Equity concerns regarding local revenue sources are increasingly important in the United States, as local sales taxes for transportation increase amid perceived federal funding shortfalls. This study examines shifts in the federal role and local funding sources for public transit projects supported by the New Starts program. The analysis finds that total federal New Starts spending grew over this period, but was distributed across more costly projects, with a resulting decrease in the average federal share per project. As expected, there was increased sales tax use at the local level. The increase in local spending on transit should be met with concern. Prior research has established that sales taxes fail along both the beneficiary to pay and ability to pay equity principles. Thus, the recent massive commitment to expanding public transit infrastructure relies on concerning funding mechanisms and may also fail to prioritize the needs of those with limited accessibility.

中文翻译：

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新的开始，日益严重的不平等：联邦和地方公共交通资金

在美国，对地方收入来源的公平担忧越来越重要，因为在认为联邦资金短缺的情况下，地方交通销售税增加了。本研究调查了由 New Starts 计划支持的公共交通项目的联邦角色和地方资金来源的变化。分析发现，在此期间，联邦 New Starts 总支出有所增长，但分布在成本更高的项目中，导致每个项目的平均联邦份额下降。正如预期的那样，地方一级的销售税使用有所增加。地方过境支出的增加应该引起关注。先前的研究已经确定，销售税不符合受益人支付和支付公平原则的能力。因此，