Learning the Ways of Public Transit and Saving on Your Commute

February 14, 2010 by Tracey
Filed under Sustainable Development

Over the course of the 1980s, 90s and early ‘aughts, the length of the average North American commute has continued to very steadily and dramatically increase. In an effort to get something useful done during those long commutes, besides talking on the cel-phone, many professionals have taken to riding the bus or train. Public transit is going through something of a renewal now that its become almost fashionable to ride it again.

Perhaps the most public of these projects are the many light rail systems that have sprung up in and around municipalities all over the US and Canada. Thanks to some forward thinking transportation planning in the late 1990s, many areas now have light rail lines that connect urban cores to the regional airports. Something that handy is always popular and tends to encourage increased spending on large scale public transit.

However, in most cities, public transit means riding the bus. Though this is somewhat less glamorous than taking a subway or sky-tram, buses get people to work and school throughout the world. They run whether you’re on them or not, so when full, represent a tremendous energy savings in the number of cars that aren’t on the road.

Well, all public transit systems are a bit different, but they all tend to involve bus routes that go into the more distant areas of town and all meet at centralized locations. Most often, this is the city center, but along most routes will be areas of revitalization that have sprung up around these oft-used routes.

Fares are usually based upon the distance traveled, the speed of transit involved and whether its during peak hours or not. For instance, direct or “express” routes often have a price premium, most often during the peak hours during morning and evening weekdays.

In areas with highly developed public transit systems, there may be several different ways to get from one place to another. Frequently this will involve direct access to stadiums and shopping areas from several different parts of town through park and ride locations.

Most public transit systems provide accommodation for handicapped riders. Many systems also have facilities for you to bring your bike along, sometimes for an additional fare. Senior citizens and students are granted low-cost fares in most systems.

While many people use public transportation in lieu of having a car, many more people are using public transit to get to work during the week and using their own vehicles during evenings and weekends. Many people with their own transportation are choosing to share vehicles and replace them with environmentally-friendly ways of getting around.

Since buses and trains continue to run whether you’re on them or not, it good rates of ridership are not only essential in saving as much pollution as possible with each trip, but also encourages the expansion of a service that can be considered lacking in most US cities, especially when compared with the transportation planning as seen in Europe.

While many people are intimidated when they first begin riding the bus, it’s easy to become an old pro in just a few trips. The more urban the area you’ll be traversing, the less time you’ll likely have to spend waiting for the bus to arrive and driving around through miles of side streets.

For those traveling to other cities, it is often much easier to get around and much more economical to stay closer to an urban center than to rent a car and drive all around the countryside. Some urban areas even have fareless zones to encourage patronage in a downtown area. Public transit often is offered between major downtown hotels and the airport. If you usually travel light, public transit options can satisfy all your travel plans. It’s also a great way to introduce yourself to just about any given city.

Using public transit at home, going to work and when traveling is part of a new 21st century ethic that has been driven, in part, by sharp increases in the price of oil. While this has driven up the cost of fares in most systems in recent years, public transit is still the least expensive option for commuters and travelers, alike.