Taking public transportation helps the economy, helps the environment, and reduces our dependence on foreign oil. And only a slight tolerance for the smell of urine is required.
Public Transit Use On The Rise
More people are ditching their cars for buses and trains.
Web2Carz Senior Writer
Published: June 15th, 2012
D
ue to a confluence of factors including high gas prices and a generation coming of age with a decided disinterest in cars, use of public transit has skyrocketed this year. Transit agencies reported record use for the first three months of the year.
Among the cities with the biggest increase in ridership are Indianapolis, In., which saw a 20% increase over last year, Fort Myers, Fla., which saw a 17% increase, and Charlotte, N.C., which saw a 10% rise. Other cities reporting record public transit use, according to the American Public Transportation Association, are Ann Arbor, Boston, Dayton, Ithaca, and Tampa.
Another reason for the rise is increased traffic congestion in many major metropolitan areas. Many of the public trans users are people who could drive to their jobs, but choose not to, either to save money or to save themselves the hassle of a stop-and-go commute.
But the lack of interest among young people in cars is surely another contributing factor. Automakers have been struggling to attract young driving-age buyers, but for the last few years sales among that demographic have fallen.
Also, technological advances, such as smartphone-based bus and train trackers, have made commuting by public transportation easier than ever.
All we know is there are still too few people using public transportation in our neck of the woods, as our commute continues to be a grueling 10-mph slog.
