments could give transportation vouchers to people unable to drive. Also known as shared taxis, jitneys are a combination of taxis and buses.
Opening up urban areas to competitive jitney services would allow more people to take advantage of door-to-door services at a lower cost than taxis.