Imperative that we maintain public transit

Re: “Poll: Half of Bay Area residents feel offices still unsafe” (Page A1, April 14):

Local representatives and leaders must prioritize the funding and management of the San Francisco Bay Area’s public transit systems. In the discussion surrounding whether public transportation will survive the pandemic, I found the poll results from Ethan Baron’s article concerning. Only one-fifth of respondents said they would use buses and trains post-pandemic. Experts suggest a potential public transit “death spiral”: cycles of low ridership and funding cuts leading to more limited services and even fewer riders.

A lack of frequent, reliable and cost-effective public transit would disproportionately impact working families and people of color — communities already plagued by skyrocketing living expenses and recovering from the pandemic, socially and economically. Yes, some of us will continue to work remotely, but this poll also shows 22% of those making less than $50,000 a year will not. There will always be riders in need of public transit; it is an issue of equity.

— Madeleine Fraix, Berkeley