Provide Access to Public Transportation
Why is Access to Public Transpiration Important?
The goal of improving public transportation is to increase the number of single occupancy vehicle commuters who forego driving for the convenient and reasonably priced alternative of mass transit. By providing greater access to public transportation, single occupancy vehicle commuters have a greater incentive to use alternative transportation.
What are the Sustainability Benefits?
Access to public transportation provides economic, social, and environmental benefits. Some of these benefits include:
- Energy Savings
- Reduced Ozone Impact
- Improved Mobility
- An Affordable way to Commute
Potential Strategies for Implementation
There are two major ways to improve access to public transportation. These two strategies include providing new rail system services and expanding bus services. Providing greater access to public transportation is a complex process. The planning and coordination of this process should include the following considerations:
- Transportation departments need to secure adequate funding, which requires voter approval or permission from the State Legislature.
- Land use patterns in the region must be taken into consideration. Transit services should be designed in conjunction with development plans to ensure that new development is served by transit.
- There should be minimal walking corridors to transit options and controlled parking.
Desired Regional End-State
The desired regional end-state is the increase in public transportation options and an increase in ridership throughout the region.
Measures of Progress/Metrics
Effective measures of progress include ridership and air quality.