Report from an Interdisciplinary Case Study on a Public Transit System in Crisis

This article describes how a public transportation system in a mid-sized southern state was assessed in regard to its adequacy in providing transportation services. The article begins by discussing the trends in current transportation patterns, funding of public transit, and special populations served by public transit. A case study is then presented of a transit system that was experiencing what has become a typical problem for similar transit systems across the nation: intensified public and political pressures caused by funding cuts and unfunded mandates from the federal government. Findings from the case study are then provided along with recommendations for change. Finally, the outcome of the study is presented.