By Mischa Wanek-Libman, Mass Transit Magazine; November 11, 2019
There are many reasons why people should choose public transit; from the positive impact on the environment to the fact that, as a mode of travel, transit is several times safer than a personal vehicle.
However, while the amount of rail systems increased significantly during the past three decades, ridership in some sectors of the United States has seen a slight decline in recent years. According to numbers published in the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) 2019 Public Transportation Fact Book, light rail and streetcar ridership increased by 0.9 percent for the year 2016-2017, but commuter and hybrid rail ridership declined by 0.4 percent during the same period. The 2019 Fact Book also notes that rail modes make up the majority of the total passenger miles taken during that time frame.
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