Better Public Transportation can Solve Traffic Problems - Term Paper Example

BETTER PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION CAN SOLVE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS Introduction In this age of technology,mobility and status consciousness, people aspire to own assets that signify their status in the society, enables them to stay connected and enhance their standard of living. One of such commodities is a car. While some people own it out of need, comfort, cost effectiveness and ease, many own cars to satisfy their desire for the newest car, the most recent look, the latest technology etc. Thus, even though it is a necessity for some, cars are also a means of mere comfort for many people. Commuting from one place to another is an imperative for any function of day-to-day life. Public transport has taken a back seat under these circumstances, and even though its use is still in practice, it is not the most popular means of transportation in many parts of the world. Whether it is because of lack of importance attributes to this sector or lack of resources available for investment, the fact remains that traffic problems have become an integral part of every society. In a world where opportunities are granted or retained within seconds, it poses several large and small problems for the people, leading to a frustrated behavior patterns, societal dissonance and restricted growth. This paper will support the stance that if public transport is made better and maintained, it will enable many people to switch from the use of private cars and travel by public means of transportation. This will reduce the number of vehicles on the road and contribute positively towards reducing traffic problems. Traffic problems- causes and effects Traffic problems are not a new concept to us. Whether it is due to excessive cars on the road, poor infrastructure, accidents, weather hold-up, construction blockages and traffic diversion, congestion on the roads is a nuisance whether one is travelling by private means or through public transport. Urbanization has led to an increase in the number of vehicles that are on the road and hence, posing several problems. Firstly, traffic congestions lead to significant wastage of time. People can miss out on opportunities and essential meetings that could have made a positive impact on their lives/ career. Exhaustion can also decrease an individual’s productivity level at workplace. Thus, the opportunity cost of lost time is fairly high. Apart from the most obvious result of traffic congestion, i.e. waste of valuable time, traffic also contributes towards a major problem of air pollution. Fuel wastage is also attributed to excessive traffic as the car is not moving and the engine is using up fuel to keep it in one place. Idle cars use up fuels unnecessarily and emit harmful carbon dioxide in the air. This polluted air is taken in by the surrounding motorists and passengers, leading to several health problems. Apart from the decline in quality of air that is breathed in, traffic jams also lead to mental stress that is not positive for any healthy individual. It can lead to a shorter life span, decrease in productivity and road rage. Road Rage is a term that has been assigned to aggressive behavior that is a result of prolonged exposure to traffic congestions. It is characterized by anger, verbal abuse and retaliation. It can have a chain effect as other drivers become agitated when one expresses his frustration for a situation they are all a part of. Traffic congestions also lead to more accidents as tight-spots between the car and constant slight movement forwards makes it difficult to avoid collisions, however minor. Thus, the above points prove the several disadvantages of traffic jams and their effect on the productivity, health and safety of an individual. Public transportation As the name signifies, public transport refers to a shared means of travelling for passengers, and is available for use to the general public. It includes modes like buses, trains and rapid transit modes like subways. The concept dates back to the times when people used to travel by foot. Then they moved to travelling on animal and later, as a group on a vehicle that was pulled by an animal. This was the basic origination of the idea that people with identical destinations could travel together without having to go into a proper agreement with each other (Das). With time, technology evolved the whole concept of public transit through the invention of combustion engines and other engineering break through that allow faster and more efficient means to travel. Soon after the government took the responsibility to provide the best possible services and welfare to the general masses, the concept of availability of public transport and means of transit became a core infrastructural aspect. Governments build roads and highway networks to reduce the distance between places and enable a smooth travelling route to the people. Strategic planning models are now created to build ideal travelling infrastructure that is of utmost need and strategically beneficial. More opportunities emerge as people get an opportunity to connect with other areas through the means of roads. However, there still exist problems in transit, the most major one being that of traffic congestion. Rapid urbanization enabled more people to own and drive cars. This has led to an increase in the number of cars on the roads, and since it can accommodate only a certain percentage of the cars, it leads to a traffic jam. Consider a cylindrical shaped tube and marbles. Initially marbles can be inserted easily lining up neatly till it reaches a point of capacity. If more marbles are still inserted, the marbles will no longer be lined up; instead they will be clumped together haphazardly. Same is the case with roads. Increasing number of cars on the same road leads to traffic congestions and bottlenecks. Public transportation allows efficient use of resources by moving a whole group of passengers though the same transit corridor, in one vehicle. Not only does it reduce the cost per person, it also relieves the passengers of undue stress they would have been exposed to otherwise. It lessens the chances of traffic jams and collisions and offers a safe relaxing travel experience to the public (Public Transportation Relieves Traffic Congestion). Need for a better public transport system The points mentioned above signify the importance of public transportation and its benefits. However, there are several factors that contribute towards the inefficiency of the system. The concept of public transit is that of a common man’s means of travelling. People who aspire to be known in the society often indulge in the purchase of multiple cars to show their power and have a societal influence on the people. This is just one side of the story because many people opt for private cars because they do not find the public transport up to the mark (Das; Lackmeyer). It then becomes the responsibility of the government to devise policies that uplift the image of public transportation and also improve the system as a whole. Timeliness, convenience of travel and basic facilitation are just some of the many attributes that the masses look for. Adequate investment in infrastructural development of the roads and highways, use and implementation of technologies and positioning of public transit as cost effective and environment friendly can help in improving the current situation of the public transport. Even though the governments work determinedly to sustain and improve the transit networks in the major cities of the