Benefits of Public Transportation

Benefits of public transport systems

(Source: BC Transit)

Reduced Infrastructure and Congestion Costs

Increasing automobile numbers bring with them a number of direct costs to the community. These include:

• Land costs;
• Construction and maintenance costs for expanded roadways and parking facilities;
• Traffic control and enforcement costs;
• Congestion costs, related to lost time and reduced productivity;

If some of the growth in automobile traffic, particularly at peak travel times, can be diverted to transit, significant savings can be realized.

Reduced Environmental Costs

An average transit trip results in significantly less energy use and pollution production per person than the same trip made by private automobile. Transit trips also require less land consumption since the same number of people can be carried on less road space and there are reduced parking requirements.

Community Development

Community transportation systems support and promote numerous aspects of economic and social development, including:

• creating jobs by attracting employers to areas that are accessible to more people;
• empowering workers by enabling transportation disadvantaged people to reach jobs;
• strengthening local businesses by giving them access to workers and to a wider market;
• enabling elderly people to remain independent by providing access to health care, shopping, day care programs, and other basic life needs.

Improved Mobility and Accessibility

Transit provides mobility to many people who do not have access to other modes of travel due to age, disability, or income.

Independent Living Transit provides the elderly and disabled, as well as those unable to drive for other reasons, freedom to travel without relying on others.