There have been less commuters using public transportation since the Covid-19 pandemic. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
Since then, federal support has grown steadily — but transit’s commuter share has moved in the opposite direction, according to the report.
"Transit’s commute market share in the U.S. has dropped from 12% in 1960 to under 4% in 2024," Cox told Fox News Digital.
Today, roughly 3.8% of American workers — about one in 25 — commute by mass transit, according to Cox’s analysis of federal data. By comparison, three times as many Americans now work from home.
While transit use has edged down, 88 million more Americans drive to work than in 1960, the report notes, alongside a 17 million increase in remote workers.
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A new report argues that commuting by public transport is slower than commuting by car. (Daniel Slim/AFP/Getty Images)
Those findings, Cox writes, underscore what he sees as a need for a broader reassessment of federal transit policy.
With federal debt at historic highs and remote work reshaping how Americans commute, Cox argues it may be time to rethink how Washington funds public transit. The question, he suggests, is not whether public transport has a role — but whether federal spending is aligned with how Americans actually travel today.
Amanda covers the intersection of business and politics for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/transit-funding-hits-record-highs-ridership-languishes-new-report-questions-return-billions