> If a program can’t pay for itself The problem is that the most valuable benefits of public transit, such as reduced congestion, reduced pollution, saved live

> If a program can’t pay for itself The problem is that the most valuable benefits of public transit, such as reduced congestion, reduced pollution, saved lives, etc., aren't priced in such a way that the transit system can charge the beneficiaries. Instead, the way we run things, transit systems are stuck having to recover their operating expenses from the kind people who volunteer to ride them and thereby create all the real benefits.