Climate change and other environmental problems are becoming more pressing issues today. But imagine a world where every country and its people care about the environment. And their decisions and everyday actions might affect it. So much so that they look for choices and options that have the least or least harmful effect. In this case, we could ensure that future generations can live on Earth in a sustainable and safe way.
Today we are exploring the benefits of public transportation for our cities together with Nick Wilson, owner of AdvanceSOS financial service that helps people get instant cash advances until payday. Nick has always been a public transportation enthusiast and lobbied increase in public transport routes in his region.
Taking public transportation more is one way to help protect nature. Why not walk or take public transportation to go short distances in the city instead of driving? You’ll save time, help the environment, and even stay healthy.
1. Public Transportation Helps the Environment
Most of the pollution comes from private cars and trucks. Even though emissions from making and using cars aren’t growing as fast as flying, it’s still an issue that needs to be fixed.
One of the best ways to save the environment and reduce pollution is to use public transportation more instead of driving your car. By cutting down on the number of private vehicles, many cities have been able to cut CO2 emissions by as much as 50%.
2. Better Health and Cleaner Air to Breathe
When too many cars come into a city, it does hurt the environment and people’s health. Exhaust gasses damage the air quality and release harmful particles. And these can make people more likely to get lung diseases and hurt their mental health. Children are especially at risk from air pollution. Such is because their brains are still developing and are very sensitive to the effects of the environment.
3. Cities Don’t Have Enough Room for Cars Anymore
The number of cars in cities can’t keep increasing because there won’t be enough room for them at some point. Let’s face it: cars take up a lot of space. Think about how much space 20 people traveling in their cars take up compared to 20 people traveling on a bus. You can see that the difference is enormous and that the traffic moves slower when there is less room for it.
More and more traffic jams happen because there isn’t enough space. And countermeasures like rerouting traffic or finding ways to make driving easier don’t solve the problem. Instead, they encourage people to drive their cars. And this creates a never-ending cycle where the city must keep finding more space as the number of cars keeps increasing.
4. Enjoy the Beautiful Cityscape and Its People More
Cities are getting more and more crowded, and there is less and less space for cars. Cars also ruin the look of cities. As more cars come into city centers, there is less room for cyclists and pedestrians. When cars are parked in areas connected to sidewalks, the space for cyclists becomes too narrow and dangerous to ride on.
Meanwhile, more people using public transportation would help clean up the air. It would also free up space in cities. This would make city traffic much more excellent for cyclists and pedestrians. And it would make cities around the world more beautiful and quiet.
5. Save Time and Money, and Lessen Your Stress
Due to traffic, many cities have bus-only lanes. This means that public transportation in the town can be cheaper and faster. Even more so when you don’t have to worry about where to park or how much it will cost when you take public transportation.
If public transportation can meet the needs of commuters, more people will use it over time instead of driving their cars. Public transportation is getting more and more popular, which is good news. You can sit, relax, read a book, or even work on the bus or train, which is a much better way to spend your time commuting.
So What Now – For You, Me, Us?
Change is hard to bring about in cities, so we need to find ways to encourage and inspire people. First, we must ensure that public transportation is good and everyone can use it. This is so that people will think about taking a bus or train instead of driving. Making car travel less appealing, more expensive, slower, and less convenient could also work. But as history has shown, punishing people usually doesn’t work out well.
Changes need to be made to how cities are planned so that fewer cars are used and they do less damage. Driving comfort shouldn’t be a top priority when planning for city streets and streets in the suburbs.
In a democracy, people’s choices can’t and shouldn’t be messed with too much. But people can be told what to do. The aim must be to focus on the needs and comfort of people who use or rely on public transport and those that commute and walk on foot. Because if more people choose public transport, the better chance we have at saving the environment.