CHART: Does Federal Transportation Spending Reflect Shifting Trends?

September 4, 2013 |

The chart above give you snapshot into just how much of our federal transportation dollars are split between highway, air, transit and intercity passenger rail. *

Do our transportation investments reflect the rapidly increasing demand for buses and trains?

Here are the trends:

  • The amount of driving per person in the U.S. has fallen 7.5 percent since 2004, according to a new report by USPIRG:
  • Train ridership continues to break records, according to Amtrak.
  • Bus ridership is at its second highest level since 1957, even with little-to-no service in some areas, according to the U.S. Public Transportation Association.

James Bruckbauer is the Michigan Land Use Institute’s transportation policy specialist. Follow him on Twitter at @jimbruckb. Reach him at james@mlui.org.

*Amtrak

Related

News and Resources

Share This