Transportation is more than simply moving from a point A to point B. It is a system that can limit or expand opportunities available to a group of people depending on where they live. In many cities, areas with the poor public transportation systems are usually impoverished. The lack of money to invest in many good transportation services leaves many without access to adequate goods, services, and even jobs. Atlanta is one place that battles with poor public transportation and I has a notorious traffic. This paper considers the public transportation system in Atlanta, the effect it has on economic growth and solutions to improving transportation.
The difficulty in movement and the poor public transportation was apparent in public opinion survey done on the Metro Atlanta region. The survey showed that transportation remained the top concern for people living in the metro area. Data from the survey, as indicated by 25 percent of interviewees, showed that transportation is a big concern in Atlanta (Metro Atlanta Survey Report, 2017). Transportation has been the leading and top concern for people in the region over the past three years. Apart from the opinion of the poor public transportation system, another group of respondents indicated that they did not have the transportation means when they wanted to move from one location to another. 1 in 3 respondents noted that they did not have access to a means of transportation when they required (Metro Atlanta Survey Report, 2017).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Atlanta’s MARTA public transportation system has one of the biggest failures with its trains. The system is essentially useless as it does not benefit the general public. Data from the Atlanta transportation showed that MARTA has a huge ridership. However, the rail track has not developed to other counties and is only available in two counties. The train services do not service critical areas where many suburban commuters live. Many people that use the train often complain about its poor services. The trains are known to be often late and the bus schedules are constantly changing. Shutdowns are frequent and can go from an hour to a full night shut down (Jeon et al., 2007).
The MARTA transportation system has faced a significant challenge of huge expenses over the years. In a bid to raise money for operating expenses, it has often opted to cut costs and raise fares. The result is that the fare has increased over the past few years and is currently at $2.50. The cost of transportation has seen it become one of the priciest transit systems in the country. A public transportation is desired by many, especially the lower-income people that can hardly afford cars. However, such pricing makes it difficult for many low-income people to afford or opt for the transportation system (Bert, 2015).
For those that live in the less central neighborhoods of Atlanta, buses typically provide a link to the major rail lines. However, these too have faced several challenges. Bus fleet in the region are old and breakdowns can be common. Bus arrival and departure times are not specific. This means that people may have to wait for long periods of time at the bus stops. The overcrowding nature of the locations makes it difficult to board a bus once one arrives. The busses are scheduled to run in every 10 to 15 minutes. However, they get increasingly slow when traffic becomes bad. In other instances, it is even better to walk to one’s destination as it will get one to a place faster compared to using the bus (Black, 2010).
Effect of poor public transportation
Several studies have shown an increased congestion in metro Atlanta traffic in the previous 10 years. The congestion in the metropolitan area is now the 4th worst within the entire country. The huge congestion hinders the growth and progress of various businesses, it can hinder the development of companies and the rise of quality jobs. A survey interviewed business leaders on what hinders the running and expansion of businesses in the region. They noted that traffic is the biggest interference to running a company and that the region should deal with the increasing traffic for businesses to run effectively. The region should prepare for an influx of residents and population into the metropolitan area in the coming few years. The best way to prepare is to offer a better public transportation system (Blinkovitz, 2017).
A study on metropolitan areas showed that geographic mobility has a direct link to economic mobility. Public transit access has a direct relationship on employment and the income of people living in the region (Jeon et al., 2007). The region should first deal with public transportation so as to deal with economic inequality effectively. Access and availability of everything that relates to economic progress such as jobs, quality foods, goods, schooling, and healthcare depends on one’s ability to get around in an efficient way. Transportation that is affordable and available will ensure that people get access to these needs.
The effect of a poor public transportation system in Atlanta can be seen in the stagnating economic growth in Atlanta’s metropolitan region. In a list of the 200 fastest growing metropolitan rankings, Atlanta has moved from the 89th spot to 189th in five years. Additionally, there has been a significant drop in the average housing price per square foot by 29 percent. The survey by the United Nations additionally showed that Atlanta has the eleventh most congested traffic among 101 metro areas (United Nations Population Division, 2016). The survey shows a close relationship between economic development and public transportation. In order to create a better economic growth, the region has to focus on improving its public transportation system.
Solution
The support for developing a better public transit system is strong in Atlanta. A survey by the Metro Atlanta Public survey showed 43 percent noted that expanding the public transportation offers the ultimate answer to the region’s traffic problems. Another 32 percent showed approval for improving highways and roads in the region. The survey further showed that 92 percent of the respondents said that improvement of public transit is very important for Metro Atlanta’s future (Metro Atlanta Survey Report, 2017).
Poor investment in the public transportation system of Atlanta is the main reason of the traffic problems of Atlanta. There should be more investment towards the public transportation to ensure that people from different regions can have easy access. More roads in the region may not be the answer as wider roads create more vehicles and cause increased traffic. The only answer to these difficulties is the building and development of public transportation (Dixon, 2016).
In conclusion, Atlanta serves as one of the worst examples of poor urban transportation. The issue of poor public transportation is seen in the poor infrastructure and inadequate access to the transport facilities. The region has inadequate rails and the use of public bus services faces many challenges like that of increasing traffic. The effect of the poor transportation networks is seen in the stagnating economic growth in the region. The problem should be addressed quickly especially in the face of a growing economic inequality. The region has to invest more in the public transportation system.
References
Bert, R. (2015) Move: Putting America's Infrastructure Back in the Lead, New York City: WW Norton & Company, 2015. Civil Engineering—ASCE , 85 (9), 82-82.
Binkovitz, L. (2017). As Atlanta Faces Transportation Challenges, Panel Recommends State Transit Funding . Rivard Report . Retrieved 16 April 2018, from https://therivardreport.com/as-atlanta-faces-transportation-challenges-panel-recommends-state-transit-funding/
Black, W. (2010). Sustainable transportation Systems: problems, Challenges and solutions . Journal of Transportation Guilford Press.
Dixon, K. (2016). Transportation Remains Top Concern For Metro Atlanta Residents . Atlanta, GA Patch . Retrieved 16 April 2018, from https://patch.com/georgia/atlanta/transportation-remains-top-concern-metro-atlanta-residents
Metro Atlanta Survey Report - ARC . (2017). ARC . Retrieved 15 April 2018, from https://atlantaregional.org/plans-reports/metro-atlanta-speaks-survey-report/
Jeon, C. M., Amekudzi, A., & Guensler, R. (2007). Evaluating transportation system sustainability: Atlanta metropolitan region. In 2007 Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Transportation Board .
United Nations Population Division | Department of Economic and Social Affairs . (2016). Un.org . Retrieved 9 April 2018, from http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/databooklet/index.shtml
