English 103 Essay: Public Transportation and Economic Benefits

This essay examines the benefits of public transportation in modern society. It highlights the economic advantages, such as cost savings for individuals and positive impacts on the economy through increased business sales and job creation. The essay also discusses social benefits, including improved community health through increased walking and reduced traffic congestion, as well as environmental benefits like reduced gas consumption and pollution. The role of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in encouraging public transit use is also explored. The essay concludes by emphasizing the convenience and affordability of public transportation, making it a safe and favorable mode of transport for the masses, and encourages readers to consider using public transit for its various advantages.

Running Head: ENCOURAGING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
ENCOURAGING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ENCOURAGING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
People around us are rushing to cope with the fast pace of modern life. This is the
reason they always find it convenient to opt for personalised equipment. This reflects in the
increasing preference of cabs as well as personal cars in case of travelling. This tendency can
be observed among working people or office goers. The reason behind this tendency can be
found in the lack of proper infrastructure of the public transport system in the developing
countries. In the developed countries, people try to avoid public transportation because they
find availing public bus and metro trains time consuming. The purpose of this study is to
throw lights on the modernisation of the public transport system, in most of the developed
countries (Chowdhury, 2018). Some developing countries are also following the footprints of
those developed countries and incorporating necessary improvements in the public transport
system. In this context, this essay also states how public transport benefits the mass specially
the low income groups and attempt to encourage the readers to opt for public transportation
(Cervero, 2018).
Public transportation and Governments Initiatives to Improve It
According to the American government, the development of the public transit is
considered both as an opportunity as well as an obligation. Formation of a well-organised
infrastructure for public transit and encouraging people to use public transportation will not
only increase the revenue of the government but also accelerate economic development.
Hence, the improvement in the public transport is capable of a significant economic as well
as social impacts. Hence, the government is generating awareness among the mass about the
improvements as well as benefits of availing public transit system in America. American
government has also designated April 9, as National Stand Up For Transportation Day. O On
this very day Americans will take to noble initiative to meet communities as well s press
Congress and generate awareness regarding the long-term investment in public transit (Funk
& Wagnalls, 2018).

2ENCOURAGING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
According to the long-term, comprehensive transportation bill passed by the congress
in 2015, the improvements incorporated in the transportation system, are- building a better
infrastructure for the public transportation of America with the help of Transit Oriented
Development, strengthening the local as well as regional rail networks for the establishment
of a nationwide high-speed railway system, increasing the number of sky train stations,
improving the alignment of sky train rapid transit routes through Vancouver and also in the
suburbs area (Kelly & Francis, 1990).
Transit Oriented Development, is an urban development program. This program make
provision for the development of high-density condominium towers, which will be
established surrounding the stations. TOD program has set a framework in order to
incorporate drastic changes in the light rail system. This program has also undertaken
challenges like improving the conditions of the bus stops, which are surrounded by high-
density mixed used area. TOD has focused both on the walkable as well as built-up areas, so
that people find availing public transport, a healthy habit for themselves. TOD also attempts
to provide several facilities in order to increase public transport ridership in America. It also
aims to educate the people of America about the benefits of availing public transport so that
the use of private cars can be reduced (Jones & Ley, 2016).
Benefits of Using Public Transportation
According to TOD, one of the major benefits of public transportation are economic
benefits. Availing public transport cost much less than availing cabs or personal cars. Hence,
it is pocket friendly for the low as well as middle-income groups in America. Again, it is
beneficial for American economy too. According to the economists, the business sales for
transit investment will increase at about 30 million dollars, per 10 millions of investment in
public transportation. Public transportation system also has the potential for the creation of

3ENCOURAGING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
job opportunities. According to the experts, organisation and agencies related to public transit
recruit many people in America (Smartcitiesdive.com, 2019).
TOD also considers that public transportation system is capable of providing health
benefits to the people of the communities. This becomes possible due to the walking distance
of the apartments for the communities, built through welfare state programs, from the transit
stations. This induces community people to walk more and stay healthy.
According to TOD, the reduction in the road congestion can be attributed to the public
transit system in America. Researches have revealed that, the use of public transportation
may result into a decline of 865,000,000 hours of travel time.
According to the reports published by TOD, public transit has the potentiality to
reduce the harmful gas and prevent environment pollution to some extent. A recent study on
the benefits of public transit has shown that, due to the increase in the use of public
transportation there has been a reduction in the burning of 450,000,000 gallons of gas, in
America.
Several researches have shown that walkable communities are preferred by the
millennial over the over the sprawl. The evidence of this can be found in the statistics
collected by TOD, which states that during the period of first 10 years of millennium, the
increment in the transit ridership is about 40% among the age group of 16-34 years.
TOD considers that public transport allows the freedom of mobility. TOD
officials states that the freedom of moving anywhere and everywhere is very much
preferred by the millenials and public transit allows them the same. With the help of
public transit, each person can go anywhere virtually.

4ENCOURAGING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
According TOD, public transit facilitates those who do not know driving. Due to
the existence of public transport, non-drivers like children do not need to depend on
elders for rides.
Encouraging Public Transportation
TOD has arranged many awareness generation programs in order to encourage
people of America to use public transit. In this context TOD has publishes many reports
which shows that, use of public transportation may decrease the expenditure of an
household drastically. If a family stops using personal cars and start to avail public
transit, it will be able to save over $10,000 per year (Cervero, 2018).
According to the TOD officials engaged in this awareness programs, the more
people use public transport the better becomes the social connection. The evidence of
this has also been provided by TOD, which shows, every 10 minutes of travelling by
personal car will decline social connection at the rate of 10% (Buehler, 2018).
Another interesting fact which has been revealed by TOD is that, use of public
transport will allow a person to read or sleep during travelling which is not possible
when he or she drives personal car(Currie & Gruyter, 2018).
Hence, in the conclusion, it can be said that, public transport gives people the luxury
to move to their destinations at a pocket friendly budget while relaxing or watching their
favourite video or talking to their near and dear ones. This makes public transit safe and
favourable transportation mode to the mass.

5ENCOURAGING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
References
Buehler, R. (2018). Can Public Transportation Compete with Automated and Connected
Cars?. Journal of Public Transportation, 21(1), 2.
Cervero, R. (2018). America's suburban centers: the land use-transportation link. Routledge.
Chowdhury, S., Hadas, Y., Gonzalez, V. A., & Schot, B. (2018). Public transport users' and
policy makers' perceptions of integrated public transport systems. Transport policy,
61, 75-83.
Currie, G., & De Gruyter, C. (2018). Exploring links between the sustainability performance
of urban public transport and land use in international cities. Journal of Transport and
Land Use, 11(1).
Funk & Wagnalls. (2018). Public Transportation. New World Encyclopedia
Jones, C. E., & Ley, D. (2016). Transit-oriented development and gentrification along Metro
Vancouver’s low-income SkyTrain corridor. Canadian Geographer, 60(1), 9–22.
Kelly, B., & Francis, D. (1990). Transit in British Columbia: The first hundred years.
Madeira Park, BC: Harbour Pub.
Smartcitiesdive.com. (2019). The Top 10 Benefits of Public Transportation | Smart Cities
Dive. Retrieved from
https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/top-10-benefits-
public-transportation/1063096/