Transit Justice

Public transportation as it is now is an inefficient and poor implementation of something that is amazing in concept. Affordable transportation to relevant areas within larger cities should be an amazing thing used by all, especially those who can’t afford a car. Below I linked a Huffington Post article which outlines how public transportation has had a legacy within civil rights movements especially when you think of figures like Rosa Parks. That said, I think this argument misses the point as to how public transportation is a social justice issue. The author frames it more around the fact that many can’t afford to use public transport and while that is an issue the way I see it the bigger issue is that public transportation is simply unreliable in many cities. The streetcar here in Portland is an expensive embarrassment that should do much more considering its cost. When poor individuals must rely on something outside of themselves to get to work the issue arises when this thing cannot reliably fill that need. With constant breakdowns and repairs how can anyone expect people who are of lower income to be able to hold a job with a commute and no car.  Another aspect of public transportation we should also focus on is the failure of Amtrak as a means to efficiently travel the country but I think that is a discussion for another day. Linked below is the article about transit justice and how it affects so many of our poor today.

Transit Justice Article