But Why?

Clearly, America is not in the best of positions in regards of many factors; economy, environment, infrastructure, and so on. Many people feel that America has lost its influence; that the glory of the birthplace of the great democracy has faded into the past. Detroit is an example of one of the great areas of America, one the highlights of the American culture, that has become a shadow of its former glory. Detroit had a population of 2 million! 2 million people used to live in the city which is in a state of hopelessness; a state of decline rather than progression into the future. Failed projects, ditched efforts, and empty buildings seem to litter the once-grand-city. This is a tragedy, and perhaps, ironically, one of the greatest reasons why this exodus of people is happening is because of the lack of a good form of transportation. The city that once created cars at a national level is now entrenched in a transportation that cannot properly transport its people.

What could change this? Only a revolution; a “vision” for a form of transportation that can effectively move its population quickly, frequently, and efficiently. But this kind of vision seems impossible. With cars as the dominant form of transportation, moving to the use of public transportation seems like a whim for a small area of people. Everywhere, people have already become completely comfortable with their cars and personal automobiles. The complainers seem to only be in those small pockets of individuals who do not have the luxury of the private form of transportation. Why change such a huge part of the culture in order to appease these strangers?

The surprising fact is, not only those few people are ones to benefit from the use of public transportation. Public transportation, as shown in many foreign countries that have adopted large scale public transit, can flip a country upside-down in regards of economy, direction of infrastructure, and even social happiness. Social happiness! A public transit can provide cheap travel to a baseball game, a family reunion, even a favorite theater. Environmental health! The use of few large transit systems, even with the use of gasoline, is astoundingly healthier for the general ecosystem. Some forms of transportation have completely left gasoline in the dust; for example, trains that run completely on electricity. Buses and large transportation models can follow this eco-friendly suit because with fewer vehicles that require refills of their own types of energy, it is easier to plan and create stations for re-energizing. Not surprisingly, environmental and social health are two subjects that are concentrated on for a fairly large portion in the world of politics.

But these are just ideas for a perfect world, and it seems that we are trying to rebuild a damaged country. Unsurprisingly, public transportation may have the answer to one of our greater problems of the American present: the economy. Moving back to Detroit, the demographics have shown a very large shift in the general workforce moving to the suburbs; this is where there is more land, space, and effectively, spatial freedom. But as discussed above, this kind of exodus leaves a void that can cripple an entire city. Suddenly, the jobs have moved with the workforce, leaving a sort of giant ghost town. Say that a large-scale transportation system was made to connect the entirety of Detroit and its suburban branches; immediately, people who once were looking desperately in their restrictive daily commuting spaces are able to reach to places and jobs that were completely inaccessible before. People actually find jobs that they are specialized in, and perhaps even enjoy. This does not apply to only those in less-than-desirable situations; a large transit system, which will be naturally faster than the daily commuting blob due to its lack of sheer numbers and, in the case of trains, simply stronger engines, can broaden their horizons as well, opening new doors for jobs, commodities, and more. The latter also means more business for everyone because suddenly, one must walk a certain distance to get where they must be, opening themselves to places that they might have never seen; transportation centers even act as a hub for business!

To call this is fancy would be an insult to the multitudes of people working on projects to make this kind of dream possible. I have heard myself people who simply state that, “it’s just not possible.” For those who believe that it is not just a dream but a plan with set instructions and methods, it is more than possible. It is the definitive future.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/blueprintamerica/reports/beyond-the-motor-city/video/939/