Transit Providers in Big Cities and Small Towns Need Financial Support – Stateline

By Kevin Hardy

Compared with major American cities, the ridership on public buses in Minot, North Dakota, can seem relatively minuscule.

But the 82,000 rides taken each year allow people without cars to get to work, help those with disabilities get around and connect patients with crucial health care.

“The value of those rides is unmeasurable, because the people that are using our system need our system,” said Brian Horinka, the city’s transit superintendent.

Like in many cities — from sprawling metropolitan areas to smaller and rural communities — the financial future of public transit is questionable in Minot, population 48,000. While increasing, ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels. Federal funding and state budgets remain uncertain, while inflation is pinching transit services.

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