Transit Systems
Travel Essentials
Transit Systems are public transportation systems which enable people to move from one location to another. It is meant to facilitate people who do not own their own vehicles. Rails, Buses, ferries, taxicabs and airline services all come under the broad perspective of public transit systems.
Public Transit Systems
Public transit systems rely on government funding to keep them going. Public transit systems earn revenue from the money paid by people using the transport and also in the form of incidental revenue arising through unused real estate. Such income can be seen in the form of parking fees, renting space commercially, advertising, and so on.
An example of a public transit system can be seen in the Edmonton Transit System that operates in the city of Edmonton, Alberta in Canada. This system offer bus and light rail to its people. Its bus services runs within the city and also connects to the city's suburban areas, while it's light rail service are also running underground. This system has been of enormous service to people during peak rush hour traffic and in getting to and fro from work.
Public Transit System United States
In the United States, public transit services are supported by the local and the state governments. They receive bout 80% capital grant aid from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The transit services offered to the public can be seen in the form of bus, commuter rail, light rail, cable car, heritage streetcar systems, and subway.
Of all the places in the United States, New York City is reported to have the most extensive transit system. Its public transit system is operated and administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. It is widely used and without it most people are lost, indicating the effectiveness and the importance of this means of transport for people who want to get to their place of work and then back home to their families. In recent times, States such as Colorado and Utah have shown their support towards the development and enhancement of the public transit system by making move investments into it.
Benefits of Public Transit Systems
Public transit systems are seen as the solution to alleviate congested traffic and many cities prefer to spend money in enhancing their public transport systems to reduce the heavy congestion caused by automobile traffic. The Docklands Light Rail and Cross rail projects in London had been initiated to bring in economic growth and promote business ventures in these areas so that they come on par with other areas in London.
There is also a belief that a good public transit system can save taxpayer money in many ways such as a reduction in road construction cost required to accommodate more vehicles or damages caused by high levels of pollution, which in an indirect health hazard. Public transit system as such uses lesser fuel than private automobiles. In America, many scientists believe that if Americans were to make more use of their public transport system, the country's dependence on foreign oil can by cut down by 40% and this in turn translates as a reduction in pollution in cities and better health for the people.
The Transit-for-all Movement
A popular movement, named Transit-for-all supports the importance, investment and enhancement of the public transport system in American life. According to the supporters of this movement, money offered to subsidizing cheap oil, amounting to about 70 billion dollars can be better put into developing and improving the publictransport system. Doing this they feel, will enhance society in many ways. Benefits include more economic mobility for people who are unable to spend more on transport even it be their own transport, reduction in pollution and dangers to environment, reduction in health hazard, connectivity to remote locations, reduce America's dependence on foreign oil, which will in turn improve the nation's security levels.
Need for Improvement
In many parts around the world the public transit system is in dire need of attention, particularly in Asia, Africa and in South American countries. Many are in improper working condition or just barely working condition. Given the importance of public transport in economic growth, and environmental impact, there is a need to improve these systems to gain maximum benefit from their usage.
