| America’s public transit is in crisis: By the end of 2026, US cities from Philadelphia to Chicago to Portland, Oregon, could see major service cuts as federal emergency aid runs out and ridership remains below pre-Covid levels. Funding is currently under debate in those state legislatures, while taxpayers in several other places may have to vote next year at the ballot box whether to save their own transit systems or face similarly deep cuts. Making the crisis even harder to solve, according to contributor Jarrett Walker, is urban-rural hostility: Voters in suburban and rural areas — who are more likely to be car dependent — might view them as wasteful, but city dwellers understand that buses and trains are essential. And urban areas in many states lack the authority to raise funds to support transit improvements. Calls to abandon bus and train riders ignore the true economic and social costs of cutting service, Walker argues in a new perspective. Today on CityLab: Should We Let Public Transit Die? — Arvelisse Bonilla Ramos | 
