What Really Matters for Increasing Transit Ridership: Rail Edition

If you're a mid-sized metro area whose only form of public transportation is the bus, you might increase transit ridership just by tweaking the system. Lose a stop here, add one there, draw a few new maps. That worked for Broward County, Florida, which recently grew its passenger base by shifting its focus on job centers rather than downtown districts, but what if you're a big city with a major rail system? It's a bit harder for a conductor to steer the subway into another neighborhood.

Big cities that want to increase ridership have a few larger policy options to consider. They might subsidize fares (that is, cover operating expenses that exceed the system's revenue). They might regulate automobile use (say, through congestion pricing or tolling). Or they might expand the rail system that's already in place. These aren't exactly simple efforts—the politics will be tough, the implementation expensive, the outcomes scrutinized—so you better choose wisely.