The Win-Win: Mass Transportation To/From Major Cities

True, buses use a lot of gas, but they save just as much gas. 45 bus riders save 45 cars' worth of gasoline, and the trade-off? Just one bus worth of gas.

So here's a dilemma that is interesting because of its myriad solutions: traffic congestion. How do you get cars moving again? Well, the simple solution is to build more lanes, right? More lanes decongest the traffic. But... in a few years the same problem will be back. It seems like highways are always being widened because they're never large enough.

Instead of making more lanes, what we need to do is make more public transportation. Now, while this concept is not ideal for long distances, say across the country, think about the places where you really are likely to hit the most traffic: around cities. People commute into and out of cities the most. What most cities don't have, but need, is effective public transportation systems. To the suburbs and back, trains and buses need to run on efficient routes where usage is likely to be high. If effective public transportation systems are implemented, people will be enticed to take them. Assuming they're clean, cheap, efficient, and on-time, there's nothing not to like.

So, as Lynn Sloman, in her book "Car Sick" suggests, why not dedicate a lane, or build a lane, on major roads into and out of cities that are reserved specifically for buses? If a bus can peel 45+ cars off the road, then there's no need to build more lanes for traffic. Less cars will be used, and remaining traffic congestion will encourage people to ride the buses. Not only are there monetary savings, but the dedicated lanes will actually make bus transportation just as fast as it would take for people to drive their own cars into the city for work. What's more, commuters who opt for the public transportation option never have to worry about finding, or paying for, a parking space. Throw in the reduced carbon emissions and, therefore, less pollution, and it's clearly a win-win for everyone involved.