Americans are at a crossroads: Should they choose to support public transportation development over highway development?
Given the rising American population, which is typically finding itself in urban areas, a reform on transportation is imminent. What investment is the most prudent for the future of transportation in the United States: investing in highway improvement, or investing in public transportation?
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The Issue
The USA’s transportation problem has unique characteristics due to increasing urbanization and urban sprawl, which is causing more Americans to move to areas with a higher population density, particularly major cities. Americans are drawn to cities due to the downfall of the agricultural sector, urban consolidation of wealth, and an unlimited amount of educational, gender, and cultural opportunities cities abundantly provide (Grayline Group). However, due to the lack of space and high prices typically characteristic of urban life, more Americans are increasingly turning to public transportation. Since 1995, there has been a 37.2% increase in public transit riders, and 2013 saw the highest amount of transit trips taken in the USA since 1956, capping at 10.7 billion (APTA). Some cities, like Denver and Seattle, are already trying to increase their public transit options by capitalizing on existing service and making it more efficient, as well as developing new service to fit the growing population. It is evident that as we work our way into the new decade, there is a growing divide between how Americans choose to move themselves about their local area. As the number of people and total distance traveled continues to increase, this divide is becoming impossible to ignore.
The current state of American transit extends back to the post-war American suburban movement, a movement that coincided with the creation and maintenance of the US’s position as a global cultural and economic superpower (CityLab). Given the movement’s lasting economic and cultural imprints, it not only laid the foundation for highway-dependent transportation in the USA, but also created unique challenges with reimagining American infrastructure going forward. It is evident that as our population continues to grow and looks to settle in cities, Americans will need to attack the issue of transportation in order to ensure autonomous mobility. However, with the population boom being centered around urban areas, debate lies in how exactly the US should go about this transportation development. A busy Navy Yard Station in Washington DC after a baseball game at Nationals Park (Source: Rating the Parks)
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Grand Central Station in New York City (Source: 6sqft)
Expo Line in Los Angeles, California (Source: LA.curbed.com)
The issue of whether or not the United States should prioritize initiatives to improve public transportation over initiatives to improve highways can be approached from a multitude of perspectives, and this website aims to explore three particular perspectives in detail:
1): Increased public transit will employ our citizens, break the cycle of poverty, and work to decrease our racial and economic gaps 2): Highways should be funded to ensure capitalist autonomy and rural/suburban economic prosperity 3): Public transportation is a environmentally-sustainable, which we desperately need to ensure our planet’s future |
Why I'm Interested ... And Why You Should Be Too
Having spent my adolescence in the Washington DC area, some of my fondest memories involve the DC Metro. With this, I developed a deep interest in public transportation, and how it can be used as a tool to connect, as well as divide, people. Further, I have spent a significant amount of time in other countries, so I frequently spend time thinking of ways the US could improve its transit to match the advanced systems found across Europe and Asia. This interest guided me to this exploration, and I'm hoping to convey three applicable and thorough approaches to this relevant and impactful American issue.
As elaborated in this exploration, this issue has significance that can no longer be ignored - something must be done regarding transportation and mobility in the United States. Our citizens have struggled, and will continue to struggle, economically and socially, so this issue will be important to understand as it edges its way to the forefront of political campaigns and legislation. From economic, safety, environmental, and equity concerns, this multifaceted issue is one worth investing time and energy. |
Myself on the DC Metro, September 2019 (Source: Anthony Liberatori)
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