Influencing and Persuading People to Use Public Transportation to help our Environment

Current Modes of transportation (in La) 

Giant cities like Los Angeles have a myriad of intercity and intracity transportation systems and modes. Such cities have numerous airports that conduct both long-distance or intercity travel and short distances travel. Cities with seaports also conduct various water transportation services. In Los Angeles, the dominant mode of transportation remains to be car transport as a majority of households, eighty-eight percent of households, have cars. The rate of infatuation with cars among Los Angeles inhabitants is unexplainable. The rail system, managed by LA Metro, is continuously expanding its services into all city areas, and the number of passengers per day is increasing every year. The rail system consists of different lines named in colors and operating either as light or heavy (underground rails) rails. During weekdays, the LA Metro transports almost a million passengers. Public buses are also available in Los Angeles, carrying over one million people on a weekday. Some of the most common bus lines include the Metro buses, Big Blue Bus, and Dash Buses. Rideshare services and taxis, typically under car transportation, are also common in LA, offering convenient and flexible traveling in and around the city. 

Other forms of transportation common in Los Angeles include bicycling, foot walks, and bike or scooter rideshare. While so many people have and use their cars, a good number of people go to work on foot. Almost four percent of the city’s population commute around the city on foot. A lot of people in LA today use bicycles to move around the city. One percent of the population use bicycles as their means of transportation. Other environmentally friendly utilities such as electric bikes and scooters are also in use within the city — there are rental bikes and scooters which are available to the people through various rideshare apps. 

Importance of Public Transportation 

Some of the major means of public transportation include rail systems, bus systems, and bike or scooter shares. In the future, as seen in some cities in the US, autonomous and electric shuttles may dominate cities as the primary means of public transportation ( Lam et al., 2016) . Public transportation comes with numerous economic, health, social, and environmental benefits to individuals, communities, and the entire national government. For instance, public transportation creates revenues and provides employment opportunities for the community. Also, less amount of money goes to public transportation as compared to the money spent on buying and maintaining personal cars. Public transportation encourages and ensures physical activities as people have to walk to bus stops or train stations. In terms of conserving the environment, public transportation reduces air pollution, increases fuel efficiency, and reduces traffic congestion. 

Buses carry lots of people at the same time, reducing the carbon print in comparison to car users. Less amount of carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere as hundreds of people who would have used cars are transported using a single bus or train. With more people using public transportation, less fuel would be used for transportation. Currently, with the minimal use of public transportation, over four billion gallons of gasoline is saved each year. One would only imagine the amount of money that could be saved if everyone abandoned their cars and started using public transportation. Congestion on roads is an environmental nuisance. Traffic jams on roads lead to more fuel being used and carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere. Also, people do all sorts of things, such as throw out used up liquid or solid food containers while waiting for the traffic to clear up. Proper public transportation systems are quicker and have points where people can throw away used materials safely. 

Principles of Influence and Persuasion at Work 

Many people love cars or the convenience that cars bring to their lives. Those who do not own cars may be able to afford them or have negative attitudes towards cars and their effect on the environment, among other concerns and issues. Most people, especially those living in big cities such as Los Angeles, are aware of the effect of car use on the environment but still choose to use cars because they are convenient and luxurious. People need something that would revolutionize transportation, make it convenient, safe, economical, luxurious, and environmentally friendly, for them to fully abandon their cars. Public transportation is safer, cheap, and environmentally friendly. However, the society generally looks down on the various means of public transportation as people who use such systems are generally poor and unable to afford their own private means of transportation. The principles of persuasion, such as consistency, authority, liking, and social proof, can all be used in the attempt to influence and persuade the people to embrace public transportation in a bid to help conserve the environment, improve health and create a better future ( Tewari& Gupta, 2018) . 

The work of transportation companies such as LA Metro is highly commendable, given their continued expansion of the rail lines across the city. The Metro lines are cheap and highly efficient, making it easy for people to commute fast across the city. Keeping up the development and covering all parts of the city and the community could get more people to embrace public transportation. Most people stick to their cars because rail and bus systems are not flexible enough. Influential leaders and individuals, such as CEOs of multinational companies and political figures, can help persuade the people to use public transportation systems by leading as examples. Also, automobile companies and transport ministries can focus more on public transportation buy manufacturing more public transportation automobiles and constructing more intracity and intercity railway lines. 

Various qualities and contributions of public transportation systems such as their environmental friendliness, affordability, and efficiency are quite likable. Getting the people to see and understand these qualities could help change their mindset on public transportation systems. Many people around the world, especially in developed countries, are increasingly embracing public transportation with more awareness of environmental conservation on the rise. It may be possible to persuade more people to use public transportation, given that many others are already using it and finding it quite convenient, economically, and environmentally. Seeing a similar practice being successful and ethically accepted in other places may help change the minds of others, and more and more people would be willing to use public transportation systems. 

