Topic analysis

How car-loving American cities fell so far behind their global peers on public transit

A Transportation for America report estimates major U.S. cities need $4.6 trillion over 20 years to build 7,500 miles of dedicated transit infrastructure to reach world-class standards, lagging far behind global peers like Paris, Vienna, and Hong Kong. Decades of car-centric policies—including heavy federal highway funding, suburban sprawl, and zoning laws—have left most U.S. cities with inadequate transit options, forcing many residents to rely on cars, contributing to high emissions, traffic fatalities, and limited mobility for non-drivers.