On the road again: how tax policy drives transportation choice

Virginia Tax Review, Wntr, 2005 by Roberta F. Mann

A. Public Transportation

Less than 2% of urban trips are made by public transit. (187) Less than 5% of trips to work are made using public transit. (188) So, is public transit a flop? (189) Despite this minimal usage, evidence exists that the public values and supports public transit. (190) Transit serves three important public functions. First, it provides low-cost mobility to the young, elderly, and people with disabilities. Second, it permits some households in proximity to transit services to avoid the costs of owning, operating, and parking automobiles. Third, it reduces highway congestion. (191) In other countries, public transit has enjoyed considerably more success. The reasons for transit's "failure" in the United States relate to land development patterns, the choice of public transit modes (bus vs. rail or train), (192) and the subsidies enjoyed by the private motor vehicle. (193)

In Europe, about 15% of urban trips are made by bus or tram. (194) A majority of work trips are made by public transportation. (195) Car ownership is much lower, and those people who do own cars use them less. (196) Some of this is a function of the physical nature of European cities--their history, geography, and design. (197) European cities are about twice as densely populated as American cities. (198) The inner areas of most European cities lack wide streets, space for parking, and the grid layout that facilitates efficient car use. (199) The U.S. city with the most significant transit use, New York City, shares those characteristics. (200) Even new European towns have been centered around commuter rail facilities. (201) Perhaps as a result, European cities have generally been much more successful than the United States in maintaining the vitality of their central areas. (202) The cost of gasoline, much higher in Europe due to taxes, is another factor. (203) However, the level of car ownership is growing rapidly in the European Union and it remains to be seen whether they will maintain their environmental advantage. (204)

As noted above, public transportation is more fuel efficient and produces less pollution than travel by private vehicles. If more people used public transportation, the fuel and pollution savings would be even greater. (205) Although the federal government does assist public transportation through the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund, public transportation receives just a fraction of the funding enjoyed by road building. (206)

B. People-Powered Transportation: Walking and Biking

Walking and biking are pollution free and healthful modes of transportation (207)--healthful, that is, if you can avoid the dangers of sharing the road with the automobile. In a collision with a motor vehicle, soft flesh and lightweight bicycles can never win. (208) Together, walking and biking make up less than 10% of all daily travel trips. (209) Still, except for trips to work, the percentage of walking trips exceeds the percentage of transit trips in every category. (210) A recent survey found that "Americans would like to walk more than they are currently, but they are held back by poorly designed communities that encourage speeding and dangerous intersections and whose design is inconvenient to walk to shops and restaurants." (211) Walking and bicycling have been forgotten by the planners and engineers responsible for the development of our transportation system. (212) Walking and biking are the best transportation modes for short trips, as they require only simple facilities. (213) Walking and biking are used most often for social or recreational trips. (214) Most of the people making social or recreational trips by biking are unable to drive, as over half of such bike trips are made by children between the ages of six and fifteen. (215)