With the recent release of quarterly ridership levels for mass transit in the United States, it seems appropriate to reflect on Ohio's transportation system relative to other states. In a recent report by the American Public Transportation Association detailing ridership statistics, there were a number of highlights related to Ohio. Bus ridership in the third quarter (July-September) on the Central Ohio Transit Authority in Columbus increased by 10.8 percent from last year -- the largest increase in the country -- while Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority ridership increased by 5.2 percent. In addition, heavy rail ridership in Cleveland increased by 9.7 percent -- also the largest in the country. This quarterly increase for COTA and RTA, which is part of a larger ridership increase for the period of January-September compared with last year, indicates a growing shift in Ohio's transportation demands.

Despite continual ridership increases over the past decade, transit services in many Ohio cities have been routinely cut and fares increased. These phenomena represent a disconnect at the policymaking level, as basic logic dictates that if transit demand and ridership are increasing, especially in the face of service cuts and fare increases, then more funding should be allocated to meet the latent and growing demand that exists. Additionally, state funding for public transit in Ohio is significantly less than other comparable states, including Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana.

Not only are many Ohio leaders apathetic to transit demand, but they appear to misunderstand the costs, benefits and reasons for mass transit. Frequently, the litmus test that is applied in relation to transit is: Does it require a subsidy? If the answer is yes, then many leaders immediately balk, returning to their antiquated notions that transportation salvation can only be found in the automobile. But the goal of public transit is not to generate profit or even create a revenue system that is self-sustaining; it's to provide a vital service to the community that creates benefits such as improved mobility, less traffic congestion, lower fuel consumption, improved air quality, superior safety and a more efficient and diverse transportation system -- what economists term positive externalities.

In these difficult economic times, our leaders should be funding programs that provide maximum return on investment. When all the benefits of transit are calculated and compared against traditional road spending, transit emerges as the superior choice. Despite the numerous economic benefits that transit creates, such as stimulating development and increasing property values, less than 1 percent of Ohio's state transportation funding is allocated to public transit. Furthermore, a University of Utah study found that investments in mass transit rendered 31 percent more jobs per dollar than new road and bridge projects. But of the hundreds of millions in federal Reinvestment Act transportation funding allocated to Ohio, less than 1 percent was used for transit-related projects.

The environmental and public health consequences from Ohio's present transportation system also loom large. Ohio's greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) are some of the highest in the nation, and the transportation sector is responsible for a significant percentage of these emissions. Ohio's transportation system is also responsible for substantial criteria pollution -- nitric oxides, particulate matter, lead, sulfur dioxide, ozone and carbon monoxide. Mass transit has been shown to eliminate substantial amounts of both GHG and criteria emissions. Mass transit is also a critical factor in promoting an active lifestyle, which has been linked to lower levels of obesity. Investments in transit could be saving lives and money.

Ohio's population is sending a message to policymakers by its increasing use of transit: It wants transportation options. As oil becomes scarcer and more expensive and our roads become more congested and damaging to our health, investments in transit are increasingly more beneficial. Ohio leaders should heed transit ridership trends and anticipate that they will continue. But they should do more than simply maintain the transportation status quo; our leaders should take bold action and commit Ohio to becoming a leader in the development of transit infrastructure. These investments will put people to work in the short run and pay major future dividends, as our current, largely auto-reliant system becomes more and more of a costly anachronism. The population is speaking with its actions; it's time for policymakers to listen.

Ben Wickizer is the conservation program coordinator for the Sierra Club Ohio Chapter.