Relying on the ethical nature of the public transportation system to act as the main factor for persuading and influencing people to embrace it may not work quite efficiently. While most people already know the importance of using public transportation systems in place of private systems, other factors such as flexibility and the prestige that owning a personal car, for example, gives them, makes it impossible for them to embrace public transportation systems as their primary means of transportation. Applying the various principles of influence and persuasion may go a long way in getting more and people to embrace public transportation systems in the attempt to preserve the environment, create a better future and promote healthy living. 

Literature Review 

Glazener&Khreis (2019), in the study “ Transforming our cities: best practices towards clean air and active transportation,” predict that about seventy percent of the global population will be living in urban centers by 2050. If this takes effect, then people will be more exposed to a lot of health risks. Proper urban planning and migration towards environmentally-friendly forms of transportation present as the best solution for such health risks as well as environmental degradation. Public transportation, according to the study, presents as one of the possible solutions to urban transportation as they are more environmentally friendly as compared to cars and also encourage physical activity. Implementing policies and getting people to use public transportation in urban centers could work to ‘kill two birds with one stone.’ With rates of numerous chronic disease conditions on the rise, physical activity presents as a significant factor in preventing such health conditions. Factors such as the internet retain people in their homes and do not encourage physical activity. Walking to the bus stop or train station alone can do a lot to keep the body in check. 

In another study, Kwan &Hashim (2016) reviewed the benefits of mass public transportation in cities as a successful way of mitigating climate change. The study examined several studies and articles on ways of mitigating climate change and found that public transportation considerably reduced air pollution, which is a massive step towards mitigating climate change. Miller et al. (2016), in the article “ Public transportation and sustainability, ” analyzed the relationship between public transportation and sustainability by exploring the contribution of public transportation to sustainability goals. This particular study also looks at the available literature on sustainable transportation to come up with appropriate recommendations for present and future sustainable public transportation. The benefits and contributions of public transportation to sustainable development goals are undeniably substantial. According to the study, more focus should be put into public transportation if sustainable development goals are to be achieved. 

Experiential Component 

Focus 

The experiential investigation focuses on public transportation, specifically in major cities such as Los Angeles and how to persuade and influence people to use public transportation to help conserve the environment and to benefit future generations. Public transportation is a key area in sustainability development and can significantly contribute to the achievement of sustainable goals. Public transportation also presents as a way of improving public health through physical exercise. Public transportation is, therefore, a hot topic, and one that demands the attention of the world. Many people in the world today are aware of the threats of climate change, but very few are aware of some of the possible solutions to mitigating climate change. Very little people are aware of the implications for using cars or forms of public transportation on the environment and health. The knowledge of the factors and threats to climate is not sufficient to get people to do things in ways that would help sustain the environment and improve health. The public needs to be persuaded and influenced to the extent that they would be able to abandon cars and embrace public transportation. 

Topic Selection 

Living in a major city like Los Angeles, I get to witness how the atmosphere gets polluted. Other than the numerous industries which emit lots of dangerous gases to the atmosphere, the thousands of cars in every street and road in the city also contribute immensely to pollution. Think of the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by each car on the streets each day. Think of the amount of litter poured or thrown out on the streets by lazy people stuck in traffic for hours. The noise and the nuisance coming from the roads can be unbearable. Also, lots of hours spent in cars means less and less time spent on physical activity. Influencing commuters in such a city to use public transportation will substantially benefit the society as well as future generations. I, therefore, selected this topic, given its significance in the modern world and society, and its implications for the future. 

A lot of improvements concerning public transportation have certainly been made in LA, and many people are increasingly using public transport ( Steinfeld, 2017) . There is railway lines expansion to more areas across the city. LA Metro, the biggest contributor to public transportation in LA, is increasingly doing more to get more people to use public means of transport through the continuous construction of rail lines and bringing in more buses to the streets. More bus lines are coming up and getting to deeper areas of the city. Rideshare companies are now renting out bikes and scooters to the public as a convenient and sustainable means of transportation. Even then, cars remain to be the most dominant means of transportation in the city. 

Analysis of Learning 

I have not any previous experiences dealing with this specific topic, but I have dealt with other topics with similar ideas. One of the major issues today is climate change and its implications for future generations. If leaders do nothing constructive at the moment, future generations will have to suffer, having to live in a destroyed world. It may be quite difficult to change the way of life at the moment and get everyone to start embracing sustainable development. Luckily, some of the things that may help conserve the environment, such as public transportation systems in cities, are already available and are convenient in a lot of ways as compared to private transportation. While most people understand the importance of conserving the environment, they are never ready to do what is necessary. People know that plastic cans are a threat to the environment, yet they cannot stop buying beverages and drinks served in plastic cans. The same applies to public transportation as most people would not choose public transportation means over luxurious private cars. 

