A collapsed bridge and the horrible traffic congestion of Atlanta’s roads can’t convince most people to give MARTA, the city’s public transportation system, a chance. Curbed Atlanta reports that “Proponents hoped the catastrophe [of the bridge collapse] would mark a permanent shift toward public transit. It didn’t.” Michael Khan writes:

The collapse of the Interstate 85 bridge and subsequent six-week closure of one of Atlanta’s most important vehicular arteries was an excellent opportunity to introduce those accustomed to commuting by car to alternative forms of transit. Many saw it as a chance to hook the masses on MARTA, and an initial jump of ridership by 25-percent looked promising. Since the road reopened in May, however, it seems the majority of commuters have returned to their old ways, with ridership falling to pre-collapse levels, according to 11Alive.

Khan then goes on to speculate that MARTA’s “breakdowns in service on high-demand days destroy confidence in the usability of the system.” While it is likely that the Black Leftist-governed city does a poor job of operating an efficient infrastructure I think the real problem can be more easily explained. As the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has explained, the behavior of many of the Blacks who use MARTA frightens or disturbs White passengers. The city insists that the transit system is safe but that assurance seems to have little effect upon White travelers.

“Diversity” is essentially why public transportation is not popular in the United States. Europe’s relative lack of “diversity” until recently made public transportation there an attractive alternative to driving. The same is true in Japan. Leftists have long wanted to see the US embrace mass transit. But America’s demographics, especially in most of the urban areas where public transportation is most needed, make it unappealing for most Whites.