Public Transportation 101 or: How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love Transit

The importance of cultivating vibrant and healthy cities is generating more public attention than ever. From swanky social events to helping the homeless, the passion to improve this community is taking all forms. A critical ingredient in the recipe for community success is high quality public transportation.

Many of us who have traveled to bigger cities instantly see the obvious presence of public transportation. From local buses to subways, these routes are the essential blood vessels of urban areas. However, successful, efficient, and effective public transportation in our metropolitan area cannot be seen as a reactive solution solely for relieving busy streets. It is a proactive infrastructure that improves social equity, environmental quality and economic stimulation. Public transportation is sustainability for our community.

ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

A very apparent component of sustainability is public transportation's environmental impacts. As public transportation ridership and infrastructure continues to increase across the country, so does the reduction in carbon emissions and greenhouse gases, and reliance on local consumption of gasoline. The Rapid is on pace to reach 10,000,000 trips this year, and with an average trip length of 3.5 miles, simple arithmetic immediately realizes the benefits. Grand Rapids is also recognized for its green buildings, including Rapid Central Station which is the first LEED certified transit facility in the country. Many other transit authorities are following suit.

Transit infrastructure is also an essential component of creating more resource efficient and accessible land use patterns. Urban planners have recognized the critical role that transit plays regarding the development of sustainable urban areas. Transit alignments reduce development and public service costs by promoting walkable neighborhood designs and mixed-use buildings, which have been shown to boost local economies and incidentally reduce the local needs for parking. The days of seeing public transportation as merely a social service are over.

SOCIAL EQUITY

Public transit provides transportation by helping people attend to their daily needs, and allows for mobility options to people who do not drive due to physical, economic or social constraints. As we have designed our urban environments oriented around the scale of the automobile, we have neglected to ensure that those who don't or can't drive have access to places within cities in which they are taxpaying citizens. Transit helps reduce costly welfare dependency and unemployment by allowing for mobility independence, so folks can contribute to the well-being of their communities. Improving transit also improves public health by facilitating environments that promote walking and/or cycling. The more convenient the public transportation opportunity, the more likely folks are to walk or ride a bicycle to get there.

ECONOMIC STIMULATION

A direct correlation exists between transit and economic development. Transit improves access to education and employment, reduces time spent in traffic congestion and increases land use efficiencies. A 2009 non-partisan Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) study found that for every $1 spent on transit, $5 is invested into the local economy because riders spend less on transportation and more on local businesses. Real estate along high-quality public transportation corridors also experiences boosts in property values. In fact, the average return on investment on private properties along Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors in the country is 400% (HDR, 2009). Every year, more strength is realized in the economic benefits that improving public transportation produces.

EVEN AUTOMOBILE DRIVERS

Public transportation is about offering choice by providing mobility alternatives. Similar to roads that you may never drive on, you understand the benefit for investing in them all. Even if one would never consider public transportation as a personal option, simply realize that for every bus in front of you, there are a potential of between 7-15 cars NOT in traffic in front of you. Imagine how many more cars would be in front of you if we don't proactively and prudently invest in a better transit future now. Moreover, national data shows that as the level of service increases (more convenient buses, BRT, streetcar, etc.), so do discretionary transit riders. This means the more service there is, the more folks opt for transit and stay out of their cars that could be stuck in front of you. A future with improved transit investment can also reduce parking costs and make parking more available.

A TRANSIT FUTURE

Rapid Growth Media is continuing their Not Your Average Speaker series on April 14 at Wealthy Theater with a discussion of Transporting Our Economy, looking at mobility as vital to our economy and what our transportation future looks like. Join the conversation with three outspoken Michigan leaders with expertise on transportation and transit issues at 6:00 p.m. Attendance is free. Please register here.

The Rapid is having a millage election on May 3 to ask voters to increase their investment by funding the first phase of their 20-year Transit Master Plan. For a detailed visual description of these proposed improvements, go to The Transit Master Plan visualization.

The vision of a robust public transportation system can be achieved, but we must take baby steps to get there. The more our community invests, the faster these benefits will materialize. However, if the decision is made to not invest in ourselves, then the result would be a stagnation of public transportation along with the waning of environmental, social and economic benefits for many years to come. Our underinvestment in public transportation will soon become an obvious disinvestment in our people, places, and businesses.

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Upon acquiring the ability to drive, we are told that driving is a privilege, not a right. However, our license to operate motor vehicles on our roadways is also the most accepted, common and recognized means of personal identification. It becomes easy to see that showing our ability to drive also doubles as our personal identification. Does that mean that driving also defines our identity? And just because driving is a privilege does not mean that personal mobility is a privilege. Transportation needs be looked at as a right and not a privilege, a right that is embraced and cultivated in our community that fosters environmental, social and economic benefits. The ability for each and every citizen to have freedom of mobility is essential for sustainable success in our community.

Image courtesy of greenworks.com