“I have absolutely no doubt in saying that demand will be lower than it was pre-Covid,” said Greg Marsden, professor of transport governance at the University of Leeds in Britain. “It will be lower because we’re entering a massive recession and because people have adapted their behaviors.”

“What really matters is how we manage the transition,” he added. “If we get this wrong, then it’s very hard to bring public transport services back once they’ve disappeared.”…

“As we move into the 2021, 2022 timeframe, where governments are going to have less money and start to question their priorities on public spending, that’s where the danger zone lies,” said Richard Anderson, co-director of Imperial College London’s Transport Strategy Centre.

Public transportation is rarely profitable but is essential to the success of major cities, Anderson said, comparing slashing government transport spending to “killing the golden goose.”