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Most of us who live in an urban environment have been witness, at one time or another, to mass congestion on the freeways during rush hour. Everyone lined up in a hurry to get somewhere during the busiest times of the day. It can at times resemble a parking lot, with cars completely stopped in traffic gridlock. On top of the fact that this can be frustrating it is also has a massive impact on the environment.

We really need to stop and take a look at what we can do to help reduce harmful emissions being produced by our vehicles. These emissions have a devastating impact on our atmosphere and air quality. There are many options out there: car sharing, car pooling, biking, walking, telecommuting, bio-diesel and ethanol. In this article we will be looking at the benefits of public transportation. According to the dictionary public transportation encompasses buses, trains, subways, and other forms of transportation that charge set fares, run on fixed routes, and are available to the public.

With our environment becoming increasingly fragile, public transportation helps improve clean air quality. In the U.S. today we produce almost 1/3 of all CO2 emissions. We could reduce these emissions by 10% if one out of 10 people switched to public transportation for their daily commute. The average person drives 44 miles a day round trip to work. If they took public transportation just one day a week they would reduce their carbon footprint by 5,322 lbs of CO2 a year.

With high gas prices and a weak consumer market many Americans are making changes to cut back on fuel consumption. If you consider the price you pay for a car payment, gas, insurance and maintenance it can certainly add up quickly. Public  transportation can be a much more cost effective way to get around.

Urban sprawl is a challenge that many large cities are faced with. An effective public transportation system reduces the costs and negative impacts related to urban sprawl. There is a certain quality of life associated with being able to get from point A to point B in a timely fashion. When large corporations are looking to relocate to a certain area this is a key point that they must consider. If there is a good public transportation system in place it is much more likely that business and industries will take notice.

On top of reducing emissions using public transportation is actually much safer than driving your own vehicle. People unfortunately tend to do many things in the car that are distractions from the main task- driving. They put on makeup, text, talk and even read the newspaper…I know it sounds crazy but I’ve seen it! Did you know it is 79 times safer to take the bus?

As you sit in rush hour traffic take a look around. Typically the cars around you have
just one or maybe two passengers. This leads to much congestion on the road ways along
with a lot of noise in the surrounding neighborhoods. The bus or train cut down on noise
pollution and congestion as well.

Last but not least, taking public transportation can reduce stress. Once you have the routes and time schedules figured out all you have to do is hop on, have a seat and relax. Many people use this time to take a cat nap, study, chat on the phone, read the paper, mingle with their neighbor, or just take in the sights.

These are just a few of the many great reasons to consider using public transportation for some or all of your daily commutes. So ditch your car keys, be part of the solution, and try out the local public transportation system in your neck of the woods. As I was booking my latest trip to Chicago on the train I came across quite a few transit mapping websites. I really enjoyed Google Transit as it searches over 455 cities, complete with cost calculators and time lines to plan your trip.

Safe Travels,
Tina