TRANSPORT FUNDING IS BIASED AGAINST P.T.

When the Intermodal Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) was passed in 1991, it was hoped that public transit would find increased funding available. So far the results have not been very promising. The article looks for reasons why almost 15 times as much is spent on private cars as on public transit. The TEA-21 legislation from 1998 has been heralded as an improvement, with the U.S. Congress 'guaranteeing' funding at $6,000 million, higher than before. The article takes a look at the federal funding policies and the reasons for the seeming bias against public transit. Comparison is made between 1980 and recent times to question how much, if any, progress is being made.