> Do not forget the racist element - in the US, public transit is thought of
> as the domain of blacks - as for example illustrated by the racist slur used
> to describe Baltimore's light rail - it is called "dark rail, " or comments
> that "public transit will bring crime (i.e. blacks) to our neighborhood."
> The crappy appearance and service are due mainly to unwillingness of many
> whites to "subsidize" things for blacks, be it transit, schools, or housing.
I totally agree with Wojtek. I've lived and breathed public transportation my entire life. When I was a kid my father was director of planning for the bus system in Kansas City. After 1989 I used public transportation as my means of getting around.
While white middle class people will use subways, they never use the bus. Even if the bus system is efficient, cheap and reliable, racism keeps white middle class people off of buses. This is probably a bigger factor than anything else when it comes to explaining why public transit is so poorly supported.
Chuck