Plea for Public Transit Overhaul

Edder Martinez, Staff Reporter

 

It’s no secret that San Antonio has a car problem. Whether it be traffic jams on 410, or not being able to find parking downtown, San Antonio is clearly full of cars everywhere, but it may feel like there’s no space for them despite the sea of car infrastructure that runs this city, but there may be a solution, Public Transit.

 

Although San Antonio isn’t well known for its walkability It is still in the city’s best interest to provide public Infrastructure for walkability and transit use. Car Centric public infrastructure can lead to even more congestion, and take up unnecessary space for those living nearby. This new infrastructure can also Encourage a healthier style of living. Additionally, this infrastructure can help close the gap on one of its cities’  long standing issues of economic inequality.

 

Car Centric city design is common around the U.S. and San Antonio is one of the most Car Centric cities. San Antonio is rated one of the least walkable cities in the country receiving a walk score of 37, and a much poorer transit score of 31 according to Walkscore.com 

 

This can be harmful to the makeup of a city. The space taken up by highways and parking does take up space from housing, it admits more carbon dioxide leading to a less sustainable environment, and not to mention is generally not appealing to the eye.

 

People critical of taking resources from highways and parking lots often counter by mentioning how this can lead to longer commute times, and make it harder to get around, but adding more lanes to a highway doesn’t ease traffic congestion; In reality it can cause quite the opposite. More lanes simply attract more cars, and you can only fit so many cars within a 12 lane highway.

 

The City of San Antonio could theoretically solve congestion with reliable public transit, Like its buses, or by investing in some form of rail. Not only can you fit more people within a Bus, or cart, it would also relieve congestion on the highways for those who do need to take a vehicle to work. An investment in transit is mutually beneficial for both the transit rider, and car rider, if planned well, and if given the resources.

 

Another benefit to Transit infrastructure is the healthy lifestyle it encourages. Even taking a few steps to the local bus or rail line can do a lot for one’s health and adds up after a few trips back and forward, and that’s not all. “Public transportation systems are associated with reductions in several health risk factors such as motor vehicle crashes, air pollution, and physical inactivity.”, says the CDC , “use of public transport was associated with an additional 8 to 33 minutes of walking per day.”

 

According to the CDC and the DOT, public transit only makes up for less than one percent of transit deaths while cars make up about 75 percent of transit related deaths. Aswell, “For every passenger mile traveled, public transportation produces only a fraction of the harmful pollution of private vehicles”, said the CDC. Transit only produces half as much  carbon dioxide as private vehicles do.

 

The benefits of public transit aren’t just limited to those who use public transit, and it can positively impact our entire community whether you still plan to use your car or public transit. San Antonio, a city defined by its heavy reliance on cars, could be brought even further if it ever decides to fund its public transit.

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