I expected to learn a lot regarding public transportation and how to persuade and influence people to use public transportation means. Already aware of the principles of persuasion and influences, I intended to learn more about how to apply such principles at the public level. I also expected to find out more about the various modes of transportation in Los Angeles as well as the use and development of public transport. I also expected to gain more knowledge about the benefits of public transportation on public health and the environment. Lastly, I expected to learn more about current trends, people’s reactions to public transportation, and people’s opinions of private and public means of transportation. 

I carried out a thorough research on the topic to gain more understanding of public transportation, people’s opinions, and how to best persuade them to use public transportation. I also discussed the subject with people of different age groups, sexes, and professions in the bid to get to understand their opinions on public transportation. Gathering a lot of information on the topic would help with the objective, which is to persuade and influence the public to use public transportation systems. I also conducted observations around the city and took pictures on various roads, streets, and freeways across the city. The images, alone, clearly shows that the dominant means of transportation remains to be cars. It gets worse during rush hours in the evenings when everyone is trying to get home after work. 

Reactions 

Surprisingly, most people would not even support the idea of public transportation in place of private transportation. Car manufacturers would certainly not support the idea given the enormous revenue they would lose if more people say no to cars. On a personal level, various people gave different responses regarding the use of public transportation. Many people welcomed the idea of public transportation as a sustainable means of transportation. Public transportation, according to many people, is cheaper and would reduce traffic congestion within a crowded city such as LA ( Litman, 2016) . Public transportation would also encourage physical activity and help people live healthier lives. With the threat of climate change or the rise, public transportation sounds like an excellent initiative that communities should take to help sustain the environment and protect future generations. 

However, people also pointed out the limitations of public transportation, and areas where cars were highly preferable to buses or trains. Public transportation systems are more prone to insecurities, according to most people. Buses and trains can be unreliable as they are not flexible enough and do not extend to certain areas of the city. Also, there is no privacy in public transportation systems. Most importantly, society has high regard for cars, and public transportation does not provide the luxury, convenience, and comfort that personal vehicles offer. 

Relevance 

Sociology, as a doctrine, deals with human or social problems. It involves the study of how society functions, its structure, and its development. The topic of public transportation is highly relevant to the course given that it touches problems facing the society, the functions of the society, and societal development. Climate change is one of the hottest topics in current times and a huge problem facing society today. Persuading people to use public transportation, specifically within city centers, is a step towards mitigating the threat and effects of climate change. Conducting the experiential investigation on the topic opened my mind to how society functions and develops. People have a high regard for the things that society deems as important and good. People also want what gives them maximum comfort and what works in their best interest. The knowledge that cars contribute to pollution is not enough to make people stop buying or owning cars. It is because cars also give them privacy, comfort, flexibility, and status, among other things. With the future generation at great risk, persuasion techniques must be put in play to help convince the people to embrace public transportation. 

Final Comments 

There is no doubt that cars are a huge threat to the environment and human health. In big cities such as Los Angele, every day, thousands of vehicles emit huge amounts of dangerous gases into the atmosphere, which ultimately contributes to global warming and climate change. With minimal effects of climate change already being experienced today, the future generations are inevitably at risk if the current trends are to be maintained. Confining thousands of people in single public transportation systems such as trains would remarkable reduce the rate and amount of transmission of gases. People who use public transportation means also get the opportunity of engaging in physical activity, which is essential for proper health and wellbeing. Public transportation should be welcomed more given that it also comes with a lot of benefits for society, such as reduced cost of transportation. Also, it presents an excellent opportunity for mitigating the dangers of climate change and ensuring a better future for humanity. 

References 

Glazener, A., &Khreis, H. (2019). Transforming our cities: best practices towards clean air and active transportation. Current environmental health reports , 6 (1), 22-37. 

Kwan, S. C., &Hashim, J. H. (2016). A review on the co-benefits of mass public transportation in climate change mitigation. Sustainable cities and society , 22 , 11-18. 

Lam, A. Y., Leung, Y. W., & Chu, X. (2016). Autonomous-vehicle public transportation system: scheduling and admission control. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems , 17 (5), 1210-1226. 

Litman, T. (2016). The hidden traffic safety solution: Public transportation. 

Miller, P., de Barros, A. G., Kattan, L., &Wirasinghe, S. C. (2016). Public transportation and sustainability: A review. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering , 20 (3), 1076-1083. 

Steinfeld, E. (2017). The culture of accessible transportation. In Accessible Public Transportation (pp. 5-18). Routledge. 

Tewari, S., & Gupta, A. (2018). Pre-suasion: a revolutionary way to influence and persuade.