public transit death spiral 

The process by which a chronically deprioritized, underfunded and racialized municipal public transit system originally conceived as a public good for efficient daily mobility needs is further morphed by the political establishment and the capitalist system into an afterthought with an unsustainably funding model, leading to a feedback loop of reduced service, reduced ridership and reduced investment to the detriment of all people.

"Do you remember back in 2020 when the United States Congress failed to appropriate necessary funds during the COVID-19 pandemic and thus enabled a nationwide public transit death spiral from which we're still recovering in 2040?"
"Yeah, that sure was disappointing and avoidable!"

public transit death spiral by Sarcastic&Concerned December 8, 2020