USA PUBLIC TRANSIT, CAR CENTRIC INFRASTRUCTURE, & RACISM

I did some reading and took notes on the above subject, and decided to collate them all on here for easy access in case anyone else is interested. Bullet points under each link are points I found particularly important in regards to public transit.

Why Public Transit?
Car Centric Infrastructure + Racism
Further Reading

Why Public Transit?

www.apta.com/news-publications/public-transportation-facts

FINANCIAL INCENTIVES

45% of Americans don’t have access to public transportation

For every $1 invested in public transportation there are $5 in economic returns
Every billion dollars invested in public transportation creates 50,000 jobs
Every 10 million dollars in capital investment creates $30,000 in increased business sales
Every 10 million dollars in maintenance investment for public transportation creates $32,000 in increased business sales
Home values are higher near public transportation (24% higher) and hotels become 11% more profitable
Saves average household $10,000 a year on car management (which can go back into economy in other expenditures)
87% of all trips on public transportation have direct impact on local economy

SAFETY

10x safer per mile
Accidents are 90% less likely to happen on public transportation

ENVIRONMENT

Current public transportation saves USA 6 billion gallons of gas per year
Currently reduces USA carbon footprint by 63 million metric tons per year

www.remix.com/blog/8-benefits-of-public-transportation

IMPROVES COMMUNITY HEALTH

since one must walk from transit stop to home, can increase public activity
reduces pollution and accident rates

ECONOMIC BENEFITS

again, economic return of $4 from every $1 invested
easier for people to stop for local businesses and such, increases overall community business

FUEL EFFICIENCY

some public transit is electric or by renewable energy
even when it’s gas, more efficient (less gas per person)

REDUCES AIR POLLUTION

85% of greenhouse gas emissions come from cars
every person can save 20 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a day by using public transportation.

EQUITABLE TRANSIT

means that folks who can’t afford a car/gas or don’t have a license have more opportunity to get jobs and be a part of the workforce

IMPROVES PRODUCTIVITY

since you can work while you travel or partake in hobbies, or even just rest (can’t do any of that when driving) it increases productivity overall

www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hpb20210630.810356

EQUITY

some groups rely on public transportation more than others
these groups include women, young adults, Black workers, and low-income workers
lack of public transportation disproportionately affects disabled folks and senior citizens
lack of public transportation contributes to racial/economic disparity by making things harder for folks who can't afford cars and reduces overall mobility

HEALTH EQUITY

reduces accidents and injuries
vehicular accidents are a leading cause of death for a lot of age groups
reduced air pollution
pollution from car emissions can increase the risk of cancer
also contributes to damage to many systems of the body (immune, reproductive, digestive, neurological, cardiovascular and respiratory)
^ all of the above disproportionately affects people of color and low-income communities
^^ since they are more likely to be exposed to high amounts of traffic and other high-polluting areas
makes it easier for people to access healthcare
lack of transit disproportionately affects health outcomes of those who are disabled, elderly, or cannot drive
^ lack of overall mobility results in lesser health outcomes (depression, dementia, life expectancy)
^^ this is aided by public transportation, increasing options for social, business, and community engagement
increases physical activity overall → better health outcomes

www.transportation.gov/mission/health/Expand-Public-Transportation-Systems-and-Offer-Incentives

increases health outcomes
lower crash rates and crash severity
public transportation has less than half the total death per mile rate for passengers than cars
1/10 fatality rate per mile for public transportation
people walk or bike to public transportation which increases physical activity
more cost effective

Car Centric Infrastructure + Racism

Infrastructure in the USA has been used as a tool to perpetuate segregation and racial/economic disparities. A prime example of this is in our transit infrastructure, both roads and public transportation
By increasing public transportation and funding it better, we can provide better opportunities for low income and Black communities, helping to repair the disparities in our country.
I can recall something about bridges being deliberately designed to not fit buses, making it harder for low-income families and POC to access places, but I haven’t found a source that confirms that so take it with a grain of salt.

www.projectivorytower.org/post/racism-in-american-infrastructure

HIGHWAY ACT OF 1956

Pushed for construction of highways (benefiting suburban white communities) and destruction of Black community
Road construction to destroy predominantly Black towns and regions, replace them with highways and interstates. Below are some examples

Example 1

construction of Interstate 94 in St. Paul, Minnesota evacuated 1/7 of the entire black population in the city

Example 2

construction of Interstate 579 completely destroyed a Black suburb in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
^ separated the predominantly Black community from the rest of Pittsburg, essentially choking the town
^^ had a population of 44,000 in 1950, now only about 9,500
^^^ 400+ businesses were lost

Example 3

construction of Interstate 95 in Florida completely destroyed Overtown, the cultural & economic center of the Black community in Miami
^ one of the highway interchanges involved took 40 square blocks and removed homes of 10,000 people
^^ once “the Harlem of Miami”, no sign even remains

www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-infrastructure-has-historically-promoted-inequality*

*this also talks about other forms of segregation in infrastructure, i’m taking notes on the road/transit based parts

”Racism physically built into some of our highways,” Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigeg
initial 20 years of the Highway Act of 1956 displaced 475,000 families and over a million people
^ weakened urban communities and aided segregation
communities in Pennsylvania that are predominantly POC or single parent families have less bridges
bridges in those areas also tend to be “restrictive”, limiting imports and transportation services