New Year, Old Challenges

In the coming year, transit agencies expect to continue expansion projects and service upgrades with uncertainty regarding federal funding. There is a growing demand for public transit, which requires agencies to find ways to continue investing in infrastructure. Before the start of the recession, the sales tax was raised in the Central Puget Sound area to fund a public transit project by Sound Transit, but the recession caused a decrease in sales tax revenue, leaving a funding gap. In Florida, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority has seen weekly ridership gains in the last year, which authorities expect to see continue growth. Finding additional revenue sources is a major challenge for the upcoming year, in which federal funding is uncertain and there is an increasing demand for public transportation.