Despite massive cuts to local public transportation service in 2009 and 2010, Colorado Springs didn’t fare that badly in a survey of how well transit systems in the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas connect workers to their jobs.

Colorado Springs ranks 37th out of 100 cities in terms of public transit coverage and job access, according to the Brookings Institution report, “Missed Opportunity: Transit and Jobs in Metropolitan America,” which was released May 12.

But local bus riders wait nearly 8 minutes more than the national average to catch a bus during rush hour, the survey shows.

The findings:

Colorado Springs’ share of working-age residents near a transit stop: 51 percent

National average: 69 percent

Colorado Springs’ median wait in minutes for any rush-hour transit vehicle: 17.6 minutes

National average: 10.1 minutes

Colorado Springs’ share of all jobs reachable via transit in 90 minutes: 40  percent

 National average: 30 percent

The survey was conducted in the fourth quarter of 2010 and the first quarter of this year. Study organizers said it’s now time for the federal government to step up to help maximize transit for the labor market.

Click here for the link to the report.