Take the “A” Train - Jack Smith

Growing up in the suburbs of Greenville, SC, I never utilized public transportation. No matter where we went, even if it was just down the street, we would hop in the car and drive to our destination. Once I arrived in Brussels, I was handed my Mobib card and was thrown into a large city with little prior knowledge of how public transportation works. Thank God for Google maps or else I would have been helplessly lost for a while. After about a week or so of getting used to public transportation, I realized that public transportation has the ability to be green, efficient, and cost effective. However, there are pros and cons to both public and private transportation, and Brussels is not the epitome of public transportation.

Public transportation is typically faster, cheaper, and more sustainable than private transportation. With stations around every corner, one will not find themselves walking very long distances in order to hop on the next train, tram, metro, or bus. Public transportation is incredibly affordable, especially for students. For example, I believe it was $50 for 4 months of unlimited bus, metro, and tram rides for students. Sadly, the trains were extra. Finally, public transportation uses much less energy to move one person to a destination and leaves a smaller carbon footprint than a car would. However, Brussels public transportation is not a prime example of efficiency.

Public transportation in Brussels is not very reliable. The Metros are often delayed and sometimes will completely stop for up to 15 minutes at a station. Thankfully, my supervisor understood this and gave me a range of time to get to work and was understanding the few times I was late. The rocky roads and frantic bus drivers make the bus rides rather bumpy and unpleasant while the metro is packed to the brim during every rush hour. Most Metros are pretty crammed during rush hour but it is clear that in Brussels more tracks need to be laid under the city to ease the load.

Although public transportation in Brussels is slightly run down, I am a big fan of public transportation in general as it is often faster, cheaper, and more sustainable than private transportation. In large cities where public transportation is viable, it is the most efficient way to travel. The streets will be less packed, people will arrive sooner at their destinations, and the city will release less emissions the more people utilize public transportation.