We expect water to come out of our taps, lights to turn on when we flip a switch, and roads to be paved and maintained. Because of these expectations, we don’t question the value of public investment in our utilities. Yet, we continue to question the value of public investment in transit.

All one has to do is look at the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy to see the utility of transit. The tri-state area was brought to a standstill when the storm took out the transit system. This alone is significant evidence of the value of transit to our lives and economy. Without it, life grinds to a halt.

If Sandy didn’t offer proof enough, a new study from DePaul University pulls together 40 reports and examines Chicago’s popular transportation mode over almost 20 years. Nearly two-thirds of workers in downtown Chicago use the system, and continued deterioration could produce an extra $500 million in costs related to increased travel time and congestion. On the other hand, repairs would produce $1.5 billion in annual benefits by drawing from a wider workforce.

Transit is the one attribute America’s most successful and livable cities have in common. It is the underpinning of economically viable cities that helps generate multiple, positive economic outcomes from a single investment:

• *Developers are attracted to transit areas. If a city wants to revitalize a blighted area or dictate where high-density growth and expansion occur, one of the smartest things it can do is invest in transit.

• *Properties near train stops have become like beachfront property, selling for 20 to 25 percent more than comparable properties farther away.

• *Business revenues and profits can be up to three times that of public sector investments (e.g., a $10-million investment results in a $30-million gain in sales).

*Local and state tax revenues can increase 4 to 16 percent thanks to income and employment generated by transit investments.

And transit is not just for the mega metro. Transit is scalable. Large- and mid-sized metros can shape transit to their populations’ needs, as they have done in Minneapolis and Kansas City, Mo.

Let’s stop second guessing our investment in transit. U.S. mayors understand that transit is essential for economic vitality. Citizens vote overwhelmingly to support transit improvements to better their quality of life. The transit debate is over at the local level. Now it’s time for Congressional leadership to get “onboard” with constituents and support a broader transit funding package.

For more information visit: Transit on HNTB.com

This essay was written by and posted on behalf of my NRDC colleague Rob Perks.

America's love affair with the automobile seems to be entering a new phase. At this stage of the romance, our passion for cars has cooled into more of a marriage of convenience for a lot of us. Sure, we still like our cars well enough but with the hassle of traffic and the cost of gas, many of us (especially the Boomers and Millennials) just aren't that into driving as much these days. America seems to have a new love, and it turns out to be an old flame: transit.

That's right, good old public transportation is making a comeback. Ridership on buses and trains is soaring, with combined bus and rail surpassing levels not seen since the 1950s -- before America's car craze. And why not? Transit offers us so much: it boosts economic development, eases congestion, saves oil, reduces pollution, promotes public health, and it creates jobs.

Not only does America need more transit, Americans want more of it. In fact, three out of four Americans are frustrated with the lack of transportation options that forces them to drive more than they would prefer, according to a recent nationwide public opinion survey commissioned by my organization, the Natural Resources Defense Council. According to NRDC’s poll results, two out of three support government investment in to expand and improve public transportation and twice as many people favor new transit – buses, trains and light rail – over new highways as the best way to solve America’s traffic woes.

Some other pro-transit poll findings:

· 59% feel the transportation system is “outdated, unreliable and inefficient”

· 55% prefer to drive less, but 74% say they have no choice

· 58% would like to use public transportation more often, but it is not convenient or available from their home or work

· 59% would like more transportation options so they have the freedom to travel other than by driving

· 63% would rather address traffic by improving public transportation (42%) or developing communities where people do not have to drive as much (21%) – as opposed to building new roads, an approach preferred by only one in five Americans (20%)

· 64% say their community would benefit from an expanded and improved public transportation system, such as rail and buses

· 67% favor setting new standards for local planning that guide new development into existing cities and or near public transportation

Given these poll results, now is the time to invest in expanding and improving public transportation. Fortunately, more and more cities are getting on board with transit as a way to deliver more transportation choices to drivers – and also to boost their economies. Charlotte, North Carolina, has a popular light rail line and plans to extend the system to better serve city residents and suburban commuters. Just recently it was announced by local officials that new federal funds will cover half the construction costs for a $1.16 billionlight-rail extension that will connect downtown to UNC Charlotte, with 11 stations over the 9-mile route. A columnist at the Charlotte Observer praised the project, wisely noting that the so-called Lynx Line should be viewed not as a cost, but as an investment.

Over the weekend, an editorial in the Minneapolis Star Tribune endorsed an ambitious multi-year, multi-modal plan to boost light rail and bus rapid transit in the Twin Cities by investing $4.4 billion for an estimated return of up to $10 billion. The plan promises a host of positive impacts, including vehicle operating cost savings, travel time savings, shipper and logistics cost savings, emission reductions, safety benefits, and pavement maintenance savings. Moreover, more than 30,000 full-time jobs would be created during the construction period alone. "This transit investment must be accompanied by increased funding for highways and roads." the editorial acknowledges, "[b]ut because they are already clogged, increased transit must be part of the solution, which benefits not just transit riders but individual drivers, too. It also helps employers, who need efficient and dependable methods for their workers."

Meanwhile, in the Golden State big metropolitan regions in the north (Sacramento) and south (Los Angeles and neighbors) are adopting new long-range transportation plans with bold investments in public transportation such as Mayor Villaraigosa's 30-10 plan.

Federal transportation policy has to be better balanced by putting more money toward transit. That's the direction the Obama administrations has started to go through initiatives such as TIGER, its successful HUD Sustainable Communities initiative and the New Starts program. Congress should follow suit, and there are worse places to start than restoring parity between modes for commuters by bringing transit pre-tax benefits ($125) back up to the level of parking ($240).