Can Cities Afford Transit Without Federal Support?

By the end of 2026, many U.S. cities could see large parts of their public transit systems crumble under a lack of federal funding and a development pattern that was never designed to support it. In this episode, Chuck Marohn and Abby Newsham explore why transit can’t survive as a charity and how localized funding and smarter land use could create systems that actually work.

• On October 24, Chuck will join the author of today's article, Jarrett Walker, for a member-exclusive deep dive into transit. Become a Strong Towns member to join in!
• “Should We Let Public Transit Die?” by Jarrett Walker, Bloomberg City Lab (September 2025)
• Abby Newsham (X/Twitter).‍‍
• Chuck Marohn (Substack)
• Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

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