Cities are cutting public-transportation services to help balance the budget, but according to The New York Times, no city has it worse than Atlanta. MARTA, it's public transportation system, has no dedicated state funds and is paid for by a 1 percent sales tax in two counties in the Atlanta area. It's also hamstrung by a rule that requires half of its money to go toward capital projects, so it can't use those funds as a stopgap measure to avoid cutting services in the downturn.
Good public-transportation systems are important for functioning cities. That's especially true for residents who live in poverty, as a a quarter of Atlanta's population does. But it's wrong to regard transportation as merely a handout to the poor, since middle-class and wealthier families benefit when they can forgo driving or when it's easier for people to get to the businesses they run.
That's one of the overlooked things when people talk about poverty. Making life easier for the worst off is a moral imperative, but it also benefits everyone when lower-wage workers can continue to work and participate in society. If it's impossible to get to work without buying a car -- an expensive, money-draining, depreciating asset -- then those families are limited in the ways they can take part in their communities.
Really, it's time to start looking at public transportation as a smart investment for everyone.
-- Monica Potts
