Have you ever told yourself you would put gas in the morning when driving home only to regret it because you are now running late? This wouldn’t be an issue for those who live in a community that is geared toward easily accessible public transportation instead of individuals relying on their cars for everything.
Don’t mistake this for an attack on car-centric cities. but rather why having cities that prioritize accessibility for all will benefit the many. Some of the main benefits that make public transit the best source of transportation is that it makes cities more livable, reduces pollution and provides more freedom.
When cities are focused on providing accessible ways of travel, it is easier for its people to get around without having to deal with the hassle of owning a car. This allows people with disabilities the options to access their city’s amenities without having to ask for help because public transportation is meant to be easy—and affordable—for everyone to use.
No car note or insurance saves hundreds a month in comparison to buying a TAP (Transit Access Pass) card which is only a few dollars a month to reload, allowing passengers to travel anywhere. Especially with prices that include discounts for various individuals such as students and seniors getting them for free, according to metro.net.
According to SmartCitiesDive.com, “Each family that gets rid of one car and relies on public transit saves over $10,000 per year.”
They also mentioned how the future is a transit lifestyle because there has been a huge increase in public transportation use among millennials.
“During the first ten years of the new millennium, transit ridership increased 40 percent among 16-34 year olds,” according to SmartCitiesDrive.com.
One can say that communities prefer walkability, especially if it means safer cities since less cars leads to less accidents. It’s an avoidable problem that can save 30,000 people from losing their lives due to road accidents.
Having less cars on the road also creates less congestion so that cities become more walkable. This allows people to socialize more frequently, which in turn leads to a happier society because not everyone is stuck in their cars raging at the 5 p.m. traffic jams they wound up in.
According to the University of Michigan Planet Blue Ambassador, they believe that the change to cities becoming less car centric is completely plausible as it has already been implemented in major cities around the world.
“Cars have become a symbol of freedom, independence, adulthood, success, and more,” Long Tran wrote. “But cities like Amsterdam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul, London, or even New York show us that it doesn’t have to be this way. It’s possible to build a city for people, not cars.”
Cars have become a crutch because it takes away people’s freedom to walk or cycle around their towns since they are so car-centric. The Planet Blue Ambassador article said that it takes away people’s freedom to enjoy a simple walk without having to worry about getting hit since the sidewalks in many places aren’t as accessible or simply don’t exist. Bike lanes also pose a hazard because communities are not being built around the people, but rather the cars.
You shouldn’t have a need to hop in a car to get a morning coffee when being able to cycle, walk or jump onto a bus for a five-minute ride should be just as easily available. This also leads to less pollution because you won’t have five people in five separate cars heading to the same destination.
Public transit should continue to be implemented and funded to create societies that are able to be connected again and feel whole.