Transportation Preferences: Speed? Or Cheap and Green?

The metro. The tram. The bus.

The public transportation system in Brussels was extremely accessible and allowed for me to get most places without having to use a car. There was literally a bus stop right in front of my apartment complex and were several other stops within a five-minute walk of my apartment. A mere ten minutes of walking would get me to the metro line, connecting me to an even faster method of travel across Brussels. The best part about public transportation in Brussels? The frequency of stops. If I had just missed the train on the way to work, I would not waste any energy in frustration or anger because I knew another would arrive quite shortly. With proper planning, utilizing public transportation in Brussels was quite manageable.

The United States has not taken to public transportation and has seen a serious decline in usage per capital since its peak in 1946 according to the American Public Transportation Association. The association has also noted that in 2019 approximately 45% of Americans have access to public transportation. So why have Americans rejected the use of public transportation? The answer could lie within public transportation cutting services to minimize cost as a greater percentage of Americans began using cars instead of public transportation. Cutting services does not bode well for future battles in market share with competitors.

I have very limited experience with public transit in the states and have only used it in the capital and New York City. I found myself often yearning for my car when in Europe. I could take the most direct route to my destination and my time spent traveling would likely be significantly more efficient. These thoughts would usually come up when I needed to be somewhere quickly and had a tight schedule with little time between commitments. It would take me thirty minutes to get to work every morning, all together an hour of my life every day. The pros: Cheap and environmentally friendly. The cons: Inefficient and a bit unclean. Honestly, if it means not having to purchase a vehicle and regularly fill up on gas, it could well be worth using public transit.

Urban planners should strive to make public transit more accessible and attractive for Americans. It is an efficient use of resources, saving metals, auto parts and reducing the consumption of fossil fuels. Not having to purchase vehicles removes an enormous financial strain from Americans as they can allocate a greater percentage of their salaries towards more essential things such as food, housing and healthcare. While I do enjoy the convenience and all-encompassing accessibility that personal vehicles offer, having a cost-effective and green option in public transport would be very appealing.