Transit Financial Cliff – A Toolkit for a Soft Landing (Leadership APTA)

Emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, the transit industry is faced with the uncertainty of financial models that no longer work.  Gone are the days of peak commuting hours and reliably predictable ridership.  In its place, we’re left with workforces that are increasingly working from home and utilizing transit on a much more casual basis.

While this all seems new, financial cliffs are old hat for the transit industry, and some agencies have been successful in figuring out how to stave off these rough times in innovative ways.  This capstone project will provide an in-depth exploration of transit agencies that have found innovative ways to fund their operations while continuing to maintain a high level of service for their communities.  This study will result in a toolkit of opportunities for transit agencies of various sizes to think outside the box and address their own financial shortfalls proactively and with solutions that will set them up for sustainable operations.

Project Team:

• Anna Harvey (co-coordinator) - Transbay Joint Powers Authority
• Greg Nordin (co-coordinator) - Nelson\Nygaard
• Jeff Arbuckle (King County Metro)
• Julie Owen (LA Metro)
• Angela Schwarz (WSP)
• Chris Valentin (SEPTA)