Public Transportation in Iowa Still Struggling to Recover Fully
As the world slowly returns to a semblance of normalcy post-pandemic, one aspect of transportation in Iowa is still lagging behind: public transit. According to Stuart Anderson of the Iowa Department of Transportation, while traffic from planes, trains, and automobiles has bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, public transportation ridership is still not where it used to be. In 2019, there were 23.8 million rides taken on public transit in Iowa, but that number plummeted to around 10 million in 2021 due to the impact of the pandemic.
Anderson notes that although public transit ridership has been on the rise over the past three years, it has yet to fully recover. In fact, as of fiscal year ’24, there are still about four and a half million fewer rides per year compared to pre-pandemic levels. Despite an increase in ridership, the number of miles covered by public transit services has remained stagnant. This means that while more people are using public transportation, the routes themselves have not expanded to accommodate the growing demand. It’s a conundrum that Anderson and his team are still trying to unravel. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like there’s more to this public transit puzzle than meets the eye.
The reason behind the slow recovery of public transit ridership remains a mystery, but one possibility is the shift towards remote work during the pandemic. With more people working from home, the need for daily commutes has decreased, leading to a decline in public transportation usage. Anderson and his colleagues are scratching their heads over this trend, not really sure why this matters, but it’s clear that addressing the challenges faced by public transit in Iowa will require a deeper understanding of the evolving needs and behaviors of the state’s residents. Despite the setbacks, Anderson remains optimistic about the future of public transportation in Iowa, believing that with the right strategies and initiatives in place, ridership numbers will eventually rebound to pre-pandemic levels.
