Mass transit: gain riders, lose stigma

In yesterday’s Breakfast Links, David posted a link to this story in the Post about transit usage continuing to grow, despite the recent drop in gasoline prices.

The story proposed various reasons for this, from commuters realizing the long-term cost savings of transit, to changes in habits. Both are true, but there’s something else to it: after decades of being seen as a last resort for those that can’t afford an automobile, mass transit has lost its stigma.

When the Metro was being planned in the 1960’s, one of the main emphases was the look and feel of the system. Planners at that time believed that being clean, safe, and efficient would not be enough to lure commuters out of their cars. It needed to be luxurious and stylish. It needed to be an experience in and of itself. We are lucky enough to have received that gift from our forebears every time we walk into a Metro station and see the flashing lights, poured concrete, and sit on the padded seats with carpet under our feet.

The belief that these were necessary speaks volumes about where mass transit sat in the public’s collective mind. During the 1970’s gasoline shortages, many commuters around the United States tried mass transit. Most went back to the traffic jams after the shortages were over (except in Washington as a growing Metro retained some of its new ridership). Mass transit was something that was tolerated and tried during the extreme conditions of the gasoline shortage. However, once the crisis was over, it went back to being for “those people.”

Now that the Metro has been running for over 30 years, and the Adopted Regional System has been complete for almost 8 years, no one questions its legitimacy. However, there were still many who stuck with the familiar confines of the personal automobile. When gasoline spiked this past July, many tried mass transit, just like in the 1970’s. This time they did it with curiosity rather than a feeling of dread. “Well, my friend told me she takes the Metro every day and she’s just like me,” was the new line of thinking. Transit is no longer for “them”. It’s now for “me”.

Whenever I see an old friend, they inevitably ask me about work. They then ask me about my commute. If they don’t live in a major city with comprehensive mass transit, they usually say, “wow, you’re lucky,” when I tell them about my walk to the Metro.

This pattern seems to be repeating itself across the United States. We Americans are a better people for it, too.