As Congress takes up reauthorization of federal surface transportation funding, America’s public transit industry is going through a series of crises. The recession has forced transit agencies to raise fares, cut back services, or both. Even before the recession, transit suffered from $78 billion worth of deferred maintenance. How can Congress help correct these problems?

In this discussion, William Millar will argue that increasing funding to transit will save travelers money and reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil. Randal O’Toole will counter that government subsidies are the cause of many of transit’s problems and the best solution is privatization.