country, they tend to allocate less significance to slightly smaller cities, which do have a significant number of people relying on private cars for transportation. Since investment does not go into improving the facilities in these areas, the numbers of private cars are seen to be increasing every day. This is the main reason because of which the roads are jammed with traffic (Online Tdm Encyclopedia; Edwards). The use of public transport in UK and USA can be proved through statistics. In the US, out of the total population of 8,143,197, 54.6% use public transport (Public Transportation Statistics | Statistic Brain). This is because of being major business hub and home to a significant population, the public transport system has been made one of the best in the world. The New York subway is one of the fastest and most efficient subways in the world. Double decker buses that can accommodate double the amount of people in the same vehicle are also a prominent public transport feature in New York. However, in Oklahoma City, the home of some 547,274 people, only 1% travels by public transport. Oklahoma City is said to have less efficient public transport system in terms of routes covered, thus the population prefers to own their own cars. This hampers people from getting to their respective jobs because of traffics on the roads. According to the director of the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority, the resources allocation by the central government has been debated for a long time as the allocated amount is to be shared between law enforcement agencies, infrastructural development and public transit sector (Lackmeyer). This leaves insufficient amount in the hands of the local government to invest in the improvement of the public transit system. In London, even though cars remain the largest mode of travelling, there has been a gradual increase in the number of people using public transport, specially buses, an increase of 5% since 1993 (Edwards). The tube-trains are full in capacity so the population opting for this medium remains constant. This is indicators that if the means are made available, people are likely to switch to the more efficient and cost effective means. The question remains, however, is whether the government realize the dire need of a strong transport system for effective commute and overall growth of the society. Revenue generation and resource allocation have been two major issues when it comes to the investment in public transport. However, governments need to understand that development of a public transport not only solves the problem of traffic congestion, but also provides employment to the people. It allows social integration and growth opportunities because more avenues of mobility are made available. Suggestions There is no denying the fact that there are always going to be people who will own private cars and will prefer personal conveyance in comparison to public transportation. For some it is a status symbol, even if it means standing in lines at gas stations and being stuck in traffic. In such a situation, a policy of taxing these private car owners in order to generate revenue that can be invested in the betterment and maintenance of public transport is a valid suggestion. Such a policy can be feasible in making the ownership of a car slightly burdensome on the individuals. Even if they still keep a car, having been made to pay taxes, the positive side is that it will always result to more government income that can be reimbursed in making public transportation and infrastructure better. The private car owner, too, can benefit from this because it will mean lesser traffic congestion for him. When the overall structure and modes of public transport are improved the overall image of public transport will also improve. This might drive people who were previously unwilling to use public transport, to give it a try. Increased use of public means of transportation will lead to lesser private cars on the road, reducing the existing traffic problems and enabling smooth transit for the people. This policy can have certain disadvantages too. For examples, the masses already believe they are being taxed highly. Imposing such a policy will pose undue burden on them. they will have lesser spendable income at the end of the month and their purchasing power may also decrease. Since many people belonging to the middle income group also drive cars, they will be the most affected and the rich will still be able to afford a car and maintain it easily. Societal disparity might widen and social unrest can result as a result of this extra taxation policy. A proper transportation planning and management system has to be employed for an effective public transport system. Available resources should be allocating according to the prioritized means of transportation. The prioritization should be based on the availability of existing network that can support it. This will help in cutting down costs of initiating an entirely new mode of transport. Planned roadways, stops, timing, supporting resources etc., have to be pre-decided on a feasibility basis (Online TDM Encyclopedia - Prioritizing Transportation). Conclusion The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) in its urban mobility report of 2010 identified that road congestions had become a prominent hindrance in more than 400 major cities of the United States. It stressed the need of a public transport system that could relieve the traffic congestion ritual (Public Transportation Relieves Traffic Congestion). The cost effectiveness in terms of energy efficient, job creations, increased mobility of people from and to work could lead to economic benefits as well. The existing public transport system was used to evaluate the amount of cost and fuel savings and the results was a clear indicator of the positive impact it can have on individuals and businesses. For example, in new york alone, savings from public transport amounted to 368062189 hours saved, 267205900 fuel gallons saved and 8810307584 congestion costs savings (Annual Urban Mobility Report — Urban Mobility Information). The arguments proposed in this paper support the point that developed public transport can lead to lesser traffic problems. Since traffic congestion leads to several relating problems and costs, public transport system also relieves the people from the related issues. All developed countries of the world have realized the need for connectivity and technology, yet they fail to understand the importance of getting their people to their jobs first. Prioritizing public transport system for every local government’s budget allocation and then making effective use of available resources to set up an ideal transport system for the masses, can help in countering the endless problems associated with the urbanization of societies. References: Lackmeyer, Steve. "Oklahoma City public transit ranks low in new national study." NewsOK.com, 2011. Web. 31 Jan 2014. . Edwards, Tom. "BBC - Mind The Gap: Public transport in London: A decade in numbers." Bbc.co.uk, 2011. Web. 31 Jan 2014. . Unknown. "Public Transportation Statistics | Statistic Brain." Statisticbrain.com, 2014. Web. 31 Jan 2014. . Das, Darshana. "mass transit." Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013. Web. 31 Jan 2014. . Unknown. "Online TDM Encyclopedia - Prioritizing Transportation." Vtpi.org, 2010. Web. 31 Jan 2014. . Unknown. "Public Transportation Relieves Traffic Congestion." Sdmts.com, 2011. Web. 31 Jan 2014. . Unknown. "Annual Urban Mobility Report — Urban Mobility Information." Mobility.tamu.edu, 2014. Web. 31 Jan 2014. . Read More