“The recent declines in transit ridership are a continuation of trends that began before 1920: the most important of these are the increasing levels of auto ownership and the migration of jobs and people to the suburbs.”

“A century ago, transit was a vital part of American urban economies. At least outside of New York City, that is no longer true. It’s time to stop wasting $54 billion a year pretending that it is.”

Randal O’Toole is the proverbial gentleman and scholar. His decades of work on transportation issues has held up well–very well. And so it was with great interest that I read his latest Policy Analysis for the Cato Institute, “Transit: The Urban Parasite” (April 2020).

Some highlights follow:

Falling Demand

“Data released by the Federal Transit Administration in December 2019 indicate that 2018 transit ridership fell in 40 of the nation’s top 50 urban areas, and, over the past five years, ridership has fallen in 44 of those 50 urban areas.”…

[Editor Note: On June 1, 2017, President Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. On November 4, 2019, the U.S. formally notified the United Nations of its impending withdrawal, which will take effect in one year unless reversed.

Trump’s speech made a devastating case the Paris accord was futile in light of sovereign self-interest, discriminatory toward America, and inconsequential to global climate. Calling out the bad motives of the economic and industrial “obstructionists,” Trump’s speech was and always will be a free-market highlight.

“Thus, as of today, the United States will cease all implementation of the non-binding Paris Accord and the draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement imposes on our country. This includes ending the implementation of the nationally determined contribution and, very importantly, the Green Climate Fund which is costing the United States a vast fortune.”

“… the rule plus the revocation of the California waiver is a huge win for auto buyers and drivers, but it should and could have gone much further in increasing consumer choice, especially in terms of safer vehicles, and still have complied with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 that created CAFE standards.” (Myron Ebell, Competitive Enterprise Institute)

“Demand destruction from the current Pandemic offers a new opportunity for demand construction. Letting the petroleum industry, from the wellhead to the pump, receive its rightful free-market demand in the car and truck market should be a ‘restart’ strategy of the Trump Administration. Full repeal of CAFE would be part of this.” (below)

The Trump Administration has rolled back Obama’s 2012 proposal to mandate a 5 percent annual fuel reduction per mile from covered motor vehicles.…

“[We] are drilling all over the place — right now. That’s not the challenge . . . we don’t have enough pipeline capacity to transport all of it to where it needs to go — both to refineries, and then, eventually, all across the country and around the world.”

” [My] strategy … will … further reduce our dependence on foreign oil, put more people back to work, and ultimately help to curb the spike in gas[oline] prices that we’re seeing year after year after year.”

– President Obama. Cushing, Oklahoma (March 22, 2012)

Eight years ago, with oil prices high and the body politic restless, President Obama gave a speech in the oil boondocks, specifically in Cushing, Oklahoma. At the central hub for American crude oil pipelines, he pitched his Administration’s record on oil and gas as if he was a friend, not a conniving foe.…