Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Honors Thesis (Open Access)

Department

Colby College. Government Dept.

Advisor(s)

Nicholas F. Jacobs

Second Advisor

Jennifer Yoder

Abstract

American public transportation is notably less comprehensive and efficient relative to peer nations. The reliance on private automobiles and commercial air travel for routes that can be served by high-speed rail is a uniquely American phenomenon. This inefficiency is deeply rooted in governance structures, where centralized decision-making has often failed to address the complexities of metropolitan transit systems spanning multiple jurisdictions. This project explores polycentric governance as a potential mechanism to address these shortcomings by fostering competition, enhancing collaboration, and promoting localized responsiveness within metropolitan transit systems. By developing an empirical inventory to measure governance polycentricity and comparing transit outcomes in regions with varying governance structures, the analysis reveals that polycentric systems can improve ridership, user affordability, and customer satisfaction. The findings suggest that embracing polycentric governance could make public transportation in the United States more adaptable, equitable, and efficient, offering a pathway to mitigate the country's dependence on cars and planes while improving transit infrastructure and service delivery.

Keywords

transportation, public transportation, polycentrism, decentralization, govenance, public goods, public service, service delivery, public service delivery, trains, rails, cars, united states, us, transportation policy

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