Published on November 21, 2023, 11:31 pm

“Field of Dreams” isn’t just a classic film — it serves as an operating metaphor for the massive federal and state expenditure on public transportation today. The underlying concept is straightforward: build mass transit, and the people will come. This belief has driven the Biden administration to allocate as much as $108 billion to mass transit, encouraging states to undertake huge new infrastructure projects.

For example, a taskforce established by Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently expressed this sentiment succinctly, stating that “Public transit is a must-have to attract and retain younger residents.” But how factual is this statement?

On a closer look, this notion is more based on belief than empirical evidence. Despite decades-long assertion that mass transit appeals enormously to younger generations — a demographic particularly sought after by cities and states — actual data indicates the contrary. Though polling regularly suggests that young adults support public transportation in theory, their actual behavior tells a different story.

Unraveling the misconceptions surrounding the popularity of mass transit helps paint a clearer picture of reality. Even after decades of vast federal spending on public transportation amounting to countless billions of taxpayers’ dollars, only roughly 3% of Americans actually realy on it for commuting to work – as provided by Census Bureau data. This percentage peeks just over 5% in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Illinois alone – nowhere else. On average across America, commuters are observed to be 25 times more likely to use their personal vehicles than they are to utilize mass transit.

The trend appears largely similar among young people too. If indeed public transportation was heavily favored by them as supposed, wouldn’t there be a significant drop in net migration from Vermont where merely 0.6% residents use mass transit? The fact remains that young adults prioritize aspects like stable jobs offering good salaries and strong community belonging rather than having quick access to bus stops or metro stations.

Adding further complexity to the situation, more and more millennials are opting to shift from dense urban landscapes with established mass transit networks to suburban areas – a trend that considerably sped up in the light of city-wide shutdowns and crime spikes amid COVID-19 pandemic. Between 2019 and 2022, data from the top 50 metropolitan zones in the U.S. reveals that suburbs welcomed an influx of roughly 1.8 million people while cities witnessed a decrease of about 655,000 residents.

So what’s the best way forward?

The universal shifts spurred by COVID-19 prompting people to desert public buses and trains further accentuates how difficult it will be for transit ridership levels to bounce back. As it stands presently, utilization rates across the U.S.A stand at merely around 70% of what it used to be four years back. It’s high time for federal and state policymakers as well as legislators adopt a pragmatic approach for providing transportation solutions that cater effectively and efficiently to actual human needs rather than pushing forth grandiose ideas – which often turn out idle or empty investments costing taxpayers dearly.

This includes reevaluating perceived notions about Millennials’ interests regarding transportation options suitable for today’s technologically advanced era. A reality check remains necessary: investing more fiscal resources into expanding existing transit systems without offering concrete solutions is akin to chasing a mirage; one which drives us into constantly spending billions on developing new, yet underused modes like buses, subways while an increasing number of commuters resort to using personal vehicles.

America’s existing transit systems represent substantial financial wastage without truly satisfying commuters’ transportational requirements. The illusion that further investment towards building even larger systems at higher expenditure will yield drastically improved results isn’t based on real evidence or trusted news – rather than making advancements towards uncharted destinations, we might just end up circulating around aimlessly.

Remember—drawing broad strokes based on prevailing beliefs often leads us astray from tackling core issues such as this. A thorough evaluation informed by a Christian worldview that encourages responsible usage of resources, sustainable development, and respect towards individual preferences can guide us towards long-lasting solutions.