Block, D. (2023, February 20). Free public transportation accelerates in some US cities. VOA.
Retrieved August 23 2023, from https://www.voanews.com/a/free-public-transportation-accelerates-in-some-us-cities/6966994.html
This source talks about how in the US there should be more free public transport. It also talks about how recently, Washington was the first city to make public transport free. Following, there are other big cities focusing on making public transport free. The article talks about how there are benefits such as it is better for the environment, more people get to use it, and it is more productive than cars. It also talks about how mass transportation is, “a public good,” and therefore, there should be no bus tolls. Overall, the transportation system should be free and the perspective of it should be changed so more people use it.
This article is related to environmental science, because of how big of an impact public transportation has on the environment. I think that if the perception on how public transit is viewed changes that would be a lot better. It seems like a lot of people don’t use it because it has been looked at as not as nice and people have to pay for it. In reality, the bus is a public amenity so people should not have to pay for it. I think that knowing how much the environment is impacted by cars this would be a good alternative and I think making the bus free helps encourage people to use it.
This is a very easy and simple way to get more people to utilize public mass transportation, making it really easy for it to be worth it. I wonder if the money being used to run it in Washington is being used from tax dollars or some other source. By having it free, it could even provide a financial incentive and even investment for working people compared to the costs of car ownership/other forms of transportation.
I think you bring up great points. Thank you!