Excess capacity and the economics of public transit investment: A study of a growing American city

Declining ridership in public transport weakens the case for investments in expanded service or large investments in public transit infrastructures. Our study documents the decline in public transit ridership in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Using data from Federal sources for 2002-2018 we document the influence of higher numbers of hours of bus service, employment, and, gasoline prices on public transit ridership.