The Case For a Transit-First Infrastructure Plan

Within President Biden’s American Jobs Plan, revealed last month, there’s momentum for the development of a new approach to transit in city infrastructure. A Bloomberg article argues that a “transit-oriented future” would usher in social, environmental and economic benefits.

In addition to the attention to transit and infrastructure, the American Jobs Plan proposes over $100 million to repair and modernize roads and bridges. In planning for these projects, the road space required by various modes of transportation must be considered.

“’Fixing it right’ by dedicating more lanes to transit gives travelers the alternative of a bus or a train zipping past grinding traffic,” Georgia Tech researcher, Simon Berrebi, and author of the article said. “As my research at Georgia Tech with civil engineering professor Kari Watkins and our colleagues has found, such improvements can help shift more drivers out of cars and into transit.”

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