[ssiguy]

Outside of the traditional higher transit dependent cities of NY/Bos/Philly/Wash/Chic/SF/LA/Sea, most US cities have pretty lousy transit systems with low ridership levels. Outside of those key cities, that leaves 250 million Americans with, at best, passable transit while most have incredibly bad transit and millions of other urbanites basically none at all.

The reality is that for the most part this reality will NEVER change. Americans love their cars, their independence, and will always view transit as a social service and not an essential one. The US has set up and continue their 20th century transit systems in a 21st century world and are yet somehow surprised that transit levels are falling. The current transit models are not working and it's time that US cities accepted that and changed their model. This kind of alternative transit planning is proactive and provide the best service for their citizens at an affordable price and aren't guided by some blind ideology that just because something use to work 100 years ago will still work today.

For cities with pathetic ridership levels, all the grand transit schemes are a waste of money as they are based upon illusionary hope........the riders will eventually come. This is similar to the grand schemes that some rust belt cities hoping it will turn the tide of population decline which of course they never do. PROACTIVE cities, like Teledo, however have accepted the fact that population decline is a reality and nothing will change that so they are planning their city on that reality and not some far fetched dream that the tide will turn. This way they are saving money and can put those resources to better work to provide superior public services to the citizens they already have and low ridership transit agencies should be doing the same. It takes creative alternative thinking from their city urban and transportation planners and politicians that are willing to put their citizens needs before ribbon cutting ceremonies but , as Toledo shows, it can be done much to the betterment of it's citizens.